Our Democracy becoming horrid hooliganism

 Barricades have been  erected around the speaker of Lok Sabha dias that had not happened for last fifty years, it is a serious issue to ponder on at national level. Surprisingly it is the  very elected members of legislature, who are making it horrid  in quality of debate and conduct and  are not bothered about it .They are busy in spending their time on non issues like intolerance which has been finally nailed by the Chief Justice of India when he said that when there is rule of law and independent judiciary in the country how can there be intolerance and no one need to fear. Of course he too admitted that this matter is politicized. But what was the form of protest in legislature? Paper balls were thrown on speaker, rushing to well became a rule and in other legislatures even chairs have been hurled and minor scuffles are not unknown. Even BJP is not blame free in this as they set the tradition of holding the house to ransom when they did not have majority.  The limits of tolerance have shrunk for the opposition too who took to the task its member who wrote an article about the powers of Rajya Sabha.  He was chastised and the house showed no tolerance to him.

What was this intolerance after all? During Bihar elections every party showed its rude conduct. But worse even Bollywood joined it after the awards were returned by the literary intellectuals. What went wrong with Shahrukh Khan who too made such noise during the elections? Barely the din subsided that those who were interested to perpetuate it brought Amir Khan who too complained of intolerance and even used his wife’s shoulders to fire his shot that there can be thinking to leave the country. Was it so bad? What went wrong with Khans to make this noise when they were prized heroes of the people and no one booed them? Paul Johanson, who researched the lives of Intellectuals, comes to conclusion in the book Intellectuals that are relevant even today” Discount their verdicts on political and important events”. He writes ‘ one of the principal lessons of our tragic century be ware of intellectuals, Taken as a group they are ..They serve those whose approval they seek..Worst of all despotism is tyranny of their ideas ”No wonder nearly 80% people in all surveys have given the verdict that there is no intolerance. But three days of Parliament are lost in it.  The conduct of Parliamentarian and our system is becoming day by day rowdy both in the centre and states. Narendra Modi rightly said that the democracy runs with consensus and not voting by majority which is last option. But whre is the sign of consensus even on national issues that are holding up development?

I remember the days when I was in Indian Institute of Public Administration New Delhi completing my course and as a part of our studies we were taken to Parliament to understand the functioning of the highest body of legislation. When we were in Visitors gallery I heard with rapt attention a logical and lucid debate being initiated by veteran Ashok Mehta, a Socialist leader. Socialists were in minority and Congress had overwhelming majority. In the course of his speech some interruptions were made by the Congress MPs and Speaker admonished them. Ashok Mehta said what I remember still distinctly” Let me complete my speech and if you want after wards you can demolish me”. The MPs however still persisted and in the din he was not audible. At this moment the leader of the house late Jawaharlal  Nehru got up and chided his members and asked them to maintain peace so that the speaker can complete his speech. Thereafter there was complete pin drop silence.  This was my first glimpse of graceful conduct and behavior of our highest law making body when the members were law abiding.

Now situation has completely changed and no one is bothered about the prestige of the leader of the house or Prime Minister. Consequently the behavior and conduct of the members of house have become worse than school urchins. This conduct of rowdies is now being televised to the whole nation. It has vitiated the atmosphere of public discourse and the language of every other person. One session was completely washed up in acrimony. More is likely to happen. What is worse is that some word of act is objected as opposition members find fault with excessive zeal and then they start demanding he sacking of Particular Minister. If the treasury benches do not see eye to eye with this proposal the house is stalled. Speaker of the house appears helpless in maintaining decorum and things go haywire. Result is that important legislation covering the development and advancement of the nation are getting scuttled. No one seems concerned with the wider and broader implications. It is high time all parties realize that ethics of maintaining decorum in the respective houses is honored and hooliganism is firmly stopped. Democracy is certainly not anarchy.

Bus Stop

First Passenger: Our Hockey team has done great performance in winning Bronze medal after thirty three years.

Second Passenger: At least Ache din have dawned on our Hockey if not for all.

---Prof NKSingh former Chairman International Airports Authority of India