Let them speak

The face-off between Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and the opposition has finally ended, with Chatterjee withdrawing his controversial and hard-to-defend decision to send 32 MPs to the Privileges Committee for their 8220;unruly behaviour8221;. The confrontation had pitted two foundational norms of parliamentary democracy against each other 8212; the right to fully register protest and the respect for rational terms of debate. The speaker has expressed his exasperation with his brood in characteristically blunt and often autocratic terms. This tough-love approach has not endeared him to the NDA though, which feels unfairly picked-on as it does what an opposition usually does 8212; raise hell over critical measures or politically charged issues. Chatterjee8217;s tactical withdrawal has defused this highly awkward situation, maintaining, for now, the credibility of the speaker8217;s office.

The lament for the decline of parliamentary decorum is as old as parliamentary democracy itself 8212; Churchill8217;s fear about 8220;violent battering rams8221; lowering the repute of the House of Commons sounds exactly like Dr S. Radhakrishnan or K.R. Narayanan exhorting MPs to preserve the dignity of the House. Parliamentary debate is part performance art and part serious business. Focusing on scenes of ruckus and confrontation, as the media tends to do, does not adequately convey the rigorous and productive exchanges that go on in Parliament. For instance, the winter 2002 session was lauded as an exemplar in terms of legislative business transacted, thanks to the concerted efforts of the presiding officers, the government and the opposition in an atmosphere of mutual civility.

But stressing the ceremonial aspect of Parliament over the fact that it is also a vital site of political dissent is not what we expect of a dyed-in-the-wool parliamentarian from the Left like Chatterjee. Just as orderly debate between MPs is essential to the smooth running of the institution, treating them like errant schoolchildren does not reflect well on the dignity of the House either. The speaker8217;s retraction is the first step to mitigate this combative atmosphere. MPs can behave better. But presiding officers must not confuse their job with waving the big stick.