By Prof. Sanjay Dwivedi
The Parliament of India is meant to be the sanctum sanctorum of democratic conduct, parliamentary decorum, and the purity of discourse—a place where crises find resolution through dialogue. However, the events of the past two days in the Lok Sabha are profoundly disheartening. There can be no greater disappointment in a democracy than a scenario where the Leader of the House, the Prime Minister, is unable to address the Parliament. This breakdown of order, witnessed by the entire nation, signals a moment where parliamentary decorum has been shredded.
The gravity of the situation was underscored when Speaker Om Birla felt compelled to appeal to the Prime Minister not to enter the Lok Sabha to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. The underlying fears that prompted such an unprecedented request from the Speaker are easily understood. While Parliament has previously witnessed ruckus and the tearing of documents, the recent sight of nearly seven women MPs rushing toward the Prime Minister’s seat was an alarming escalation. The Speaker’s subsequent remarks confirm that our lawmakers appeared to be overstepping the boundaries of parliamentary ethics.
Traditionally, the Prime Minister’s reply to the Motion of Thanks is a highly anticipated event where the head of the government outlines the state’s vision. This established convention was shattered as the Prime Minister could not speak in the Lok Sabha, and his Rajya Sabha address took place in the absence of the Opposition.
The Erosion of a Legacy
In a parliamentary democracy, dissent and dialogue must coexist. India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, painstakingly nurtured a culture of debate. He championed the entry of intellectuals into Parliament and maintained a high standard of discourse, often praising the speeches of opponents ranging from the veteran Ram Manohar Lohia to the then-young Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This tradition was upheld by subsequent Prime Ministers like Narasimha Rao, Chandra Shekhar, and Vajpayee himself—all distinguished parliamentarians who ensured that while criticism remained sharp, the dialogue remained open.
Today, that dialogue has ceased, replaced by deep-seated bitterness. Parliament has become a theatre for verbal violence. Labelling fellow MPs as “traitors” is unacceptable in any democratic framework. While the government bears the responsibility of running the House, it is equally true that the House cannot function without the cooperation of the Opposition.
Diversion from National Priorities
Is it appropriate for MPs to use their parliamentary privileges to curse the great departed leaders or rake up private aspects of their lives based on book references? Attempting to corner the government using unverified or unpublished material is a puerile exercise. The Budget Session is a crucial period for sketching the nation’s economic future and aspirations. Wasting this time yields nothing.
Furthermore, we must ask: do our MPs truly desire a healthy debate? By chasing fleeting political headlines, are we neglecting the larger questions facing society? From the Leader of the Opposition questioning Veer Savarkar to other MPs bringing sacks of books to read out derogatory excerpts, these actions establish poor precedents. Icons like Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Vajpayee belong to the nation; political workers should refrain from “gutter politics” regarding those who are no longer with us.
The Representative’s Responsibility
We are witnessing a race to the bottom. Instead of elevating the level of debate decades after independence, we are dragging it into an abyss. Our MPs must realize they are sent to Parliament as representatives of the aspirations of 1.4 billion people. If the lawmakers themselves decide that the Parliament shall not function, no one else can save it.
The decline of parliamentary politics would likely have most saddened Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Ironically, it is their political successors who are primarily responsible for these disheartening scenes. It is high time all political parties reflect on how to rescue the dignity of the Parliament before it is lost entirely.
(The author is a senior journalist and political analyst.)
