It was an occasion that should have elicited great joy. And it did elicit grandiose speeches, but an equivocal context muted their bombast. Through special sittings in both Houses and a special function in the Central Hall, the 60th anniversary of Indian Parliament was commemorated on Sunday. Government and Opposition seemed to speak in one voice of the need to ?resolve the growing impasse in the functioning of Parliament?. The PM said he feared that public disenchantment would grow otherwise. Arun Jaitley warned cynicism would lead to anger, to crowds on the roads, for which Parliament would be accountable because mobs are never accountable. Members seemed to have brushed up on their copy of the official list of 27 rules of Parliamentary Etiquette that was circulated back in 1952?in effect, stating that members must not interrupt other members in any disorderly manner. But surely no one believes that today?s crisis of governance, or political paralysis if you will, can be fixed by better behaviour. Because polite speech can no more tape over animus than apathy?at one time, attendance in Lok Sabha reportedly dropped to just 52 members even on this ?holy of holies?.
Sure, Sitaram Yechury made a good point when he said that our Parliament had never sat for more than 100 days a year during the last two decades while the British Parliament sits for at least 160 days a year. This has obviously affected legislative profusion, and the 15th Lok Sabha only passing 40 Bills a year as compared to the average of 72 passed by the 1st one. But if disorderliness is like fractured mandates, it?s here to stay. Just wishing it away is particularly ineffectual at a time of slowing investments, an obdurate deficit and decelerating growth. This is no different than the UPA-2 blaming all its palsy on coalition partners.
Nostalgic blinkers shouldn?t draw a concocted halo around the past. As many as 23% MPs didn?t have secondary education in 1952 as compared to 3% in 2009. Only 5% of the MPs then were women as compared to 11% now. The institution that many bet wouldn?t survive a decade is brawny into its sixth. All those who wish this power was being put to optimum use don?t dispute it.