Current State of Indian Parliament
Context:
- The highest expression of a sovereign people’s will is in a parliament.
- In a constitutional democracy like ours, lawmakers must regularly solicit public support for their policies and initiatives through open, honest, and transparent elections.
- In order to adopt laws, determine political goals, allocate resources, represent the interests of the general populous, and hold the executive accountable for their acts, parliaments are given the legal and moral authority to do so.
- The citizens of a nation are the heart and soul of parliamentary democracy.
India, the “Mother of Democracy”:
- Indian was founded on the steadfast foundation of our rich, ages-old history and cultural traditions.
- Our ancient texts not only reference societies and political structures that encouraged deliberation and debate, but they also clearly demonstrate the existence of participatory government, particularly at the level of village communities.
- Therefore, the fact that parliamentary democracy has developed and flourished in independent India is compelling evidence of the democratic values that our forefathers so zealously upheld.
The Indian Parliament reflects the general opinion:
- After India attained independence in 1947, many political observers from abroad expressed grave concerns about the sustainability of the democratic experiment, which they perceived to be a foreign implant on the political terra firma of India.
- However, such hesitation or self-doubt was not present in our founding fathers, who were knowledgeable about our history, tradition, and culture and who had a gut-level faith in the political and common sense of our people.
- This belief in the Indian people’s ability to make the right choice when it mattered most has been validated by the journey over the last seven decades. At the beginning of our freedom, India chose a constitution that was highly progressive.
- In order to keep us united and strong and to guide the nation forward on the path of growth and prosperity for everyone in line, India’s tolerant parliamentary system has helped the nation manage conflicts, value variety, and foster unity of spirit.
- The Indian Parliament, which is governed by the Constitution, has always treated everyone equally, allowed for and valued variety in all of its manifestations, and has never shied away from assisting the weaker groups in society.
- Parliament also acts as the people’s voice in order to effectively transmit the concerns, issues, difficulties, and challenges of the people to the government and the nation.
- The Indian Parliament has played a committed and purposeful role in bringing about constructive socio-economic transformation in a society as diverse as India through progressive legislation and discussions on issues of current national importance. These initiatives have greatly contributed to the public’s understanding of the complexities and range of aspects of the current problems.
How the House of Representatives committee operates:
- The divisions of the legislature in our country are the committees. They are known as “mini parliaments.”
- These committees have been given a lot of power and responsibility to assess various Union government ministries’ operations as well as bills, budgetary proposals, initiatives, and policies in-depth.
- Due to their increased operational flexibility, committees’ work significantly supports and enhances that of parliament.
- They can design their own procedures, obtain testimony from government officials, and directly ask people, organisations, and experts for their thoughts.
- A more complete legislative study and oversight of government agencies is made possible by these review procedures.
The tasks of the legislature go along with its rights:
- The Constitution grants members of the Houses of Parliament various rights, privileges, and immunities that enable them to perform their duties both individually and collectively in an effective manner without fear of retaliation.
- Parliamentary privileges prevent other governmental branches from invading Parliament’s independence, legitimacy, and dignity.
- To enable participants to freely express their thoughts, this is crucial. These rights include the freedom from civil detention during committee meetings or parliamentary sessions as well as protection from legal action for utterances made in the Houses of Parliament.
- Members must be aware that rights entail obligations in order to prevent these privileges from being abused for false, defamatory, or malicious claims.
The legislature as an active, thriving democracy:
- The Indian parliament is a vibrant and alive manifestation of the will of more than a billion people, not a dead institution.
- The constitution, the laws of the land, and the moral authority bestowed by the Indian people have all significantly increased the power of parliamentarians to work for the welfare of citizens both individually and collectively.
- Over the course of its seventy years of existence, the Indian Parliament has been successful in creating a stunning symphony of democracy, rising above the rare discordant note.
- While staunchly maintaining constitutional values, national interest, the unity of the nation, and the greater good, it has done so with an expansive spirit that has treated all points of view equally.
Conclusion:
- As we approach the Amrit Kaal of our existence as a sovereign nation, it is on to us, the people of India, to figure out how to make this greatest representative institution worthy of the respect and confidence that voters have placed in their elected representatives.
- The citizens of our magnificent nation owe it to the members of parliament to uphold the honour and dignity of the House. Because they serve as role models for the public, lawmakers should always conduct themselves with respect, decorum, responsibility, and dedication.
- Let the Indian Parliament continue to stand in for all communities and nations that aspire to provide a legislative setting where the collective will of the people can be expressed as a beacon of peace and optimism.
