Parliament-When did it function last!

The more you shout and create ruckus, the more you will be shown on TV and the publicity that you get.
This has become the norm of sessions whether it is parliament or it is a state assembly, immaterial of who is in power and in opposition.

This blog of mine is not in support of any political party or to criticize one. It is on the virus that has crept into our system that we are unable to control and the taxpayer is being penalized for it. Whenever tax is cut from our salary, we have every reason to believe that it is being used for the betterment of the society. There are millions of Indians like me who pay tax from their hard-earned money.
Let me not make this discussion sound like a crib on wasting MY money. It is instead a more important aspect that I would like to concentrate on.

Since 1999, more than 400 hours of parliament have been lost because of the repeated disruptions. Remember, each minute of parliament costs the country a little over Rs. 20,000; each day costs the country over Rs. 1.2 crores. By that estimate, we have already lost over 400 crores and counting over the last five years.

For a major part of the money and time that has been lost, you and I are the reason. Gone are the days when I used to switch on my Keltron T.V (not there anymore) to view the parliament session and hear some meaningful debates and discussions. Now the brand has changed, that of the television and also that of the members. When senior members keep mum or covertly support the riot that happens when the parliament is in session, it is clear that the system is in deep trouble. It takes two to tango. When the opposition is busy disrupting, the treasury benchers are happy since they do not have to take questions from others that would put them in a tight spot.

We displayed a deep concern and raised hue and cry in international forums when the Indian Parliament was attacked. It was really great to see how concerned we were about our parliament (no pun intended). What are we doing now when it is being attacked each day it is in session? The difference is that the militants were foreign and had damaged the brick and motor. The people who are attacking it now are our very own. They are damaging the spirit, the reason, and the functionality. They are damaging the basis of democracy itself.

I still remember clearly the way a member was asked to leave from the Australian parliament just because he interrupted the speaker twice in the house. The person who was speaking then was the visiting president of U.S. George W Bush Jr. who was on a thanksgiving visit for Australia’s support in the Iraq war. It would be uncommon in India that any such thing would happen since our boys will be busy trying to get an opportunity for getting photographed with the president or trying to garland him (once in a lifetime opportunity, ideology and party is not a barrier). The point I am making is the spirit and the decorum there that is missing here. It is a shame that we project such an image of our country in the very temple of democracy.

Where does the problem lie? Do we elect parliamentarians based on their performance or does caste, creed, religion, region, gender and all the other related stuff play a role in our selection? The truth is that, it does and to a very large extent (or probably completely).

I always believe that we need to address the issue and not the people. If we fine the M.Ps’ and suspend them, it will resolve the matter for a few days. What about the next session when they are in the well again displaying their best antics to disrupt the house?

The resolution would be that if the parliament is being disrupted for any reason whatsoever, the people responsible should not be allowed to contest for the next term.
A parliamentarian is worried of only one thing and that is to get back the kursi after the completion of their tenure. We need to elect people based on their performance and not on anything else. To begin with the media when airing such news should clearly tell the people who have been responsible, the money and time wasted and the action that has been taken. We should not be eulogizing them for acting in such an undisciplined manner.

The sad part is that such legislation needs to be passed by the very same parliamentarians. Do you think they would do so?
No prizes for guesses.