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Journalism of Courage
Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, is a man on a mission. In his project to secure his office against any external interference, he will brook not the slimmest glimmer of interference. Having begun by gently nudging the political class towards a debate on the independence of presiding officers of our legislatures, he has since worked himself up into a fine whirl. Chatterjee has now ventured beyond India8217;s borders to map democracy as he perceives it. And his formula for colouring the New Democratic Order, the parts of the world he will honour with his presence, is simple: concede his exceptionalism as representative of the world8217;s largest democracy. So pity the Australians. Spare a thought for a Commonwealth Parliament Association meet in Canberra that will be bereft of Chatterjee8217;s accumulated wisdom. All because the Australian government would not accede to South Block8217;s requests that Chatterjee not be frisked by security upon disembarking Down Under.
Does the Hon8217;ble Speaker realise how undemocratic his objections are? By projecting Canberra8217;s refusal to put in abeyance a law that mandates frisking as an 8220;affront8221; to India, he undermines the very democratic ideal he invokes. Intrusive security checks are an increasingly pervasive annoyance of life these days. Millions of air travellers would share Chatterjee8217;s distaste for it. As would all those visitors to New Delhi8217;s Parliament House who pass through layers of checks to glimpse or to aid in the working of Indian democracy. It is irritating, but it is a factor of present-day realities. Protocol has perhaps insulated high officials from these daily intrusions. They may have even forgotten that this bandobast is in greatest measure aimed at securing their lives.
