Opinion The consensus republic: A lesson for today’s parliamentarians from the Constituent Assembly

Ambedkar appreciated and celebrated the dissenting voices in the Constituent Assembly. He said, “…fortunately, there were rebels. They were Mr Kamath, Dr P S Deshmukh, Mr Sidhva, Prof K T Shah and Pandit Hirday Nath Kunzru. The points they raised were mostly ideological. That I was not prepared to accept their suggestions, does not diminish the value of their suggestions nor lessen the service they have rendered to the Assembly in enlivening its proceedings. But for them, I would not have had the opportunity which I got for expounding the principles underlying the Constitution…”

The last two decades of the evolution of parliamentary democracy (2004-24) in India should be carefully examined to understand and appreciate the need for reimagining the culture of democratic engagement in Parliament. This is a moment of introspection for all members of Parliament.

Data demonstrates the need for serious introspection within Parliament regarding how this most vital institution of our democracy could be strengthened and made more relevant. Before 1990, each Lok Sabha used to convene for 550 days spanning 3,500 hours, which declined to 345 days spanning 1,800 hours post-1990. The 17th Lok Sabha held the lowest number of sittings, with 274 days over five years. The 1st Lok Sabha sat for 677 sittings during 1952-57. The 15th Lok Sabha passed 192 bills while the 5th Lok Sabha passed 487 bills. The percentage of bills referred to Parliamentary Committees reduced from 71 per cent in the 15th Lok Sabha to 16 per cent in the 17th Lok Sabha. The 15th and 17th Lok Sabha passed 36 per cent and 35 per cent of bills in less than one hour, respectively. The 15th Lok Sabha lost 37 per cent of its scheduled time to disruptions, while the 16th Lok Sabha lost 16 per cent. The average time spent on Union Budget discussion declined from 120 hours before 1990 to 35 hours post-1990. In 2023, 2018 and 2013, the entire budget was passed without any discussion.

I believe there are three critical lessons that today’s members of Parliament must learn from the Constituent Assembly.

The Constituent Assembly’s members represented the most diverse interests; they came from different backgrounds. They discussed and debated complex issues with sincerity and conviction. They were conscious that they were discussing issues reasonable people can have different perspectives on. This ability to come together, discuss and debate complex issues of law, policy, and governance was the hallmark of the Constituent Assembly.

This could serve as an important lesson for contemporary parliamentarians. The issues they were discussing then are not significantly different from the issues we are facing today. Overcoming them requires inspired leadership and faith in Parliament as an institution to promote respect, dignity and fraternity among all members.

The remarkable aspect of the Constituent Assembly was not only that divergent political and ideological interests prevailed but that even within the same political persuasion, there were different views. Pluralistic views that promoted a democratic culture were very much part of the Assembly’s discourse. Of course, it must be mentioned that strong political parties with their ideological interests had not taken root and the Assembly, though functioning as a provisional Parliament, did not carry the historical burden that our current parliamentarians have. Nevertheless, at a time when there is an aspiration for nation-building efforts to address significant issues of our time — be it poverty, inequality, employment, livelihood, education, healthcare, environment and many other problems of human development — there is a need to develop political consensus within Parliament.

India’s constitutional history has demonstrated the extraordinary power of collective consciousness and of diverse people coming together to lay the foundation of a new India. Many members of the Constituent Assembly, who fought for India’s freedom, later participated in the government at the state and central levels. I believe the motivations of today’s parliamentarians, regardless of political ideology, converge with the vision of the members of the Constituent Assembly. As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, this is a moment to reflect on and reimagine the future of India’s parliamentary democracy.

The writer is founding Vice Chancellor of OP Jindal Global University and Dean of Jindal Global Law School. Jindal Global University has established India’s first Constitution museum at its campus in Sonipat, Haryana.

Views are personal