NEW DELHI, August 8: This time last year, Members of Parliament had marked the golden jubilee of India's Independence with a solemn vow to behave. The 51st anniversary celebrations lie buried under the debris of that oath.With Parliament having just concluded what is perhaps its unruliest session yet, political parties were shamed into calling off the special 2-day session scheduled over the Independence Day weekend. An all-party meeting called by Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi last week unanimously curtailed the pomp to a brief ceremony in Central Hall.But memories of the near-total collapse of parliamentary decorum will haunt members for quite a while. Old-timers say, this was the first time members virtually came to blows, the first time a minister had his papers snatched and torn, first time the Speaker was threatened or an MP smashed glass panes as marshals carried him, bleeding, out of the House, the first time the debate on the demand for grants of all the ministries but one wasguillotined.``Something has to be done,'' says former LS Speaker and author of the golden jubilee oath, P A Sangma. ``Otherwise people will lose faith in democracy. What is worrying me is that the role and function of Parliament itself is getting diluted.'' A booklet prepared by the Lok Sabha Secretariat and circulated during the orientation course for first-time MPs last month reveals some startling facts.Today, Parliament spends less than 15 % of its time on its primary function which is to legislate. In comparison, the 1st Lok Sabha devoted 48.74 per cent of its time to debating and passing new laws. Similarly, it has less and less time for its second most important function: to pass the annual budget. In 1985, the LS debated the demand for grants of 15 ministries. In 1997, it spared time for only 5 ministries and this time, for just 1.Its third function, to scrutinise the functioning of government ministries and departments through a daily Question Hour, has also been whittled down. Twentystarred questions are listed every day in each House. On a good day, they find time for four.Finally, debate, the highlight of any Parliament session, has a totally different meaning now. It can be a slanging match, a bad attack of verbal diarrhoea or an excuse for an afternoon nap in airconditioned comfort. The 1st LS judiciously used 18.12 % of its time in discussing matters of national and international import. The last LS consumed 57.11 % of its hours in stormy games of one upmanship.Sangma blames the decline of Parliament as a national forum on the sorry state of legislative assemblies. According to him, much of LS's time goes in highlighting local problems and constituency-related issues, all of which should actually be dealt with in state assemblies. But as the booklet points out, most state Assemblies meet for less than 50 days in the year. The annual average for the UP and Bihar Assemblies over the past five years was just 24 and 32 days respectively.Facts & figures of LSbusiness Today, Parliament spends less than 15 per cent of its time on its primary function: to legislate. The First Lok Sabha devoted 48.74 per cent. In 1985, the LS debated the demand for grants of 15 ministries. Last year, it spared time for only five; this time, for just one. Twenty starred questions are listed every day. On a good day, they find time for just four. One reason Parliament is spending too much time on local problems is that most state Assemblies meet for less than 50 days in the year. The annual average for the UP and Bihar assemblies over the past five years was just 24 and 32 days respectively.
