Stop Mocking the Temple of Democracy
M.S. ShankarAugust 13, 2025
Parliament, our “temple of democracy,” has been reduced to a circus arena—its sessions hijacked by an Opposition that mistakes disruption for dissent and drama for debate. Protesting is a democratic right. But turning every sitting into a theatre of obstruction, day after day, is an insult not just to Parliament but to the people who sent these representatives there to legislate, not loiter. On Tuesday, the nation was treated to the latest act in this ongoing farce: “T-shirt protests” outside Parliament. Theatrics have replaced thoughtful speeches, slogans have replaced substance, and political posturing has replaced public service. The dignity, decorum, and decency once associated with the House seem to have been deliberately torn out of the Opposition’s handbook—if they ever existed there at all. The most galling aspect? The media’s complicity. News channels happily beam these staged walkouts and choreographed gheraos into living rooms, giving oxygen to what should be ignored. Stop covering them live, and watch how quickly the “passion” fizzles out. Parliament adjournments should be used to plan constructive engagement, not to perform for television cameras in a bid to trend on social media. The tragedy deepens when seasoned public figures, including respected artists like Jaya Bhaduri—once admired for their talent and stature—descend into such trivialities, seemingly bowing to party compulsions. This is not representation; it is regression. Even the Leader of the Opposition, recently chided by the Supreme Court for using social media to air accusations against the Indian army rather than raising them on the floor of the House, remains unrepentant. One would think that a judicial rap on the knuckles would be enough to restore some sense of parliamentary propriety. It was not.
But beyond the petty drama lies a more pressing reform agenda. Parliament must urgently debate and legislate restrictions on political dynasties—beginning with a “one family, one member” rule. India should not be held hostage by the whims of a single family whose fourth or fifth heir may walk into the Lok Sabha by “hook or crook,” only to enjoy government bungalows and taxpayer-funded perks. The Modi government should also revive a key ordinance first brought by the Congress itself, under a rare honest leader, to prevent convicted politicians from contesting elections—a measure Rahul Gandhi famously sabotaged in 2013 with a grandstanding Press Club press conference. Bringing it back would send a clear message: Parliament is for lawmakers, not lawbreakers. Simultaneously, central investigative agencies must fast-track prosecutions against all elected representatives facing criminal charges, ensuring the Supreme Court delivers verdicts within a fixed timeframe. Justice delayed is not just justice denied—it is democracy destroyed. The judiciary, too, must prioritize such cases, for the rot will never be cleansed if criminal cases against MPs and MLAs linger indefinitely. Our Constitution is not a prop to be waved around in photo-ops. Holding it aloft while stalling the very institution it empowers is hypocrisy of the highest order. Parliament’s purpose is to debate, decide, and deliver. Every adjournment, every staged protest, and every unproductive session is a theft from the taxpayer’s pocket and from the nation’s future. It is time to restore Parliament’s sanctity. Not by tolerating political street theatre under its roof, but by ensuring that the “temple of democracy” is once again a place for ideas, not insults.
0 Comments