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THE Punjab Assembly became a sorry spectacle on Thursday. An attempt to storm the well of the House led to AAP MLAs being evicted. In the process, some were hurt. Turbans of four members were knocked off, and some were injured. It is a sorry state of affairs when the chambers where laws are meant to be discussed and made become a battleground, literally. Marshals assigned to the House are being blamed for the rough handling of MLAs. There is a view that they have not been adequately trained. This may well be correct. The Speaker, too, is being accused of partisan conduct. Political posturing has reduced the legislative business to a farce. The day after again brought together the legislators of AAP, the Lok Insaaf Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Why is it that political debates devolve into chaos, often with a physical element? Why should there be a need to physically evict lawmakers? Should they not follow decorum and remove themselves if asked to do so by the Speaker. Surely, they can plead their case later, or others can do so on their behalf. The harm done to the institution, the vitiated atmosphere and extreme polarisation — all are part of the avoidable damage done when such things happen.
Not much debate takes place in the Punjab Assembly anyway, and nearly all of the Budget session has been lost to noise-making. Slogan-shouting was followed by a walkout, and thus some important legislative matters could not get debated. This is an unhealthy trend, and those who walk out do no favour to the voters who elected them. Those in the government and those sitting on the Opposition benches will do well to be reminded that their primary duty is towards the voters who want them to work towards improving their lot. Negotiation, give and take, and building bridges are the bedrock of politics. A precondition to all is civil behaviour. A sad day if people who could be role models need to be reminded of this.
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