More Heat Than Light On Vande Mataram And SIR In Parliament |
In a democracy, parliament is a deliberative place for deep public discussion and reasoned debate to find a common ground on policies, legislation, pressing problems of the citizens, and issues of national importance for more informed outcomes. The key to parliamentary debate is careful consideration of evidence and diverse views through thoughtful dialogue and collaborative decisions that are more robust than simple majority rule. In simple words, parliament is a forum where public opinion is refined and transformed through rational and realistic discussions, leading to opinions and policies with greater public acceptance and effectiveness. This means seeking consensus and fostering cooperation over conflict is the best option to decision-making process. But this is not always the case.
In fact, in a competitive democracy like India, lately the parliament has become a place for a lot of noise and ruckus over real content, distraction over focused discussion, drama over depth, spectacle over substance, and anger over meaningful conversation. The result is attention-grabbing tactics, accusations, fiery speeches, hard ideological battles, and selective reading of history and past events. When a deliberative institution is besieged in hostile arguments and narratives, substantive debate and consensus-building processes give way to electoral theatrics. What’s disconcerting is not the cacophony but its emptiness; the noise often conceals facts and the full story behind issues, past actions and decisions and their historical context.
No serious democracy has flowered by discrediting its leaders and pruning........