Democracy should not become just a protest

 

Democracy should not become just a protest

 It is rhetorically said that Parliament, the Assembly and the House of Representatives up to the panchayat level are the sanctum sanctorum of democracy. But these venues are becoming a place to express the worst human traits. The people elect representatives to discuss their problems and to make laws necessary for the progress of the country. But everywhere in India there is a perception that various issues that do not directly affect the people are being made into a political agenda, disrupting the sessions in the name of it, leaving the Sabha and disrupting it’s procedures with unnecessary shouts and commotion. As long as people do not respond, those who play politics will repeat this.

The current commotion in Kerala is that the Education Minister should resign. This issue is not necessary to discuss in the Sabha as there are people who are already agitating outside the Sabha. When the issues of the common man, including Covid, are not discussed there, it is the ruling party that benefits. Opposition at parliament protests demanding investigation in the Pegasus snooping. The matter needs to be taken to court. What is lost by disrupting the session instead is the necessary discussions on many issues. How many bills were passed without any discussion? Who benefits from this? The boycott of the parliament is in fact a loss to the opposition and the common people. This is good for the ruling party. Many things can be done without anyone knowing and without discussion.

Opposition parties say this is what they did when the BJP was in opposition and  LDF was in opposition. This is a foolish argument that we will repeat what wrong things done by our opposition.   This is what the media wants. The sabha reporting  needs adequate study .Reporting walkout and commotion is an easy affair. There should be a massive protest against this practice which is destroying the spirit of  democracy and cheating the people.

 If social media and socially accepted socio-cultural leaders do not comment and protest on this issue,in a later stage Court may be bound to do it. When the framers of the Constitution gave certain privileges and immunity to the people's representatives, it was not expected that it would deteriorate in this way. The Constitution states that peoples’ representatives can behave in a proper manner  in the Sabhas without no civil-criminal liability. This privilege is given in Article 105 for MPs and Article 194 for MLAs. The time has come to remove all this. In fact, I feel that instead of amending the Constitution to suit the changing times, the Constitution as a whole needs to be rebuilt and clarified.

A formula for protest

1. Use placards and black flags to protest

2. Continue inside the sabha even after finishing the daily session

 3. Protest in front of the Sabha  before and after the daily session

 4. Perform fasting inside the sabha

 5. Party workers should carry out Satyagraha all over the country during the session.

There are many ideal ways to protest!!