Raise your words, not your voice

The Chairman of Rajya Sabha, M Venkaiah Naidu, has expressed concern over about 90 members of the House being denied opportunities to raise issues of public importance, even after their notices were admitted by the Chairman, due to persistent disruption of proceedings of the House during this monsoon session. A total of 69 Zero Hour mentions including 12 admitted for the day-to-day mentions and 23 Special Mentions by as many members, though admitted by the Chairman, could not be raised in the House during the last week and on Monday due to persistent disruptions.

In the four sittings held last week, in Zero Hour, as many as 57 matters of 63 members were permitted. However, none could be raised due to disruption of proceedings. These matters covered wide-ranging issues like shortage of Covid-19 vaccines; need for time-bound completion of Covid-19 vaccination; unemployment due to the continuing pandemic; problems of students in availing online education; hike in process of petroleum products and the resultant increase in prices of essential commodities; alleged attacks on the freedom of press; situation in Lakshadweep; attacks on and killing of Indian in South Africa; sharing of Cauvery river water between States etc.

The House also saw 31 Special Mentions admitted so far but only eight could be laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday last week while the rest could not be mentioned in the House. The issues sought to be raised under this category include abolition of posts in Indian Railways; functioning of the National Medical Commission; racial slurs against the people of North Eastern States etc. Nobody could deny the fact that all the subjects listed for questions of the members were crucial for the country and needed the attention of the House. A proper debate and discussion of, say, COVID-19 and its impact, would naturally pave the way for not only better management of such pandemics but also could lead to financial solutions to the affected families from the marginalised sections.

Unless both the Houses debate the issues threadbare and arrive at a meaningful conclusion it would be difficult even for the government to step in with interventionary methods that would alleviate the problems of the people. These MPs represent not only their political parties, but also different States. There would be several issues related to the States which even the media might have missed highlighting during the times of crisis. Would it not be better for the country to know of those?

Naidu has been repeatedly urging the members to maintain decorum in the House. Citizens can't be denied their due from the highest legislature of their country in the hour of stress. Who would benefit from a dysfunctional Parliament? The country won't', nor its people. The same Members keenly desire to have a productive session when they discuss the business of the House. Why don't they walk the talk? Most of the members also seek clarifications on certain Bills or allegations. Even this is denied by the disruption. Why is it so?