Vijay Hashia
Legislatures, for the past few years have been worst in performance and high on theatrics. Having turned into wrestling arena, verbal duels and pepper assaults triggered by divisive issues and tight votes have become order. Such incidents are prevalent in many countries and incidents are on rise regularly in India.
Protests in the Indian Parliament and state legislative assemblies’ are a routine affair. It is almost a dream to expect our political leaders to ever let a session go smooth giving each other time to speak and voice their opinions. However, what happened in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha recently proved that there is no difference between a Parliament session and a wrestling arena. It was a day which will go down as one of the worst days in Indian Parliament history, where MPs used pepper spray and stationery items to hurt each other. While there was no hue and cry during formation of Uttarakhan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, Telangana bill was chaotic. Industrialist and suspended Congress MP L Rajagopal from Vijayawada sprayed pepper, C M Ramesh roughed up to snatch papers from Raja Sabha General Secretary. Arrogant feudalistic mindset believes in expression of vendetta against each other to political ideology. Although the speaker attempted to bring order, the members continued to disrupt. The lowest ever debates has eroded the democratic fabric of this highest institution.
Also, witnessed were uproars and fisticuffs in UP and J&K. In UP, legislators stood on benches to show tummies and zero packs. The CM was seen laughing and enjoying these hooligans. In J&K assembly, legislators not only once but a number of occasions resorted to fisticuffs. PDP’s protest for demanding choppers to rescue avalanche struck people, the legislator Abdul Haq Khan turned amuck. TV footage showed protesting legislator marshaled out and he continuously slapping him to enter the well. Khan said the government had failed to provide choppers to rescue the people and did not pay any heed to grievances. “Basically I just wanted to say that it is a humanitarian issue. Ministers use choppers for their own luxury and for their own convenience. If choppers are provided then lives of many people can be saved and those who are stuck due to avalanches they can be rescued. Why are they not giving choppers when Deputy Commissioner is demanding for it for the past six days? My concern was that the patients should be air lifted and brought here for treatment. But unfortunately, they didn’t take my advice and I was marshaled out,” he said.
Shockingly, we are not the only who fight like road goondas during sessions. Political leaders in countries like USA, UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Turkey and many other countries have also written history with some very ugly and nasty fights during Parliament sessions. However, this is not something one should take pride in.
Roman general and dictator Julius Caesar was famously assassinated by a group of senators on the Ides of March, 44 BC during a meeting of the Roman Senate. The senators led by Cassius and Brutus calling themselves liberators had conspired in secret to kill Caesar. When Caesar met the senators at the Theatre of Pompey, they stabbed him repeatedly with daggers concealed under their togas. Caesar’s assassination lead to a civil war.
In UK (1972), an independent socialist MP Bernadette Devlin punched the Conservative Party Home Secretary Reginald Maudling. Her aggression was in response to the comments made by Maudling as she argued that she was being denied the right to speak. Her actions resulted in her being banned from the House of Commons for six months. In the same house, a powerful speaker in May 2009 Michael Martin had to resign because of a backlash over excessive expense claims by legislators. In Quebec legislature, October 2013, there was a topless, seminude screaming defiance against the Parti Québécois that derailed the daily question hour. All three women were swiftly removed for gross indecency. In Bolivian national legislature, a fight erupted during a debate over four judges on corruption charges. In Peru, members of the congress tried to grab and punch a colleague for having secret bank account in a Swiss bank. He was suspended for 120 days from Congress. The Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is probably the most notable modern example of legislative violence demonstrating that politicians gain more by punching, kicking and gouging each other. Yet recently, in Ukrainian Parliament Kiev (Jan 2014), opposition deputies threw buckwheat at newly elected deputy Viktor Pylypyshyn as he took the oath in Ukrainian Parliament.
Barring other nations, Indian independence enshrines idea of freedom, equality and participation in decision making. Under British rule, people had lived under fear. The liberty and freedom of expression were archaic to dissent. In 1885, the Indian National Congress demanded that they be elected members in the legislature with a right to discuss the budget and ask questions. The Government of India Act 1909, allowed for some elected representation. The dreams and aspirations of the freedom struggle with the right to dissent were made concrete in the constitution of independent India. The decision of people through electoral franchise created democratic governments and decided about its functioning. All these elements put together made us democratic which enabled citizens through their elected representatives to voice and debate, thus making the Indian Parliament an expression of faith and not an expression of skepticism & wrestling arena.
However, the last five years have not been good for debates. In that, scams took dominant narrative. Frequent disruptions resulted in fewer business hours. CWG to 2G and Coalgate, Tetra Truk, Agusta Westland chopper, Antrix Devas and Adarsh scams dominated the proceedings amidst disorder and chaos. Whistleblower bill was finally passed after two years din. During 2G scam, the opposition demanded a JPC probe, the government resisted. This lead to debates, disruptions and time wastage. Lokpal, criminal law amendment, food security bill and Telangana creation got heated to counter accusations till both sides agreed. On the issue of Nuclear Liability and FDI bills, Government had to buckle. Most of the bills, such as Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Service Bill, Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Officials Bill, Public Procedure Bill, Women’s Reservation Bill are dumped. In this milieu, 38 MPs have been suspended.
The erosion of debates is conspicuous of legislature’s lack of political will. The Parliament is hope for democracy and meant for debates to logical ends but not an arena of emotions and personal vendetta. The test of time is, will there be further erosion in the ensuing debates. Could it be Gorkhaland and Vidarbha or could it be Jana Lokpal and Women’s reservation. For the time being, let us repose for optimistic good future and hope the next bout in this highest temple metamorphoses into magnanimous discourse but no more the bout of a wrestling arena.
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