Members must uphold the spirit of Parliament

MPs should not let the bitterness of street politics seep into their conduct and cause disruption of House proceedings

- Shashi Shekhar

Every word of this column is dedicated to the honourable Members of Parliament (MPs). They have been sent to the hallowed halls of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha by doting voters.

They deserve their title, but they should always remember that Parliament is the common heritage of the citizens of India. Parliamentarians are its custodians and nurturers, and they carry the responsibility of safeguarding people’s interests and fulfilling the latter’s wishes. However, the moot point is: Are our parliamentarians observing their most important duty?

It seems the bitterness of street politics has seeped into Parliament. Disbelievers may look at this shocking data point. During the 17th Lok Sabha, the total work done amounted to 1,354 hours and 11 of the 15 sessions closed before scheduled time. It passed 222 bills and only 16% of them went to the standing committees. During the first Lok Sabha, every year, the house convened for 135 days; during the 17th, the number of days came down to about 55 days per year.

The 17th Lok Sabha was in the news for a unique reason: the disqualification of five members, including Congress's Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra. All of them except Moitra returned to the House after the courts restored their memberships. A total of 146 parliamentarians from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were suspended due to various reasons. Even the House chairs came under severe criticism. The Opposition alleged that both chairs silenced the voices in Parliament they were supposed to protect and nurture.

This isn’t new, it is an old malady.