Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan (File Photo)
With the last two sessions of Parliament witnessing major disruptions, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has emphasized the need for "discipine and decorum" to ensure that issues are discussed, debated and decided in Parliamentary democracy.
"In Parliamentary democracy, every issue can be discussed and there cannot be a better forum than the House to discuss, debate and disagree.
"But in larger public interest two more Ds- Discipline and Decorum - need to be added to avoid Disruptions and Decide issues," she said addressing the 23rd Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth Kota Kinabalu.
Speaking on the topic 'Orientation and Development for Parliamentarians', Ms Mahajan was also of the opinion that lawmakers have the responsibility of enriching the debates and discussions in the Parliaments and appear to be adding value.
In a word of caution to the lawmakers, she reminded them that in today's scenario of live telecast of Parliament, their actions are under scrutiny round the clock.
The Speaker said the objectives of Parliament could be realized if parliamentarians are empowered through capacity building programmes to become effective parliamentarians.
"They need to be given proper orientation and assistance so that they can make an invaluable difference to the lives of their constituents and contribute purposively towards strengthening and deepening democracy," she said.
Observing that lawmakers not only represent the voice of the people and their opinion but also play a vital role in shaping public opinion and debates, Ms Mahajan said it is imperative for them to be adequately informed on the global thinking and country perspectives on these issues.
She said informational requirements and procedural challenges before an MP today are multi-dimensional.
"Unless and until members get a definitive orientation on diverse aspects of parliamentary functioning and different perspectives on contemporaneous issues, they will be hampered in their development as effective elected representatives.
"The task becomes even more daunting since the time available to a member to work towards specific parliamentary matters on one's own is very limited," the Speaker said.