Democracy held hostage in Parliament

Is the functioning of Parliament an essential service in a democracy? If so, can we please use ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) to make the Parliament function? We are tired of being taken hostage as our ‘honourable’ MPs hold a gun to our heads and make demands.

Everyone has a right to protest in a democracy, but how useful is that protest if it kills democracy itself? Over the years, that is precisely what our MPs have been doing. Dismantling democracy, brick by brick.
We have seen the MPs in this destructive role for ages.

We have grown used to them shamelessly abusing their power. We are surprised if an MP is not corrupt. We don’t turn a hair when they scream and shout in the House and put unruly schoolboys to shame with their belligerence and rowdiness. And we look on impassively as they paralyse Parliamentary democracy, session after session.

The month-long winter session, which wound up this week with only 5.5% of the allotted time used, was the most unproductive session of Parliament in recent decades. Of the 138 hours scheduled over 23 sittings, Parliament sat for just seven hours. That is one average working day for the rest of us, ordinary citizens, who work for a living; deluded souls who send politicians to the Parliament in good faith.

India will not forgive the Opposition for wasting an entire session of Parliament, thundered Sonia Gandhi. Your fault, your fault! screamed the BJP and the Left parties.

The blame game continues. This failed session has cost the country Rs172 crore and 30-odd Bills could not be taken up. Why waste time debating boring stuff like land acquisition, labour laws, judicial accountability or reforming accounting standards when you could rush to the well of the House shouting slogans and hop about in mindless fervour?

So opposition MPs rose dramatically to protest the spectacular corruption in the 2G spectrum sale, the Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Housing Society and make specific demands.

The government, with equally unbelievable shamelessness, stoutly refused to give in to their demand of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rs1.76 lakh crore 2G scandal, which could clear the air on the country’s biggest scam ever. A JPC probe may reveal embarrassing stuff for the government — but not allowing it isn’t much better, since it’s a bit like accepting guilt anyway.

So, though I believe the opposition’s demand for a JPC probe is perfectly justified, their ruthless blackmailing to push for it is unacceptable. Parliamentary democracy functions through debate, not by hijacking the seat of democracy, not by holding a gun to the nation’s head.

Of late, brutal blackmail has become the tool of choice. Doctors go on strike, unrelenting as they watch patients die without treatment. Blame the authorities for the deaths, they say, they should have accepted our demands.

Power groups — from workers unions to political parties — paralyse life with bandhs and strikes. Blame the authorities, they say, blame the government. And now that muscle-flexing rules Parliament. Blame the government, say the MPs as they bind and gag democracy. If they want Parliament to function they should give in to our demands.

That is the way of the terrorists. Surely, our learned MPs can do more for the country than holding Parliament to ransom and smothering democracy?