Upholding Democracy through Lung Power & Opportunism!!

In 1957, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru got so impressed by a 32 year old opposition members’ speech in Lok Sabha criticizing his government; that he prophetically predicted, that one day, the youngster will go on to become the Prime minister of India. The young parliamentarian was a first time MP from Balrampur (UP); a certain Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Had Vajpayee been a present day MP, he probably would have been advised by his ‘seniors’ that to make your point in Parliament, it’s necessary to: a) Storm the well of the hallowed house of the Supreme Legislative Body of India OR b) Go on ‘dharnas’ outside it & intermittently pump clenched fists for the media shutterbugs. The fact that you can not only lodge protests, but rip apart government policies through facts, figures & oratory during meaningful discussions in the Parliament is perhaps lost on todays’ members.

Obstructing Parliament by creating a ruckus, storming the well, sloganeering & banner waving has been so accepted & inculcated as MDPB (modern day parliamentary behavior) by the opposition, that any proposal to deliberate on issues through debate or discussion is looked at with scorn & disdain. As per MDPB guidelines, the speaker’s role is to look helpless, bored or tired while the members jump, scream, punch or hurl stuff at each other. At the most, he/she is allowed to interject with a timid appeal of ‘baith jaiyey’ (sit down), in a tone that wouldn’t intimidate a 2 year old child to sit. Not surprising that in such a scenario, a speaker can be forgiven if she decides to take a take a power nap or even watch porn in midst of all the din. However, if she decides to wield powers bestowed upon her by the Constitution of India, & suspend errant MPs, it will be heralded as ‘murder of democracy.’

Helpless looking Sumitra Mahajan (Speaker)

What’s amusing is that it’s being said that the respective leaders of other opposition parties like CPI (M) & AITC had repeatedly pleaded with the Speaker not to suspend the Congress MPs. Amazingly, they did not feel that pleading with the Congress MPs instead, to stop the hooliganism, would be a better investment of their precious time; which costs the exchequer INR 2.5 Lacs per minute of tax payers money.

Let’s see in terms of numbers who these upholders of democracy are who do not allow Parliament to function: Congress- 206 (15^th Lok Sabha) to 44 (16^th Lok Sabha), CPI (M)-15 to 9, JD (U)-20 to 2, RJD- 4 TO 3, SP- 22 to 5, & BSP- 21 to 0!! So in India, parties who have been rejected by the people, get to decide the direction the legislative body will take. For the opposition the definition of ‘democracy’ is: “When people of India have not given you ‘number power’, then hijack the mandate by using ‘lung power’ at your disposal.”

Opposition members 'upholding democracy'

In reality, the self-serving netas have reduced Parliament to a petty platform to propagate their personal & party’s agenda & to remain politically relevant. They have ample help advertently & inadvertently from the media to further their cause. Hence, we see Sonia Gandhi in an attempt to promote her dim-witted son to a leadership role; instigating him to give sound-bites memorized at the dinner table. But so fake is his expressions, while supposedly giving an aggressive speech that it would make Zayed Khan proud of his acting chops. “It’s not me, it’s the people of India who want Sushma Swaraj to resign,” thunders Rahul. Oh really? And how did you know? By virtue of the 44 seats that India gave you in the General elections of 2014? OR Zilch seats that Delhi gave you in the assembly? Or did u conduct a referendum on WhatsApp? (Considering you know how to use it).

Congress members protest for Media 'Shutterbugs'

Then we have Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (U), protesting against the ‘black day’ in democracy; whose leader Nitish Kumar, due to an insatiable greed for power has no qualms teaming up with the very person whose ‘Jungle Raj’ he once strove to end, for the Bihar elections. The electorate is supposed to believe the bullshit about how as a present day avatar of Emperor Akbar, he has collaborated with Lalu Yadav merely to keep out the BJP’s communal army from Bihar.

Insatiable Lust for Power- Nitish & Lalu

Talking about Avatars, the avatar of Harish Chandra, ‘the slayer of corruption’, Arvind Kejriwal (AK) shares a new found bonhomie with Nitish. AK is recently seen enthusiastically re-tweeting Nitish Kumars’ tweets against Narendra Modi & the central government. That Nitish has teamed up with Lalu, a convict in the Fodder scam, bears no relevance in this act of shameless opportunism. Nor does the AAP, the ‘party with a difference,’ think that boycotting Parliament in support of MPs who were disrupting the monsoon session for weeks, is exactly the kind of politics that the modern, educated, Indian electorate has become so sick & tired of.

Raja Harishchandra's avatar AK with Emperor Akbar's avatar Nitsh Kumar

Just to clarify, I am not writing this piece as a spokesperson for the BJP, and am aware that they treaded a similar path during their stint in Opposition. I am writing it as a frustrated young Indian voter, who was preached by different institutions & through ads, that by taking the pains to go out & vote, I may get a different brand of politicians. I may hope to see the elected representatives going about their business in all seriousness, discussing & debating issues which concern me, & ensuring quick passage of bills that shall propel the country towards economic progress.

I am also only too aware, that this piece will have no bearing on our leaders, as we form an irrelevant vote bank. They will continue to win elections through the mathematics of caste, creed & religion. And if they don’t, ‘Lung Power’ & ‘politics of opportunism’ will always help them be relevant.