It is regrettable that there has been a steady decline in the work done by Parliament over the years. Compared to the 140 days that it used to meet in the 1950s and 1960s, it now meets for 60 to 70 days a year. Parliament has been a washout in the past few years both because of the obstructive behaviour of the opposition and also the mismanagement of the government. The current Lok Sabha has lost over a quarter of its scheduled time till now. Almost the whole of the second half of the Budget Session was wasted due to disruption. Only the essential financial business could be transacted. A long list of bills (about a 100) is pending and regrettably bills are also being passed without discussion.

It is indeed heartening to hear that the main opposition party, the BJP wants Parliament to run smoothly. The change of strategy has come almost at the fag end of the 15th Lok Sabha. The BJP has decided to change its tactics for three reasons. One is that it wants to change its image in the pubic that it is the stumbling block for the smooth functioning of Parliament. The second is that it has realised that there are other opposition parties, which have enough ammunition to attack the government and therefore it will sit back and watch the fun. The third is that after projecting Modi as the face of the BJP, the opposition floor unity is disturbed as some parties like the JD (U), left and others are not willing to be on the same side as the BJP. Earlier, the left and the right were on the same page on many issues and had a kind of informal floor coordination but this session this is not evident. There are several issues, which are agitating the minds of the public including handling of the Uttarakhand calamity, Food security bill, FDI and above all price rise and the economy. The government is taking advantage of the division in the opposition ranks. If the BJP is not disrupting there are others including the Congress MPs from Andhra are disrupting the house. The UPA ally Samajwadi Party is on a warpath on the Durga Nagpal issue. There are demands for Gorkhaland, Bodoland, Vidarbha and other smaller states.

This brings us to the larger question of Parliament functioning. If it continues to function in the same way, the credibility of the Parliament will be eroded further. True, there has been a decline in the effectiveness of Parliament as an institution. The complexion of the Lok Sabha has also changed over the years. Parliament has gradually become more an oppositional space rather than a forum for genuine debate. Gone are the days or repartee, wit, and debating skills provided by people like Piloo Modi. The use of various motions on the floor, oversight powers and the committee system are slowly becoming less effective. International treaties now increasingly govern much of economic decision-making.

The number of bills passed by Parliament has also declined over the last few decades. While the 1st Lok Sabha passed an average of 72 Bills each year it has come down to 40 Bills a year in the 15th Lok Sabha. Parliament passed 118 Bills, the highest in 1976 and the lowest number of Bills in 2004. It is pathetic that quite often laws are passed in minutes and the budgetary demands for ministries are passed without much discussion.

Political parties, particularly the opposition seems to think that if they make noise they have done their duty to the pubic and the more noise they make the better for their cause. Actually this is not so. People do not appreciate the unruly behavior of their representatives and would rather hear them debate and discuss issues of public importance. Televising the proceedings of the two houses of Parliament has exposed them thoroughly.

Secondly, the attendance in the house is dismal. Quite often there are vacant benches. What is required is ensuring better attendance by the Members. The young MPs who come with great expectations are disappointed that they are not able to participate in debates and discussions due to frequent adjournments. It is all the more disappointing when the financial cost of parliamentary democracy have been skyrocketing. During the last five decades they have gone up by over 100 times.

It is time to reestablish rapport between the people and the Parliament before it is too late. Parliament remains the link between the people and the government. The Parliamentarians should use the Parliament to raise the voice of the people. In short, Parliament must have access to public and public must have access to Parliament. The public expects its representatives to discuss and debate issues, scrutinize the budget and pass laws after through scrutiny. While we can legitimately be proud of the reasonably successful working of Parliament during the last six decades, the political parties should adjust to the changing demands and restore its sagging image to maintain its credibility. (IPA Service)