Catch 8217;em young

One of the brighter political ideas doing the rounds these days is the one arguing that the lower age limit for MPs be 21 rather than 25. Ma...

One of the brighter political ideas doing the rounds these days is the one arguing that the lower age limit for MPs be 21 rather than 25. Many, including Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill, find this a ridiculous proposition. They argue that representing a political constituency is not child8217;s play, that it requires great maturity, an abiding commitment to the national cause, and high purpose. A 21-year-old, they feel, cannot be expected to have any of these qualities.

This argument may have been convincing if our MPs did behave with some modicum of maturity. But watching them squabbling over seating arrangement in the House last week convinced me that maturity is one quality that our elected representative cannot be accused of. Everybody, but everybody, wanted to sit in the front benches of the House, not because they wanted to make crucial interventions in the national debate, but because that was where the TV cameras were why didn8217;t it strike someone to solve the problem by shifting the camera8217;s gazeto the backbenches?.

This sorry episode convinced me that the age qualification for MPs should now be lowered, not just to 21, but 12. The upper limit can be 21. Think of the possibilities. At last we could get some accountability Soniaji8217;s favourite word for our elected representatives. We could send our MPs to Parliament like we do our children to school, after telling them to clean their teeth, wash behind their ears, scrub their knees and most important of all keep their hands clean.

We could shout after them as we wave them goodbye, words like, 8220;Now, Mamata, don8217;t you go and raise a pandemonium at zero hour, do you hear me?8221; or 8220;This is the last time, Laloo, that I want to hear that you were rude to people in class, sorry in the House,8221; or 8220;No, DP, you can8217;t wear dark glasses to Parliament, it8217;s just not done, and I don8217;t want you to chew paan either during the proceedings,8221; or 8220;And, Uma, wait quietly for your chance to speak, don8217;t interrupt other people, do you hear? And, no, you maynot take your Barbie dolls to the House,8221; or 8220;Somnath, now don8217;t you go and get into trouble by making sexist comments in the Lok Sabha, understand?8221; or 8220;Mulayam, how many times have I told you not to stall the women8217;s Bill?8221; or 8220;Ayyo, Thambi Durai, no more walk-outs from the House, I don8217;t care what your party leader says8221;.

We could ask them to write lines like I will not jump up and down in the House8217;, a hundred times, and make them stand in a corner for obstreperous behaviour or for creating chaos in the House. Issuing a whip could be considered for more serious misdemeanors like attempting to mislead the House, or showing discourtesy to the Speaker there8217;s nothing quite like a good caning to din some sense into young, impressionable minds, or so some constitutional educationists maintain.

Courses could be organised for first-timers and for those who8217;ve been around for years but still don8217;t know that it is customary to wait until the other person has finished speaking before coming forth withone8217;s own pearls of wisdom. The catchline that must be dinned in is this: Think before you speak/ Read before you think. They can be taught how to pose a proper question to the concerned minister by first researching the problem thoroughly like one does for a school project, and framing it succinctly, while keeping in mind its relevance to the people.

To liven up the proceedings and make them more telegenic, there could be extracurricular activities. For instance, sports events like a Parliamentary Olympics8217;, could be held from time to time, with prizes for those who can stage the fastest walk-outs, execute the most complicated somersaults and take the best potshots at the Opposition. Occasionally, A Night at the Disco8217; could be organised, where our young representatives jive to the sounds of the Backstreet Boys or remixes of Asha Bhonsle. There8217;s nothing like a good, old-fashioned jam session to dissipate unfocused energy and keep it from finding expression in nefarious activities. Besides the event,duly televised over Doordarshan, could provide the country with a glimpse of Indian democracy at its most vibrant and the vitality of its young law-makers. After all, haven8217;t we danced to their tune all these years?

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I8217;m serious. This could be the answer to the vexed question: where have all the good Parliamentarians gone? If there are serious objections from the present lot at being turfed out so rudely, perhaps we could suggest that for starters they be allowed to nominate their children/grandchildren to take their place in the august House? They end up doing this in the normal course in any case.