Modi calls parliament a ‘temple of democracy’ but doesn’t act to secure its lofty status
Release Date – Friday 23rd (July 21st) at 11:59pm
On July 20, it was a perfect storm. As the monsoon session of Parliament kicks off, there are vicious voices from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court called the video of two women parading nude in Manipur state “deeply disturbing” and said it showed “a grave failure of the constitution”, adding that “it is time for the government to step in and take action.” This is unacceptable. If the government doesn’t act, we will. Shortly thereafter, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke for the first time about the May 3 violence in Manipur, saying: “What happened in Manipur is a disgrace to any civilized society. But these remarks from the prime minister are unlikely to calm the anger. Given the hardening of positions between the government and the opposition on a number of issues, there is little hope of a good outcome from the Monsoon meeting. The 17th Lok Sabha has the fewest sitting days (331 days). The 17th Lok Sabha is likely to end up with the fewest sittings of a full-term Lok Sabha since 1952. Even the current Lok Sabha has not elected a vice-speaker, although the Supreme Court has notified the central government on the matter.
Running the parliament costs the treasury Rs 250,000 per minute. With both the government and opposition in electoral mode, any meaningful debate is unlikely. The government has a heavy legislative timetable of 31 bills, including the controversial Bill to replace the Delhi Regulations, the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill and the National Cooperative Universities Bill. These bills, along with other issues raised by the opposition, deserve serious discussion. The Lok Sabha passed the 2023-24 federal budget without any discussion in about nine minutes, allowing the center to spend Rs 4,500 crore in the current financial year. Putting political interests above national interests is a recipe for disaster. In the halls of democracy, every member is expected to do what they were sent there to do – to represent and work for “We the People of India”. When the Prime Minister-designate Modi entered the parliament for the first time, he bowed his head and touched the stairs, expressing his high respect for the “Holy Temple of Democracy”. Now it’s his responsibility to make sure this meeting runs smoothly and doesn’t get washed away by the rain!
