Engage in debates in the House, not in ridiculing each other: SC
- Maintaining that Parliament and state legislative assemblies are regarded as sacred places, just like a temple of justice, the Supreme Court on Friday asked lawmakers to show statesmanship and not brinkmanship.
- Parliament is a place where policies and laws are propounded for governing the citizenry. It is here that the entire range of activities concerning the masses until the last mile, are discussed and their destinies are shaped. That, in itself, is the process of dispensing justice to the citizens of this country.
Background:
- The order dealt with the year-long suspension of 12 BJP MLAs from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for disorderly conduct.
How often are Disruptions in Parliament?
- Disruption is replacing discussion as the foundation of our legislative functioning.
- A PRS (PRS Legislative Research) report says during the 15th Lok Sabha (2009-14), frequent disruptions of Parliamentary proceedings have resulted in the Lok Sabha working for 61% and Rajya Sabha for 66% of its scheduled time.
- Another PRS report said, the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-19) lost 16% of its scheduled time to disruptions, better than the 15th Lok Sabha (37%), but worse than the 14th Lok Sabha (13%).
- The Rajya Sabha lost 36% of its scheduled time. In the 15th and 14th Lok Sabhas, it had lost 32% and 14% of its scheduled time respectively.
Reasons for Disruption:
- Discussion on Matters of Controversy and Public Importance.
- Disruptions May Help Ruling Party Evade Responsibility.
- Lack of Dedicated Time for Unlisted Discussion.
- Scarce Resort to Disciplinary Powers.
- Party Politics.
What needs to be done
- To curb disorder in Parliament there is a need for strict enforcement of code of conduct for MPs and MLAs.
- The Chairperson should suspend MPs not following such codes and obstructing the Houses’ business.
- The government of the day needs to be more democratic and allow the opposition to put their ideas in free manner.
- A “Productivity Meter” could be created which would take into consideration the number of hours that were wasted on disruptions and adjournments and monitor the productivity of the day-to-day working of both Houses of Parliament.