March.09 : It is a matter of abiding shame that the Women’s Reservation Bill introduced by the government in the Rajya Sabha — the House of Elders, no less — could not even be taken up for discussion and voting on International Women’s Day on account of the disruptive conduct of the opponents of the proposed legislation. What was meant to be a historic occasion was turned into a
dangerous farce by a section of the House which appeared determined not to let a sense of occasion prevail. Protest and a show of dissent was widely expected. The Samajwadi Party, led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Yadav had given the country notice that they would be vociferous in their protest against the proposed measure. That’s completely all right. There have been numerous occasions when proceedings have been brought to a standstill in our Parliament. Democratic discussion is known to be disorderly. However, what was deplorable on Monday was that the protesting parties imbued the legislative chamber with an air of menace. Their MPs even closed in on the Chairman, Hamid Ansari. They wrenched microphones from his desk. We may breathe a sigh of relief that the Chairman was not harmed. But who can deny that the dignity of the Chair was trampled upon? This is indeed a sad day. It is this which sets Monday’s disgraceful events apart from other disruptions in our Parliament that have made history. It is time that people clearly signalled the parties that they must learn to draw the line well within the bounds of decorum.
The pity of it all was that just a handful of MPs were allowed to get away with creating a battlefield atmosphere in the Rajya Sabha. The political expectation is that the Constitution amendment bill in question was expected to be passed handsomely with well over two-thirds majority as the BJP, the main Opposition party, and the Left bloc have conveyed their open support to the bill and had put their whips out. It is a pity that these parties, instead of having regard for the big picture, have chosen to focus narrowly on the issue of the supposed failure of floor management by the governing side. This sounds suspiciously like trouble-making and can only bring political comfort to the disrupters. It is noteworthy that BJP and Left spokespersons have not seen it fit to reprimand the votaries of Monday’s violence. This would be seen as shallow tactics which cannot redound to the credit of any party.
Some have wondered aloud if the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which first came in for consideration by Parliament as long as 14 yeas ago, has once again been effectively stalled. Their worry is that the disgraceful tactics can be repeated on Tuesday as well. Such fears are groundless. If the zeal of the parties that have taken a public posture in favour of the bill does not flag, there can be no reason why the measure cannot go through at the earliest. Voting in the Parliament lobbies is within the rules, and this can be resorted to if the violent elements once again seek to create pandemonium inside the Rajya Sabha chamber. However, the government must be prepared to deal with trouble-makers effectively. The wider politics of Monday’s developments is that the SP and RJD have withdrawn their nominal support to the government. With those numbers gone, the present count suggests that UPA-II will now have a wafer-thin majority of three in the Lok Sabha. No government can be comfortable in such a situation. This leaves open possibilities of political manipulations on all sides.
