It is often said that the 20th century was the ‘century of change' and that the 21st century is the ‘century of the pace of change'. Indeed, things have changed and changed fast, and for the worse, in Indian democracy
Whatever happened in the hallowed precincts of Parliament on February 13 brought shock and shame to almost all the academics that I could talk to that evening after the incident — it was a tragedy. I recalled my earlier image of Parliament that emerged before me through my textbooks and teachers. We were told it is the highest ‘panchayat’ that determines the fate of independent India and Indians. Members of Parliament were mostly freedom-fighters, known for their renunciation of worldly comforts, and ever-willing to sacrifice everything for the country.
Many of them had suffered police brutality and spent the best years of their lives in British jails. Jawaharlal Nehru, my textbook told me, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth; he could have led a princely life. But he gave it all up and became a sepoy of Mahatma Gandhi. He spent a decade in jail. Govind Ballabh Pant suffered lathi blows on his head trying to save his ‘friend’ Nehru, who could have been killed otherwise by the police. Pant suffered a shaking head throughout his life. A host of other names can be recalled.
Schools and colleges regularly organised ‘mock Parliaments’. Our MPs were treated as freedom-givers, now engaged in the task of national reconstruction. Their bravery and courage impressed us all. In our school functions and dramas we tried to relive instances and incidents from their lives. They were our leaders. They were getting no pension, no privileges; they were not getting their salaries and emoluments raised at regular intervals. They were accessible to one and all. Several of them, after retirement, spend their evening of life in penury. It could happen, as they say, only in India.
The young of today may find all this hard to believe. They would be right as they witness and watch the Members of Parliament of the 21st century in action, in rather total alienation from their voters and busy in enhancing their own material assets at the cost of the loss of credibility of Parliament. The way things have been shaping during the last decade, February 13 was destined to happen. Imagine Ministers shouting slogans against their own Government in the well of the House and the Prime Minister sitting quietly in his splendid silence!
At the age of 19 years, I came to Delhi with a couple of friends, fresh post-graduates from the University of Allahabad. We went to see Parliament House. It was not in session but people were being taken inside in a guided tour. I do not remember any of the security arrangements or frisking at any stage. What I never forgot in the subsequent 50 years is a gesture that came to me so instinctively that even I was a bit surprised after the event. The moment we were ushered in within the boundary and were face to face with the impressive structure, I bowed with folded hands in a sincere gesture of reverence and humility. I felt good, my friends looked at me, and I remember two of them following suit. We were taken to both the Houses and also to the Central Hall. We were greatly impressed and felt highly elated having visited the place.
During the 15-year period (1989-2004) I had the privilege being present in the officers’ gallery on certain days, watching the proceedings in the lok Sabha and also the Rajya Sabha. The change from my earlier expectations was visible. However, the grace, decency and decorum could still impress anyone including young persons who came to the visitors’ galleries from schools and colleges on several occasions. Whenever the presiding officer was on his feet, everyone else was respectfully listening, just as school children do when the headmaster enters their classroom.
I could also recall the names of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Narasimha Rao, Arjun Singh and several more who were listened to with rapt attention, irrespective of party affiliations. Today, debates in Parliament have been reduced in content and delivery, and even effort. let the persons holding top positions of power accept their failure in giving Parliament its due. Will the latest incident become an eye-opener and make the MPs realise how important it is to preserve institutions for the health of the nationIJ Probably for those who just cannot think beyond the next election, such a pleading may have no value. But to the common man, the nation is the priority, and so are its institutions.
One often says that the 20th century was the ‘century of change’ and the 21st century is the ‘century of the pace of change’. Things have changed and changed fast in Indian democracy. For small-time political gains, those in power have not hesitated to even tread beyond the spirit of the Constitution. One could cite umpteen examples. When Mr Manmohan Singh filed his first nomination from Assam as a regular resident of the State and even produced rent receipts of a hired house, somewhere, many, including his admirers, were pained. Though subsequently, the Centre changed the provisions, the stipulation at that time for election to the Council of States was clear: The seat was meant for someone from the State; and Mr Singh had violated it. Recently, the manner in which the Congress high command nominated Mr Sanjay Singh, who represents Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur, as a candidate from Assam, indicates how least serious the present Government is about national integration and social cohesion, particularly in the context of North-East.
Who cares for the sentiments and needs of the people of the State or their elected representativesIJ Imagine the frustration inflicted upon the MlAs of Assam who were forced to vote for an unknown outsider against their wishes. By indulging in such practices, the political parties and their ‘bosses’ have lost moral authority and it is this loss that has resulted in the rather irreparable damage to the stature, grace and credibility of Indian Parliament.
People of India alone can rectify this damage. They must simply not ignore this loss while casting their vote for the lok Sabha, this year.