Parliament ruckus a blot on democracy

The government thought that by keeping blankets and fire extinguishers at hand and keeping people with Telugu-sounding names out of the visitors’ gallery, it had done everything to ensure that Parliament would run smoothly on Thursday, when it tabled the Telangana Bill. Its precautions proved sadly inadequate. Several members of Parliament (MPs) from Seemandhra, who are opposed to the creation of Telangana, resorted to unprecedented acts of violence, snatching the Speaker’s microphone and throwing computers. Then, Seemandhra MP Lagadapati Rajagopal took things to yet another level, by spraying the Lok Sabha with pepper spray, driving his colleagues literally to tears. This sort of behaviour has to be punished. Already, 16 MPs have been suspended. But, as home minister Sushilkumar Shinde pointed out, some could be prosecuted as well.

Thursday’s actions are a blot on Parliament and on democracy, which functions through it on a national level. The 15th Lok Sabha has been the least productive one in history, with many days lost to bitter bickering among political rivals. As elections approach, the friction has got more intense. That was to be expected; what happened on Thursday was beyond any reasonable expectation. Reforms have to come from within: MPs have to name and shame those among themselves who misbehave so blatantly. Yet, all is not lost. Despite the bickering, the 15th Lok Sabha has undertaken milestone legislation like passing new laws for rights to food and education, better modes of land acquisition and to create an ombudsman called the Lokpal. The creation of Telangana is a historical necessity: here people have resented being part of Andhra Pradesh from 1956. It should be created in this, the last session, of the 15th Lok Sabha.