The sense of occasion may have impelled leaders and MPs to say the nicest things about the hoary traditions of India’s Parliament, which marked its 60th anniversary at a special sitting on Sunday. The touch of realism was possibly more significant as the Prime Minister called for restraint on disruptions of the House just to make a point or register protest, a recent trend that threatens to choke the pride of our democratic tradition.
What distinguishes India from its Asian neighbours and much of the rest of the world are the vibrant exchanges in parliamentary debate. It’s regrettable that both Houses are now often held to ransom due to the compulsions of party politics, with members holding up vital legislative business instead of setting the same high standards that informed parliamentary proceedings in the republic’s early years. A prominent Marxist member’s appeal for a minimum 100 days of sittings a year is therefore most welcome.
A historic decision to telecast parliamentary proceedings live was well intentioned, to let the nation to have a peek at how our parliamentarians functioned. What it led to is to render the House a national stage for questionable demonstrativeness and disruptive tactics that seem to draw strength only from various sections taking offence at one thing or another. The importance of a democracy’s legislative arm can never be overstated. If Parliament is inspired by its links to Indian history, its members must aspire to the high standards set by the pioneers who adorned the stage 60 years ago.