Money Flashing in Parliament- the Real Issues

The sight of money being flashed in the Parliament generated varied emotions among the masses and political commentators. New ebb in the democracy; mockery of the political system; was this the dream of our freedom fighters? so on and so forth. But honestly, do we really care? Aren’t we the same people who have voted those 500+ wise men to be there, to do what they were doing that day. Would we not vote most of them back as and when we’ll be obliged to?

And to be frank except for the newness of putting forth the fact that our politicians are by and large corrupt what else does it signify? Definitely not, that we as a nation have failed ourselves.

Well as far as I am concerned, fortunately or unfortunately, I was more or less unmoved by the fact that ‘politicians flashed bundles of bribe money in parliament’ supposedly given to them to cross vote. What bothered me was something else. Numerically, the numbers that parties have, the whips they had issued and the side they said they were on didn’t show in the final vote. Money or no money, we have a system where parties have MPs sent to Parliament who don’t agree to their party’s stand on such crucial issues. And I don’t want to enter into the debate on democracy and freedom of speech of MPs.

Whether this nuclear deal will solve our energy problems or not is not the issue I want to go into right now. And to be frank, I personally believe this deal in not just about the energy needs or the like, but that’s not the thing to be talked of as of now.

There are significant other issues involved here. First the MPs who were offered bribe what should have been their duty, bring the money to the august house to flash it or inform the police about the bribe giver. What they did, does that amount to having accepted the bribe? Second even more disturbing to me was whether the senior party leaders of those MPs’ aware of the whole show. If yes, God save us! For those people would be the decision makers for the whole country and not just the party- a job they don’t seem to be very good at.

If they weren’t, then again its serious issue as they have people in their ranks who can do this kind of drama without even bothering to inform them. It seems that perhaps their party MPs don’t believe that they are capable of taking the right call in an issue as important as this was.

Or, may be their MPs don’t give a damn.

Fortunately and as the conventions demand, a committee has been formed and has got into action already and very soon we’ll know the real picture. But would we ever get to know the role played by senior party leaders in whole money flashing episode? Would our political parties ever base their judgment on what’s best for the country and the people instead of, well only God knows what? And would our leaders rise above party politics and put nation before them?

Well, I know I am getting carried away too far and am asking for too much. It’s been six decades now. So, may be I’ll do what we are all used to doing, keep my fingers crossed with a prayer on the lips waiting to see how things unfold and stare into future and eventually do, well…. Do you have any workable solution for all of us??? I am still clueless.


Wtritten by: Rohit Mishra