By Rajiv Punj
It is certainly euphoric that the Indian parliamentary democracy has traversed six decades. However, it is becoming increasingly a matter of grave concern that those who occupy coveted seats in our ‘Sansad Bhawan’ seem to have lost the sense of obligation towards the people whom they claim to ‘represent’.
With continuing uncivil ruckus in parliament over issues which are frivolous for the public at large but important for politicians’ vote-bank, the saying that ‘With power comes responsibility’ seems to have reduced to ‘With power comes incivility’ in the Indian context.
The `Temple of our Constitution’ has been reduced to a circus of sycophants and parasites. Today’s pigmies have NO comparison with the honorable great men who drafted our Constitution. These grave people would be hanging their heads in shame to see their successors having the audacity to take pride in their illiteracy and ignorance.
Our parliamentarians must have been duty-bound to uphold the great Indian values laid by the founding fathers of our great nation. But what has happened is that this bunch doesn’t have the remotest of the idea of what the Westminster model of democracy means. And the collective failure of parliament is there for all to see.
Our politicians behave just like children. When the child is scolded, he cries and says sorry. But the next moment he is back to his old tricks. These parliamentarians care two hoots for the country and their countrymen. They pass resolutions from time to time to hoodwink the public and gloss over weighty issues.
We pretend to be the largest democracy, forgetting model western democracies are methodical, lucid and disciplined. Their debates, their deliberations are rational. Rather than watch our parliamentarians, our people today prefer to watch on news channels what these worthies said and did in the august House. TV debates are far better than parliament sessions in which very few members say something sensible and which most don’t even bother to attend leave alone participate in the debates.
The future of our country is closely linked to our democratic values and we all have an obligation to elect our parliamentarians who have complete faith in our federal structure with a stable Central government.
Teeming millions of this country look at Indian democracy with great hope and the so-called elites of society have a moral responsibility to voice for them.
We need to ensure that we all together to weed out crooks from our political system. We the people of this wonderful civilization want our highest evocative forum to constructively discuss pertinent issues and NOT waste taxpayers’ money by disrupting debates. We expect our representatives to be accountable for all their days spent in the office.
It is time people came froward to save this nation from parasites posing as politicians.
(Rajiv Punj is an Indo-Canadian who is a senior executive with a multinational in New Delhi)
Rajiv
I fully endorse what you have written.
Opposition had to give one chance to explain and allowed the parliament to work and do business of legislation.
Dear Rajiv,
Very well written and articulated.
But contentwise, I have only one remark. “we get the Govt that we deserve”
Thanks
Upili
Rajiv
Wonderfully written
Puneet
I agree that these are the sad days of democracy and still feel that corruption in daily life, and corruption in government and corruption in politics is the need of hour to tackle. What has happened is all are part of it and what we can do we should do.
Pankaj
We have to trust younger generation to save democratic values and not follow the people who disrupt the proceeedings in the Parliament and Vidhan Sabhas.Country is in midst of crucial change .
Rajiv,
Your article reflects true picture of our nation and time has come that we join hands to help this nation to emerge and sustain or else we may fall and not rise again.
Thanks,
Vivek
Dear Rajiv,
Let me congratulate you for your new role as a political analyst. Your writing power is superb and English good indeed. But as far as debating is concerned, I think BJP/NDA was right by not allowing as by doing this they succeeded in mounting pressure on the government and brought the issue into public domain like they did in the 2G case. Of course, by disrupting the whole session resulted in loss of taxpayers’ money but by bringing the issue of corruption in larger public domain is more important and will eventually off-set the losses once the coalgate blocks are cancelled or the inquiry is carried to its logical conclusion and the nexus of politicians and business houses is exposed.
Debate in parliament is more often than not meaningless in that the government will give some cock and bull explanation and shut the Opposition’s voice by brute majority. Then they will send the matter to the PAC where it will be put in cold storage and in propriety wrangle and treated with contempt in order to give it a decent burial. Recall what happened to the JPC in 2G.The Opposition’s move to stall parliament worked to good effect in the 2G matter so why not in coalgate? This government is neck deep in scams and mega-scams and does not deserve the decency of a parliamentary escape route.
SVJ
I endorse and agree with what all you are saying. I but have some issues:
1. What is the alternative under the present structure…all are the same… the only difference of few degrees.
2. More keen to listen to the solution as an educated person: how many of us go and vote.
3. We need a revolution and that will come only when we take to streets with a clear agenda – but not like Anna and Kejriwal, etc., having political ambitions and wanting cheap publicity, supported by good articles like this.
4. Excuse me, I am very blunt and straight. Please don’t mind. You are doing a good and wonderful job by penning down such topics, but now time has come when we have to move forward collectively.