It is no credit to the supposedly vigilant and dynamic Indian media to overlook Prime Minister Manm+ohan Singh's deliberate indifference to the important issue of his direct elected entry to the Parliament through the House of the People(Lok Sabha), to occupy the most powerful office in our democratic set-up. Instead, he prefers the easy way out-the indirect election to the Rajya Sabha. Over ten years ago, he did contest the Lok Sabha election for a New Delhi seat but he lost. Since then, he avoids the hard work and tension involved in direct election. In 2004, when Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the Congress president, chose him to head the UPA govt, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. However, even five years later, in 2009 general elections, he had an opportunity to follow the healthy convention set up by the Congress first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his successors-Lal Bahadur Shastri, Mrs Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and get elected directly to the Lok Sabha from a safe Congress seat, for the PM's office. But, Dr Singh, a man known for his integrity, was clearly not interested.
Since his present term in the Rajya Sabha is ending, Manmohan Singh, as usual, rushed to Assam to file his nomination papers for the next term. Press reports said that this time the PM witnessed strong protests from Assamese intellectuals and mediamen who objected to his usurping a Rajya Sabha seat meant for native people, since 1991. They complained that for all these 22 years of the Upper House membership, Dr Singh did nothing for the development of the State; it was also reported that in all, he has spent less than a month in this adopted place from the very beginning.
Sadly, this utter insensitivity and thick-skin attitude to the local feelings, do not seem to have caused any uneasiness and moral soul-searching to somehow continue with the privileges of the Parliament membership which also facilitates his holding to the office of the head of govt till, at least, 2014; maybe, even later, if his alliance wins the next elections. Obviously, his advanced age-beyond eighties-does not matter. Some of his earlier supporters have started saying that Manmohan Singh undoubtedly loves office-and power-and wants to stay put as long as possible.
In this backdrop, it was heartening to read an article in the Indian Express of May 16, by a veteran journalist Inder Malhotra, who has criticised, though mildly, the fact that "some one should be Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy for a full 10 years on the strength of the membership of the Upper, indirectly elected, House..." Although it is not constitutionally mandated that the PM must be a member of the Lok Sabha, but the spirit of the Constitution and conventions established since the dawn of independence, have underlined the democratic importance of the direct election route to the House of the People. As a member of the Rajya Sabha, Manmohan Singh cannot be the leader of the ruling party in the Lok Sabha-the more important House; he has no voting right here. Does it not sound ridiculous that the Prime Minister can participate in the Lok Sabha proceedings but he cannot vote! Is it that he is comfortable with this terrible oddity, just to stay in power?
Since his present term in the Rajya Sabha is ending, Manmohan Singh, as usual, rushed to Assam to file his nomination papers for the next term. Press reports said that this time the PM witnessed strong protests from Assamese intellectuals and mediamen who objected to his usurping a Rajya Sabha seat meant for native people, since 1991. They complained that for all these 22 years of the Upper House membership, Dr Singh did nothing for the development of the State; it was also reported that in all, he has spent less than a month in this adopted place from the very beginning.
Sadly, this utter insensitivity and thick-skin attitude to the local feelings, do not seem to have caused any uneasiness and moral soul-searching to somehow continue with the privileges of the Parliament membership which also facilitates his holding to the office of the head of govt till, at least, 2014; maybe, even later, if his alliance wins the next elections. Obviously, his advanced age-beyond eighties-does not matter. Some of his earlier supporters have started saying that Manmohan Singh undoubtedly loves office-and power-and wants to stay put as long as possible.
In this backdrop, it was heartening to read an article in the Indian Express of May 16, by a veteran journalist Inder Malhotra, who has criticised, though mildly, the fact that "some one should be Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy for a full 10 years on the strength of the membership of the Upper, indirectly elected, House..." Although it is not constitutionally mandated that the PM must be a member of the Lok Sabha, but the spirit of the Constitution and conventions established since the dawn of independence, have underlined the democratic importance of the direct election route to the House of the People. As a member of the Rajya Sabha, Manmohan Singh cannot be the leader of the ruling party in the Lok Sabha-the more important House; he has no voting right here. Does it not sound ridiculous that the Prime Minister can participate in the Lok Sabha proceedings but he cannot vote! Is it that he is comfortable with this terrible oddity, just to stay in power?
