PRIME Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s assertion makes a great sense that in politics there is ‘no full stop’ and the future awaits everybody who wishes to make his or her contribution to the larger society even beyond the point of formal retirement. As he addressed the Rajya Sabha when as many as 59 Members of Parliament retired and stated that such farewells often evoked intense emotions, Mr. Modi stated that nobody fully retires from politics as such. The future is all the time inviting everybody to continue being useful to the society and the country. The Prime Minister’s speech, thus, was a classic example of how to look at the contribution the Members of Parliament get opportunity to make in the larger national cause through the democratic process. Mr. Narendra Modi referred to the continuous process that politics happened to be. Every two years, a third of the membership of the Rajya Sabha empties out, and new people come in.

 

Some people return to the House in a repeat election, as well. And each of them has an opportunity to make his or her contribution to the national cause. There are moments of agreement as well as intense disagreement. No matter that, the democratic thought-process continues -- which it is quite difficult to disassociate oneself from. To this process, there is no full stop as such, the Prime Minister insisted. Some people retire from the Rajya Sabha. Some of them return to the House, while others get absorbed in the larger society as wise people from the high chamber of democracy. Even those who finally retire from the House also have opportunity to keep being useful to the larger society, to the national cause in different capacities. The atmosphere in the House was of an altogether different order and texture. Most members had seen intense debates in which hard logic and soft emotion combined to make the discourse deep and meaningful. There were intense disagreements. Yet, each member continued making his or her contribution to the larger cause of democracy, the Prime Minister insisted. His references to some specific persons such as Mr. H.D. Devegowda, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr. Sharad Pawar, Mr. Ramdas Athawale brought both, tears and laughter, to the House. In other words, the Prime Minister’s address underlined the essential nature of democratic discourse.

 

Though he did not use these many words, Mr. Modi did unfold the details of democracy functions at the highest levels and how opinions are made and shaped -- not just of the Members but also of the whole nation. The speech, thus, can be described as a critical assessment of the process of parliamentary democracy and its core thought of collective, non-partisan dialogue. Mr. Narendra Modi did appeal the Members to understand the process and not to overstep the limitations of norms and conventions and rules. If such a culture gets created, then the Indian democracy would become an ideal system -- which other nations would love to emulate, he seemed to suggest. In other words, the Prime Minister reminded the Members of Rajya Sabha (and also the Lok Sabha -- which elects its members every five years) that the work they do in the haloed chamber has historic significance. He also reminded the Members of the process of renewal of democratic institutions as indicated by the transition of Parliament from its old building to the new one. In the past some years, the Opposition appears to have made a point to keep disturbing the proceedings of the two Houses of Parliament.

 

Despite that, the Prime Minister’s speech reflected neither ill-will nor disappointment. His words brought to fore the deep and unshakable faith he had in the system’s efficacy. His statement, thus, can be expected to act as a living document of India’s parliamentary history. Other members also expressed more or less similar sentiments as they gave their own last addresses in the House. The core point of the day was the Prime Minister’s assertion that there was no full stop in politics and the process goes on.