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India’s
Parliamentary
Author Madhav Godbole is a former IAS officer who has observed governance at the Centre and state levels quite closely while working in different departments of the government. This book is the result of his belief that good governance is not possible unless Parliament takes itself seriously. Godbole is eminently suited to write about the Indian legislature, having seen the working of Parliament and the Maharashtra Assembly from a ringside seat for more than 30 years. Experiment of Indian democracy is perhaps the best tried anywhere by a developing country and also the worst actually implemented. As a poor and illiterate country, having got freedom from the colonial rule in 1947, India opted for a democratic system of governance with the fundamental principle of universal adult franchise for both men and women, unlike in many advanced Western democracies where women had to wait to be enfranchised. People like Sir Anthony Eden and former British Prime Minister described Indian venture into parliamentary government as "the most exciting". However, over the years, the huge expenditure to be incurred from the exchequer for sustaining the government in power has taken the form of the "democracy tax" and the "freebies" to the voters as poll promises can be clearly termed as the "democracy dividend". Such functioning has made our parliamentary system so dysfunctional and devalued that one wonders whether we should have adopted this system in the first place. The description of the history of the parliamentary democracy in India through different stages — initial years of "glorious Nehru days" when it was nourished by great visionaries as also the periods of successive governments and their adverse impact on parliamentary functioning — makes very interesting reading. The author bemoans the steep decline in a system that was lovingly crafted to uphold the lofty ideals of "the highest temple of democracy". Godbole has analysed, with the clinical precision of a highly-skilled surgeon, many disturbing features of the changes such as decline in the duration of the Parliament sessions, devaluation of question hour, passage of legislation without serious discussion, disorderly behaviour of members, large numbers of scams and scandals, etc. In a country where more than 40 per cent people are below poverty line, the MPs have left no stone unturned to promote their petty self-interest of increasing their salary, allowances and pension through the amendments to the Allowances and Pension Act, 1954, more than 50 times till 2004, unmindful of the larger national interest and public opinion. He not only narrates the strings of blunders but also suggests practical remedies. Some such remedies have been suggested by different thinkers and NGOs from time to time, but have remained on paper as most of the politicians are so short of credibility as true representatives of people that they are afraid of being exposed. With a few honourable exceptions, the politician is seeking every opportunity to subvert democracy and Parliament. In this scenario, suggested reforms are even more relevant today because of the unabated rot and further decline in the value system of our elected representatives. Some of the suggestions which make a lot of sense include decriminalisation of politics and abolishing the "first past-the-post" winner system. The present law draws heavily on dogma that "a person is innocent unless proven guilty". The author suggests that once a court frames charges, the person should stand disqualified for contesting any elections. He says the law should be amended, so that only those candidates are declared winners who get "50 per cent plus vote". A hard-hitting book which provides a thoughtful insight into many dimensions of India’s parliamentary system and very clearly brings out how "unrepresentative" most of our elected representatives are and how they have made a mockery of a well-conceived and painstakingly nurtured system. Godbole’s pain, anguish and dismay are visible when he says, "Who could have imagined that India, with its population of over a billion, would be bereft of leadership, drawn from the masses, 60 years after practicing parliamentary democracy". India is one of the most vibrant and stable democracies and is poised for its new tryst with destiny. This book is strongly recommended for any one who wants to be part of India’s growth story.
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THIS
book has come at a time when serious issues like mismanagement, misrule
and corruption are at the centre stage, largely because the political
class has "failed" the masses over the past six decades. India’s
future seems unlimited, but its problems of governance stand as
mountainous challenge. To realise its rightful place in the world, it
must improve its governance because its growth story is intimately
connected with the functioning of its Parliament and Legislative
Assemblies.