Sanjay Srivastava writes: Parliament, now, is a gated community

Source– The post is based on the article “Sanjay Srivastava writes: Parliament, now, is a gated community” published in “The Times of India” on 20th July 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Polity

Relevance: Political institutions

News- The article explains the importance of Parliament as a process for strengthening democracy.

Why is it important to imagine Parliament both as space and process?

The assertion of sovereignty is not only conveyed through symbolic displays of governance but also through the actual governing processes.

Using the same parliament architecture, after independence, that once used for oppression of the people was more than just a symbol. It tells a story of seizing control from the previous ruling power, who justified their superiority by characterising the locals as incapable of self-rule.

The physical space of Parliament and the governing processes it contains are deeply interconnected. The relationship between Parliament as a building and the processes and the people it represents has not fulfilled the promise of the early post-colonial period.

How Parliament as an institution has not fulfilled its promise?

In the Indian context, the decline of Parliament’s influence in the lives of the people is primarily attributed to the shifting concept of the nation-state.

After gaining independence, the state had a clear responsibility: to serve the nation and its people. It was recognized that the interests and lives of the people were distinct from that of the state.

However, over time, there has been a shift. State itself is increasingly being equated with the nation. As a result, there has been a growing tendency to unquestioningly accept, whatever the state says and does. It is also justified as the best interest of the people.

The initial commitment to a democracy led by the people has been replaced by one controlled by the state. Parliament has undergone a transformation. It resembles a fortress. It has distanced itself from society, placing itself above rather than alongside it.

It has become akin to a gated community. The construction of the new Parliament House has only exacerbated this trend. It portrays governance as a grand monument disconnected from the people.