Elsewhere I had written not once, twice or thrice about the Great Indian Circus called Indian political scene. An event be it a song, dance, film, sports or a speech however popular and attractive, if telecasted repeatedly begets boredom, irritation and disappointment to the viewers. Similar is the case here. Here I am compelled to touch upon an event enacted in our Parliament, characters almost the same heroes, heroines and comedians, and thanks to television sets in our guest rooms across the nation which telecasted live the entire ‘circus’. During the session each day the parliamentarians perform - often creating pandemoniums and rushing to the well of the house, shouting against each other, often trading unparliamentary words, followed by wild gestures and even manhandling, staging walk-outs forcing adjournments for a day or for an indefinite period thanks to the relief of the viewers.
This time it was an uproar by a major section of the parliamentarians over the ‘core’ issue of ‘pay hike’ demanding five times the present pay by two Yadavs and their followers. Trebling the pay hike ie. three times the present one which was satisfying for the majority - nice personalities they are - along with hike in various allowances, free air travel to the MPs and their entire families such little little comforts squeezing millions of tax-payers - here the viewers slumped in the ring-side seats. Parliament members’ wage-hike never demands discussions, bargaining - collective or otherwise or negotiations, they decide it, implement it and amicably settle all problems unlike employees working in banks, insurance companies, railways, airlines, software companies etc. They present demands first on the expiry of the settlements, get rejected by the negotiating authorities, then work to rule, pen-down strikes, token strikes and when all steps fail are forced to give notice for indefinite strike and only on that occasion a man in the garb of Labour Commissioner – a government employee appears on the scene, bilateral talks follow in his presence and though the matters don’t get settled, strike threat being deferred for the time-being. Such threats, strikes and negotiations continue for two to three years or more and finally a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) is arrived the employees being forced to accept a nominal increase – peanuts to be precise - in salaries. Implementation takes further time and finally gritting teeth and with charming smiles both sides shake hands and disperse for the moment. A respite of sorts for the time being.
Members of Parliament, irrespective of the colours, principles and policies are unanimous except the Left MPs on one issue, the ‘core issue’ of wage hike. No dharnas, no fast unto deaths, strikes, all being done smoothly and settled amicably to the delight of the members.
Pity my country, majority of our MPs are millionaires a few are even billionaires still their greed and selfishness know no limits. They don’t care the stark and naked truth that income of 78 percent of our citizens is twenty rupees a day and the dream of a poor citizen is at least one square meal a day. It is estimated that approximately 800 million citizens are living below poverty line. Those who are entrusted with the task of making demands in parliament for the cause of the poor ones across the nation with whose votes such MPs are catapulted to seats of comfort and power care their ulterior motives and selfish, greedy goals.
Furthermore on the matter of corruption, amassing crores of rupees disproportionate to their income majority of our MPs have criminal cases pending against them.
Nothing matters to such elements as long as their pockets are heavy and they nurture a notion that as long as they are endowed with heavy pockets stashed with money in their pockets they can escape the hands of the law reaching out to them and they roam freely across the country by first-class air conditioned coaches in trains, air-travels, all for free.
Many of them must not have even heard about the respected revolutionary whose life was fully dedicated for the cause of downtrodden and while fighting for them braved lathis, assaults and bullets often ending up in prison AKG alias A.K.Gopalan as he is fondly called. While a decision was taken in Parliament to hike the wage of an MP from Rs 350 to Rs 400, AKG reportedly decided not to accept the hiked amount saying ‘not for this we are elected to Parliament’. Similarly our first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad who took a decision to allot half his salary for the cause of the people across the nation.
Flip through the pages of history and let them learn about selfless great men and their simple lives.
In the first half of the 21st century we have found ourselves in an abyss with People’s Representatives running after material comforts, pomp and pageantry occupying the seats of power flanked by ‘Z’ plus security coverage keeping no qualms whatsoever.
Indian tax-payer, the average citizen is ultimately the loser. That is our destiny.
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