Participating in the debate to mark the 60th anniversary of the first sitting of Parliament here on Sunday, Lalu Prasad (RJD) said in the Lok Sabha that regional parties would play a key role in the coming Presidential election and 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Mulayam Singh (SP) asked the members to take a pledge to fulfil Mahatma Gandhi's dreams as farmers' suicides and hunger-related deaths remain a major challenge for the country.
Sharad Yadav (Janata Dal-United) said despite having expert parliamentarians and legislators, the government was taking the help of committees to ascertain the number of poor. He wanted to know how the number of calories consumed could be a basis of ascertaining poverty.
Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) said so long as pauperisation, starvation and illiteracy exist, there would be challenges to parliamentary democracy.
Agriculture Minister and NCP member Sharad Pawar made a reference to imposition of emergency and said the people had taught a lesson to those who tried to deviate from democracy and brought in others to restore it.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said there were so many countries which became independent with India and adopted democracy but then fell to dictatorship. But India because of some intrinsic culture of accommodation and tolerance survived as a democratic society.
“We still continue to face the curse of terrorism and insurgency. Let us resolve that there should be no politics on these issues,” he said.
Parliament's efficiency
Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) pointed out that the efficiency of the Indian Parliament depends to a large extent on the duration and proper conduct of the parliamentary proceedings. During the last two decades the Indian Parliament never sat for more than 100 days in a year while the British Parliament sits for at least 160 days a year.
“We seriously consider, through a Constitutional Amendment, if necessary, making it mandatory for 100 sittings a year. I think, that is necessary as a corrective step for the future,” he said.
Mayawati (BSP) said narrow political interest had a profound impact on Parliamentary democracy hampering welfare measures. Due to political and individual selfishness, “we have also not been able to eradicate corruption because of which the people have been forced to demand something like the Lokpal Bill,” she said.
"culture of accommodation and tolerance" such propaganda of the BJP
should be taken with a pinch of salt. BJP's brahmanical ideology
accommodates the 'other' as sudras/mlecha... to be servants of the
upper castes... where such mindset continue to exist, there can only
be "democracy" in principle. Such a democracy is not useful for the
historically marginalized and oppressed people of India who are
merely used as a means to get into power by politicians. Hence, BJP
will do better if it is able to reflect on the type of
"accommodation" being practiced?!!
Vast majority will continue to wallow in ignorance and dire poverty unless policy czars make a serious and meaningful attempt to at inclusive growth. Out of 183 countries India continue to be at near bottom ranking in ease of doing business, starting a business, getting a construction permit and enforcement of contract. These are the barriers that needs tackling for any drive for inclusion. Yet, for our political leaders definition of inclusion hardly touches on these vital issues. I am not sure of majority of the MPs, cutting across party lines, being aware that these vital issues impacting survival of healthy democracy. For them it is caste, language, regionalism, and communal vote bank politics. Pathetic that the parliamentarians patting their back least realising that whatever positive is happening is not because of them but in spite of them!
Mayawati's comments are ironic, to say the least.
And greed! That is the singular challenge to democracy!
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