Virtual Parliament

Anguished by the washout of the monsoon session of our parliament, Chetan Bhagat has suggested that it is time that we explored the alternative of having virtual sessions of parliament. This is a welcome suggestion that will certainly prevent the culture of holding legislature to ransom.

Such a move will enable all parliamentarians to participate more effectively. Transparency will improve. This will also encourage the legislators to seek the views of informed professionals on various matters without the fear of being ridiculed. Outsourcing for expertise while the ownership will be with MPs will be good for the nation's development.

Parliamentarians used to physical wrangling will not like this idea. But they have no right to practise the dog in the manger policy of neither they will do their duty nor will they allow others to do theirs.

Speaker's role

Lok Sabha Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan suspended 25 Congress members on 3rd August for five consecutive sittings for persistently and wilfully obstructing the House. It is the Speaker's responsibility to ensure that the House functions in a conducive atmosphere and therefore whoever obstructs the proceedings need to be shown the door.

If anything, the Speaker had delayed her action inordinately. The House has not functioned for a week because of the melee caused by Congress. The Speaker has erred by suspending only the foot soldiers while the abjectly misleading leader, Sonia Gandhi has not been evicted.

This is not a confrontation between one party and another. It is an issue of allowing an important wing of democracy, the legislature, to function. The Speaker has at last woken up to her responsibility and done what she is supposed to do. Better late than never.

Chairman of the Rajya Sabha also should exercise his lawful authority and evict the disruptionists. It is not a question of which party is in power and which is in opposition. Citizens of the country expect their representatives in the Parliament to do their work and their work is certainly not to disrupt the Houses.

It is shocking that The Hindu claims that the Speaker's action is abdication of responsibility. If taking lawful action against unruly elements amounts to abdication of responsibility, we should all abdicate our responsibility.