When the House nods

Dozing in the House is permissible, particularly when the proceedings in the House are dull and dreary, said the celebrated duke of Devonshi...

Dozing in the House is permissible, particularly when the proceedings in the House are dull and dreary, said the celebrated duke of Devonshire, a member of the House of Lords in the 19th century.

The duke defended even sleeping in the House, because sleep was natural and a time-honoured prerogative of mankind. Even the Speaker found it difficult to object to his argument. Legend has it that once the duke, while in the House, dreamt he was addressing it. He found, upon waking, that he was indeed doing so.

H.D. Deve Gowda8217;s power naps pale into insignificance before the duke. Gowda8217;s argument was that he sleeps in Parliament House because national duties kept him from sleeping in his own house. Mulayam Singh Yadav, on his part, has argued that he sleeps only in Delhi. He is wide awake in Lucknow. He certainly needs to be awake in Lucknow, given the danger that his seat is perpetually in.

I once asked an officer of the Haryana cadre about how life was treating him. He replied: 8220;My life revolves round two things: my turban and my chair. And I have only two hands: one hand attends to the turban and the other, my chair. If I lose a grip on one, my turban will fall; if I lose a grip on the other, my post will fall. You tell me, with which hand should I work?8221; He clearly had not heard about the third hand, which Gandhi termed the 8216;thinking hand8217;.

People now seem to have forgotten Piloo Modi, the colourful MP. He used to carry a placard on his back stating that he was a CIA agent. Once, when he appeared to be sleeping in the House, somebody whispered: 8220;Modi is dead.8221; 8220;No, he is alive,8221; whispered another. At that point the inimitable Modi opened his eyes to inform the House that he was totally, and dangerously, alive.

Nehru was the greatest champion of parliamentary privileges, including dozing. He was so sympathetic, in fact, that once at an AICC session in Nagpur he handed over a pillow to a tired member saying: 8220;Let him enjoy his afternoon siesta, he has worked very hard since last night.8221; The member in question was none other than Morarji Desai!

But V.P. Singh8217;s riposte was the most apt. Once, when he was told that a member was sleeping in the House, he responded, 8220;Let sleeping MPs lie.8221;