Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar highlighted on Sunday that the essential role of debates in democracy has devolved into quarrels and the need for presiding officers to assert authority and maintain decorum in legislative bodies.
Speaking at the closing session of the 84th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference in Mumbai, he expressed concern over planned disruptions in legislative proceedings, labelling political weaponry as counterproductive and incompatible with the democratic system. As many as 26 Presiding Officers from 18 States, including 16 Speakers attended the conference.
“It is no secret that disturbances and disruptions are planned, at whose behest placards are printed and slogans coined. Political weaponry is counterproductive and has no place in our system,” he said.
‘Erosion of trust’
Mr. Dhankhar underscored that the erosion of public trust in representative bodies and their members is a “cancerous” issue for society. Presiding officers should engage in stock-taking and invoke authority to ensure decorum. They must do correctional therapy to stop degeneration, he said.
“The presiding officers are guardians of democratic pillars, and you should be open to diverse perspectives, lamenting the transformation of debates, once the cornerstone of democracy, into contentious encounters,” the Vice-President said.
He also announced the inclusion of all enacted laws and acts on Parliament’s website, providing public access to this information.
Expressing concern over the increasing incidents of indiscipline and disruptive behaviour, Mr. Dhankhar called for introspection to address these issues, highlighting the necessity for presiding officers of both Houses to collaborate effectively in maintaining order within the legislature.
‘Connecting democratic institutions with public’
While Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that during the two-day conference, the presiding officers discussed action plans to connect the democratic institutions with the public and to make them more accountable and transparent. He noted that democracy runs on public trust and confidence, and, therefore it is the responsibility of the democratic institutions to bring necessary changes in their working style and, if necessary, even amend the rules so that public confidence in these institutions is enhanced.
Mr. Birla lauded the suggestion for establishing channels of communication among democratic institutions at Central, State and grassroots levels. Pitching for the use of technology in legislatures to make them more effective and efficient, he said that suggestions have been received from some State legislatures for a model I-T policy by Lok Sabha and to share them with State Legislative Bodies.
