AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

        The first part of Lok Sabha's budget session ended a day early yesterday. But did the vast majority of the Indian public, on whose name the whole exercise (House proceedings) notice that? The bitter and harsh truth is that the happenings in Parliament are no longer sacrosanct and keenly followed as it was once. The reasons for this maybe many (one of them is certainly the behaviour of the parliamentarians inside the House and the general level of discussions). The cash-for-questions scam also showed up that all that transpire inside the hallowed precincts may not be public-centered activity. It is this reality that has taken the sheen away from Parliament and parliamentarians no longer enjoy the high esteem in the eyes of the public.

        That the standards of Parliamentary exchanges have plummetted is very well known. But even going by this reality, this session would stand out for the agonising new low it touched. The whole country was witness to the sordid spectacle of two proponents of the government physically slugging it out on the floor of the House. It was an unprecedented pandemonium. Then we also saw a BJP member being almost manhandled by Congress members. History in notoriety was almost being written everyday. So it might have been a blessing that Parliament has taken a break earlier than scheduled.

        This is also perhaps the right time to debate whether we should continue to have Parliamentary sessions the way as we know it. To be sure, it is a tradition and is seen as the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. But when farce and fights have replaced reasoned debate and honest exchange, it is better that we have a rethink on the whole issue. Just chew these statistics: Nearly 40 per cent of the total time allotted for proceedings in one of the most important sessions of Parliamentary calendar was lost in acrimony, resulting in a huge loss of taxpayers' money. The nearly 30-hour time loss has cost nearly Rs 20,000 of the taxpayers' money per minute. It is also a fact that several crores of rupees are spent to keep the House in session. But all the money are inevitably going down the drain as everyday the House convenes only to adjourn. While presiding officers of both Houses have, in the past, called all-party meetings to cut down on disruptions and a consensus that no one should be allowed to enter the well of the House, things are never smooth. As most bills are passed and laws enacted without any worthy debate, should we have Parliament sessions at all? This is a question that the nation should seriously consider as at stake is both democracy and decency. With every sitting of Parliament, both are taking a hard beating. So the question needs to be debated —— but not inside the House as it sure would result in what else, an adjournment after the inevitable shouting and sloganeering.