While reading a book on Parliamentary Democracy in India, I came across our former Lok - Sabha speaker's concern over the functioning of present day parliaments. While expressing some of the facts about the conduct of the house members and what impact has this on our exchequer he seemed to be utterly worried. It might be an exaggerated anticipation of mine but yes he was somewhat worried.
Why was he worried? I am not concerned about his fears or his anxiety nor I am any penny biased over him but the facts written as a statement of his made me realise something very important.
Often I work for 300 hours a month like most of my country fellows and that too away from our near and dear ones just to earn what my people of the house (parliament) waste every minute by disrupting its working. The 14th Lok Sabha met for almost half number of days (332) as compared to our 1st Lok Sabha due to utter chaos, grave abuses, unnecessary adjournments and frequent walk-outs.
Why! are they so special to be such flamboyant? It may be not just me but millions who have to toil their daily muscles and limbs to earn and then part away a share (in the form of taxes) so that we can have better policies aiming our own development (better roads, better goods distribution, better education and many better services). But what if a member disdains from the house itself for over a major part of the term? Be it a film actor, be it the sole protector of Bengal, be it the J&K assembly or be it the cash-for-vote furor in the house, they simply do not have the right to misuse public money by not allowing the proceedings of the house to go forward.
I would be least apologetic to any of them as I care of my country-folks who are so involved just to find ways for keeping their bellies contented rather than wasting time over the policy makers and policy controllers of the nation. Their day starts with less than Rs. 31 and ends with less than Rs. 31. The other worry for them is when will they have their dreams fulfilled of having better sanitation, better drinking water, better shelter in times of distress and better ways of livelihood. Actually most of them never dreamt of things such as these but they are forced to dream every five years and then forced to forget the same very next year.
What a shame! the rulers throwing chairs, abusing each others, walking out of the house as if they were rambles, passing appropriation bills without any need of discussion and the most important of all "enjoying holidays from the parliament when they are supposed to be making policies for the ones who are paying day and night for their above mentioned acts".
By mere expression of my sentiments is not going to work out any means of change, but I along with my country-people want to ask my respected MPs and MLAs is that aren't we forgetting the golden examples set up by our Constitution framers? Aren't we bringing disgrace to all those who died in val-our for creating up a set-up as of today? Aren't we bringing unwanted activism from all sorts - be it from a Baba or a Civil Society or be it our own Judiciary? Why do we have to waste time resolving disputes rather than putting in a constructive thoughts where disputes are a least possibility? Where is that "Social Democracy" we enshrined in our only law of the land?
So many of these questions! I shouldn't have thrown up like this.
