Why are our politicians bent on making Parliament a road? Why are democratic norms being violated?

Disruption of Parliament proceedings and parliamentary deadlock have become a common thing. The same situation is being seen in the second phase of the budget session of the Parliament, five days have passed since the session started, but nothing has happened except uproar and sloganeering in both the Houses. While the ruling party is pressing ahead with its demand in Parliament that Rahul Gandhi should apologize for what he said about Indian democracy during his visit to London, the Congress and other opposition parties are demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe into the Adani case. That is, they are adamant on getting JPC done and are not allowing the Parliament to function. The unparliamentary and aggressive way of expressing protest, the tussle between the ruling party and the opposition and the parliamentary deadlock arising out of these situations are going to tarnish the dignity of democracy. Instead of meaningful debate to make our opposition huge, how can the conditions of noise and sloganeering be called democratic?

It is so sad that even for a single day the Parliament has not been able to function properly. Such a series of controversies has started, which does not seem to end easily. Disputes happen in Parliament as well as on the road. But can’t the Parliament be allowed to become a road? By the way, such occasions have come before in the Indian parliamentary history, when the elements of mutual struggle were more and efforts for coordination and harmony were seen very less. It is clear that if both the parties stick to their respective stand then it will be difficult for the Parliament to function. If this happens then it will be very unfortunate. Such a situation may also arise that the budget has to be passed without debate. This will not be good, but the Parliament can function only when both the parties give up their obstinacy. For the time being, its chances are not visible, because it is certain that Rahul Gandhi is not going to apologize for his statement given in London. On the one hand, where Mallikarjun Kharge has made it clear that Rahul Gandhi is not going to apologise, on the other hand other Congress leaders are trying to prove that their leader did not say anything in London as is being told. . Due to such conflicting situations, the parliamentary decorum will continue to be violated again and again and the scenarios of creating ruckus, displaying indecency and forcing violent incidents in the Parliament will continue to appear again and again. How can the stubbornness of not accepting wrong as wrong be acceptable? What kind of bigotry is this that the Congress is not ready to apologize to Rahul, who has played with the dignity of Indian democracy, that he has done something wrong.

This session of Parliament has also remained aggressive because the Lok Sabha elections of the year 2024 are in the eyes of both the party and the opposition. That is why it is unlikely that Rahul Gandhi will apologise, similarly it is unlikely that the Modi government will agree to the opposition’s demand for setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the Adani case. One reason for this is that the Supreme Court has already announced the formation of a six-member committee and secondly, the Joint Parliamentary Committees constituted so far in financial matters have either covered up in the name of investigation or partisan politics. It also cannot be overlooked that the main objective of the opposition’s demand to get the Adani case probed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee is to keep the matter alive till the next general elections. Since the government has realized this intention of the opposition, it is not ready to pay attention to its demand. What a strange and tragic situation that in front of everyone is the selfishness of the power, not the country. It is necessary to pass the budget in a democratic way to make the country and to speed up its development. If this does not happen then it will be very unfortunate. Such a situation may also arise that the budget has to be passed without debate. This will not be good, but the Parliament can function only when both the parties give up their obstinacy. At present it is not looking likely.

Insistence, prejudice and obscurantism – in Indian politics, such people will be counted who are living out of these three situations. But today when we see the leaders engaged in the legislative operations of the nation, we do not find anyone free from them. Seven decades have passed after independence, the maturity of the charioteers of democracy has not flourished, clean character has not been born, we have not been able to train to drive democracy. It was not sown or fertilized with water. Today there are urges – no thought expression without prejudice and sometimes personal and sometimes party become obstinate for selfishness. Everyone imagines Ramrajya but Mahabharata is being created. Mahabharata is also such where there is neither Shri Krishna, nor Yudhishthira nor Arjuna. Neither Bhishma is Pitamah, nor Karna. All have become Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana and Shakuni. There is neither the one who recites the Gita nor the one who listens.

If the opposition parties show unnecessary aggression, then the government will answer them in the same language. Due to this, now there is more noise during the sessions of Parliament. This simply means that there is less legislative work in the Parliament and more hue and cry. This unpleasant situation should be avoided by law. It is a great truth that democracy is a complex system and it has to pass through tests time and again. Of course, while commenting on democracy in the country or outside the country, it should be considered comprehensively. The history and geography of governance-administration must be the voice of the dignity of Indian democracy in the comments of any big leader of Indian democracy. It is expected that democracy has flourished after passing through big tests in the past and people will have the same hope that it will flourish this time also. But the big question is when will the people who drive Indian democracy finally mature? When will Indian democracy come out of these unfortunate and ironic tragedies? Parliamentary democracy has its own limitations, it does not run on the terms of opposition and opposition, but on the politics of mutual understanding, values ​​and mutual consent. Proved, in a way, how rootless and impractical mutual antagonism is in Indian politics. The pace of politics is fast, but it should also stop and think that there should be some time in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for protest and protest and maximum time should be spent in discussions and plans for the rapid development of the country and nation building.

When our politicians get into confrontation, they probably do not think what message is being sent to the country. In this session of Parliament, not only the budget is to be debated, but at least three dozen bills are also to be passed. Many of these are very important Bills. If the proposed bill is not passed due to the deadlock between the ruling party and the opposition, then it will be a work to stop the way of the nation. It would be appropriate that the ruling party and the opposition should understand that by creating a situation of deadlock in the Parliament, they are only working to disappoint the public. Is there not so much decency left in Indian politics today that by accepting his mistake as a mistake, he is determined not to let such tragic incidents happen in the future.

-Lalit Garg

(The author is a senior journalist and columnist)