Gone are the days when the people used to listen to the proceedings of the Parliament with utmost focus and attention because it is the highest place of the democracy where a common man knew that the pressing issues which he, along with crores of other people, are facing, will be discussed and those answerable will be asked what are they doing to resolve the problems faced by the nation. Apart from being a place where those in power used to be held accountable, the highest place had a reverence and decorum which every member of the parliament used to respect—but that seems to have been thrown to the wind.
There used to be a ruckus in parliament but that was when the opposition used to corner the Government on pressing issues and now most of the time, the uproar is on issues that could be anything but in the nation’s interest. A few days back Congress was left red-faced with one of its MPs ending up disrespecting the President of India—holding the highest office in the country. Congress which is facing an existential crisis is busy making such derogatory comments and continues to fail to make the Government have a debate on issues that concern the common man in the country. They are doing politics on a very different level.
Even though the concerned MP has dispatched a written apology to the President, doesn’t this particular act depict the moral digression, if not in the entire Congress party, but many of its leaders, and end up taking it to the parliament where they actually should have been discussing what matters to the nation? There is no doubt in the fact that disagreement and resistance form the life of the democracy, but that has to be within a set limit; there is a line that cannot be crossed when one resorts to criticism and opposition. As the opposition and the Government engage in shouting, and name-calling, the parliament stands still, staring paralyzed. Both sides know that the common people are suffering, but what keeps them busy these days cannot be in the favor of the country.
The opposition needs to calm down and do what it is meant to while the Government also cannot run away from being questioned, from being held accountable for whatever it has been doing over the years. They will be questioned and they need to provide the space for that; they need to listen and reply. There has to be a healthy debate—which has been a tradition of the parliament—and nobody should be allowed to put the decorum of the Parliament in danger. At any cost!
