Om Birla worries about ‘continued disruption’ of legislatures

Lok Sabha Chairman Om Birla expressed concern on Friday about the “continued disruption” of debates and “lack of decorum” in parliament and state legislatures, noting that dissent should not lead to a deadlock .

He also warned of the growing threat of fake news and urged the media to perform their duties impartially.

Addressing the Assam Assembly in his first engagement of the day, Birla said: “Democracy is based on debate and dialogue. But the continued disruption of debates in the House and the lack of decorum are matters of concern.

Calling the obstruction of proceedings unethical and unconstitutional, he said it was even more troubling that such disruptions were planned in advance.

While it is natural for the Treasury and the opposition benches to disagree, “dissent should not lead to deadlock,” he added.

The speaker advised political parties to hold discussions on intractable issues and ensure that the House functions in a way that meets the hopes and aspirations of the people.

“It is not ethically and constitutionally right to obstruct the work of the House. Often disruptions are not organic but planned in advance. Such conduct is even more worrying,” said Birla.

He said that the interruption and adjournment of proceedings is not part of India’s democratic traditions, and called on lawmakers to fulfill the hopes of the people.

Birla said that a diverse country like India is bound by parliamentary democracy, and as the nation celebrates 75 years of independence, it has become necessary to review the way the House works, which is an integral part of the system.

The first Lok Sabha speaker to address the Assam Assembly, Birla said the state is a living example of unity in diversity.

“Assam is the bridge that connects the richly diverse northeast to the rest of India. This diversity makes our democracy even more resilient,” he added.

During the day, speaker Lok Sabha also launched Assam Legislative Assembly digital television during a program in the Legislative Assembly’s central hall. He was congratulated by Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Opposition Leader Debabrata Saikia, among others.

Later that afternoon, attending an awards ceremony hosted by a local media group, Birla spoke about the blessing as well as the plague of social media.

“When we discuss social media, we have their positive sides on the one hand and the threat of fake news on the other. Fake news has often caused tension and violence,” he said.

The speaker from Lok Sabha further underlined that for the media to play a constructive role in society, they must maintain neutrality and ensure the correct presentation of the facts.

He dwelled on the role of the media in the country during the freedom struggle and how the leaders of this period, from Mahatma Gandhi to Balgangadhar Tilak, had used the pen to reach out to the masses.

“The media played a positive role then (during the freedom struggle) and they still play an important role today, 75 years after independence,” Birla added.

Speaker Lok Sabha also presented on this occasion the Achiever Awards 2021 ‘, instituted by the Sadin Pratidin group.

Former Asom Sahitya Sabha President and Literature Rongbong Terang received Lifetime Achievement Award, while Assamese magazine “Prantik” editor-in-chief Pradip Baruah received Sadin Award for Journalism and literature.

Lok Sabha lecturer offered prayers at Kamakhya Temple during his day trip to the city before returning to New Delhi.

(Only the title and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)