There is too much politics on Parliament smoke bomb attack issue. More than 100 MPs have been suspended for rest of the session (which is likely to end on 22nd December 2023). Now, the MPs suspension issue being taken central stage of politics where opposition parties, especially Congress is claiming as if there’s dictatorship, murder of democracy is happening in broad daylight. What Congress party is forgetting that in 1989, when Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister, 63 MPs were suspended for protesting the Thakkar Commission. Does such a huge number of suspensions display a good image of our Parliamentary proceedings? But then the unruly behavior, sloganeering & breaching of rules of Parliamentary proceedings also doesn’t present any good image of any type of democracy. Democracy is for decent intellectual debates, not for hooliganism inside Parliament. Thus, suspending disruptors is perhaps the only way and according to rules of Parliamentary proceedings. Thus, I support the present as well as past suspensions, irrespective of parties being in power at those points.
In this political cacophony, the main issue of Parliament intrusion & smoke bomb attack is taken backstage. The point is that this should be the focus. Both the government as well as opposition parties should have sat together & deliberate on this and to take proper preventive steps not to allow any such misadventures in future. But when politics takes centre stage, national interest always remains back-burner. There’s no point seeking statements from PM, HM or anybody because neither the government ever wants such a failure, nor opposition should take advantage of it. This is an issue which should unite parties across ideologies.
There’s an interesting pattern among many so-called intellectuals and self-claimed pro-democracy people that this attack was done because of the unemployment issue. Really? Is this the intellect, now people use as an excuse for a near terrorist act? I will come to the unemployment issue bit later, but let me inform what would have happened if such a case happened in western countries especially in America? All intruders would have been shot to dead. In America or even European countries, if there’s a hooting-alarm with lights by a patrolling vehicle, then you must stop your car forthwith. Then you are to put your hands on steering and no movement until you are asked to. Any violation will make you shot then and there. Do such things happen in India? Frankly, it’s a no. In fact, in this country, there are examples when speeding drivers have dragged the police on their car bonnet for miles. I don’t say whether western countries are right in their strict police rules or India is wrong in not-strict police actions. Point is all should be lucky to live in India where life is given more value than many other countries.
Now let’s come to unemployment issue. Whose job is to make someone employed? Yes, central government should give employment opportunities. Not only central government, but also state governments should also be providing employment opportunities. Here point must be noted that government jobs are not only the employment opportunity. The government jobs although depends upon population size of a country, but it’s never above 25%. In Countries like India or China, the government job opportunities are around 5%. No government can ever give government jobs to all. What governments can do is to create employment opportunities. Such opportunities can be created by making country’s economy stable, creating infrastructures, lot of development works.
Central government and many state governments are doing the same. That means there are employment opportunities. Here a point must be noted why sane people are against the freebies politics to garner votes. Freebies politics makes a government short of fund which affects their capacity to develop employment opportunities. For example, in recent Telangana election, Congress won giving lot of freebies which costs around 1.23 lac crores rupees per year. The revenue per year is 1.7 lac crore rupees. Now if all those election promises are fulfilled, then state government won’t have fund after meeting salaries, pensions and other mandatory payments for developmental work. That means all developmental work will be halted for shortage of funds and thus lack of employment opportunities. Anyway, I think all governments are doing as per their capabilities to improve employment opportunities. When economy is stable, GDP is improving, that’s a good indication that there’s employment opportunity.
Question is, if economy is stable & performing, then why there’s unemployment. Here comes the third requirement for employment. It’s the employability of a particular person. If you hold degree and thus government should give you a job, then you are in fool’s paradise. No where in the World such things happen. You must make yourself employable. You must learn the skills required; you must find employment as per your skills in various spheres. Those who make themselves employable, they remained employed. Those who can’t, must stay unemployed. Why will governments be blamed for that? In America also there many people who remain homeless, jobless & living a beggar’s life in various city streets just because they don’t have employability. It has nothing to do with nation’s economy or opportunities for employment.
The present intruders who are arrested are flying in planes, attend political rallies, have smartphones and connections with political personalities. That means they are well to do at least compared to 40% of country’s population. You are unemployed because reasons of your unemployability. You want to blame government? Okay, it’s a free country & democracy. You have all the rights. But how can you enter the Parliament & attack Parliamentarians? The government of the day is duly elected by the public of India. Bhagat Singh attacked the colonial ruler & not democratically elected independent nation’s government. So never even compare with the legendary Bhagat Singh.
So, there should be no excuse for such intrusion into Parliament. You want to go inside Parliament? Go, contest in election. Convince people and get elected. You can’t just forcefully or deceitfully enter the Parliament.
Does their intrusion is akin terrorist act? Well, it’s like near terrorist act but doesn’t amount to terrorism. In fact, such an intrusion exposes how inefficient the security system of the Parliament is. If such an attempt taken by the real terrorists, imagine what irreparable loss would have happened. It’s time to make things right at the earliest stopping all political mudslinging.
The intruders must be punished appropriately for trespassing the temple of democracy, and at the same time, all those responsible for such dangerous flaws of security of the Parliament must be punished more stringently. I think the responsible persons for such lack of security are more guilty than those intruders.