After six days and two nights, special session of Parliament concludes with a lame resolution full of platitudes. But MPs claim for the record they have created history.
After six days of sometimes nightlong discussions, both houses of Parliament yesterday passed a resolution that drew comments ranging from juvenile to pedestrian, even from some members. However, most of them went along with it in the form in which Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma presented it.
The resolution had little about a vision of India in the next half-century, leave alone the third millenium, nor any resolves to pass specific laws. Instead, there was a pledge to maintain the inviolability of question hour, not to move into the official areas of the house or shout slogans.
What are the official areas? The well? Then are our seats our private property, a minister asked sardonically. Its like school girls taking a pledge not to pinch the bottom of the next girl, added a former senior minister. Yet, members of both houses signed engraved parchments, to be attached to the resolution. This has only been done before in the constituent assembly, for the Constitution. Amidst considerable back-slapping, MPs claimedfor the record that they have created history during the session.
At least some members held angrily that the resolution deliberately avoided the burning issues of the nations poor. It is a classic platitude to divert attention from the real issues, said Rajya Sabha member Sompal.
Few members, even ministers and leaders, seemed to know who had drafted it. There had been a meeting of Lok Sabha party leaders at lunch time on Thursday but no follow up, one party leader said.
The resolution begins by expressing gratitude to freedom fighters and the armed forces, invokes the preamble of the Constitution and then do now solemnly affirm our joint and unanimous commitment to the issues hereinafter mentioned, and we also do solemnly resolve and direct that they be adopted as minimum tasks, constituting our Agenda for India on this historic occasion.
It calls for electoral reforms, greater transparency, probity and accountability in public life and asks all political parties to undertake all steps to rid the polity of criminilisation or its influence.
On the economy, the resolution calls for prudent management, for the efficient use of resources and avoidance of wastes, priority attention to development of infrastructure, generation of wealth as a sustainable means of achieving full, freely chosen and productive employment, of elimination of poverty and of securing equity and social justice and balanced regional development.
Parliaments agenda for India
To ensure:
- meaningful electoral reforms
- freeing governance from criminilisation
- dignified behaviour in Parliament
- political parties combat population growth
- employment-relevant quality education
- universal primary education by 2005 AD
- avoidance of waste
- development of infrastructure
- full, freely chosen, productive employment
- elimination of poverty
- equity and social justice
- minimum food, nutrition, health, water
- gender justice, education for girl child
- protection of environment, ecology, biodiversity
- scientific temper, self-reliance
SNIPPETS
Sangma Turns 50
It was a special occasion for Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma in parliament yesterday. He turned 50 yesterday, and also presided over the concluding day of the special session convened by him. Members including Prime Minister I K Gujral and leader of the opposition A B Vajpayee greeted him on his birthday while Santosh Mohan Dev (Cong) recalled that he has been described as the smiling Buddha. Gujral said: Both the country and you have turned 50. I am sure there are bright days ahead for both.
MPs Donation
In a rare gesture, Lok Sabha MPs resolved to donate their daily allowance during the special session to the Prime Ministers Relief Fund. Sangma put the resolution to vote after it was decided at a meeting of leaders of various parties.
Vital Statistics
In all, 367 MPs in the Lok Sabha participated in the historic debate. Of them, 285 delivered their speeches while 82 laid their speeches on the table of the House to be taken as read. The session extended for six days and two nights over 65 hours. The Lok Sabha secretariat would bring out a commemorative volume containing all the speeches made.
Besides, another volume would include the main points raised by every member.
Academic Speech
Gujral came to the House armed with a sheaf of papers containing the points that he would touch during his speech. The speech, bordering on the academic, was delivered in a low, baritone, and succeeded in putting some MPs to sleep.
Within minutes after Gujral began the speech, MPs were visibly restless as he dwelt at length on the countrys history, culture, ethics and its resilience.
One by one, the earphones were pulled off, and several MPs were seen talking to each other, prompting Sangma to call for order. The MPs perked up towards the end of the speech when he touched upon immediate issues.
