In the Rajya Sabha
Whatever be the reasons given, the unruly manner in which some members of the Rajya Sabha reportedly behaved in the House left much to be desired (Page 1, “8 Opposition MPs suspended from RS for ‘unruly behaviour’,” September 22). We have seen similar incidents in Parliament in the past. Unless order is maintained in the House, valuable debating and discussion time on important Bills would be lost. With the whole country, especially the younger generation, watching these proceedings live on television, such reckless incidents within the temple of our great democracy could set a bad example ahead. Sometimes it becomes necessary for the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker to initiate strict action against some members who blatantly flout the rules of the House, in the interests of maintaining decorum and in ensuring normal proceedings. Parliament runs on the tax payer’s hard earned money and every minute wasted is unacceptable.
A. Mohan,
Chennai
A lack of sanctity in the law-making process and politics was evident during the debate and passage of the two agriculture Bills in the Rajya Sabha and the fallout. There are two important factors in the law-making process. In the first, it is essential to scrutinise the subject. And, importantly, in the second, there must be robust and extensive debate on the floor of Parliament. There is no doubt that the culture of a deliberative and consultative process of law making has to be restored.
Venu G.S.,
Kalluvathukkal, Kollam, Kerala
The behaviour of the Opposition has undoubtedly brought down the image of the Rajya Sabha. The framers of the Constitution intentionally provided for the Upper House for the entry of intellectuals who lack the wherewithal to enter the lower house through an electoral battle. If this forum of intellectuals is reduced to the level of a town municipal council in its standards of deliberations, especially during these extraordinary times, we have to bow our heads in shame. The failure of the Opposition to forge the unity of all non-BJP political groups and the resultant frustration should not be a cause for unleashing pandemonium in the House. If any law is made by the ruling party ignoring genuine public concerns — as claimed by the Opposition — it would surely pay a heavy price during election time.
M.V. Nagavender Rao,
Hyderabad
On the frontline
Between 1961 and 1963, I was one of the early recruits by the UPSC for the Border Roads Organisation as a Class 1 officer (engineering) and posted to No.10 BRTF (Border Roads Task Force) on the Hindustan-Tibet road, from Topri (Kinnur district, Himachal Pradesh) to Shipkila at the Tibet border. Our commander was Col. N.S. Kumar, a task master. A major was in command at one of the sites. After a few months he met with an accident due to a rockfall and sustained severe head injuries. He was evacuated to a military hospital and did not return. I was asked to take over the unit, soon after, in October 1962, when the Chinese invaded India at many points. In our sector, called the ‘sugar sector’ (a translation of ‘Chini’ from Hindi), we waited for orders from above. The terrain was a very difficult one and the Indian Army was poorly equipped with World War vintage .303 rifles and two old jeeps which broke down frequently. Some Army personnel who had rushed in from Travancore, Mysore and Rajasthan had yet to be acclimatised. I had the opportunity of providing them our new Nissan vehicles to transport them up to the border and our drivers and other staff worked tirelessly to get the mission completed. The roads under construction were dangerous — just 10 feet wide, no parapet wall, and with steep curves and gradients on the sides. One wrong move would have sent a vehicle plunging hundreds of feet below into the Sutlej river. It is a pity that the political class did little to improve the situation at the border from 1962 to 1975.
K. Sundararajan,
Chennai
