{"id":195782,"date":"2022-07-19T01:10:11","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T19:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/?p=195782"},"modified":"2022-07-19T01:10:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T19:40:11","slug":"what-is-in-a-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/2022\/07\/19\/what-is-in-a-word\/","title":{"rendered":"What is in a word?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nUnparliamentary Or Gag?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\nBy Poonam I Kaushish<\/strong><\/p>\n

What\u2019s in word? Everything when it comes to our polity. We were treated to one such last week. Our Right Honourables re-discovered one new parliamentary term: unparliamentary.
\nAs Parliament\u2019s monsoon session begins a row has erupted over a 50-page words compilation unfit for use in Parliament which would be expunged if used during debates or otherwise in both Houses. Namely, jumlajeevi, baal-buddhi, Shakuni, taanashah, taanashahi, nikamma, Jaichand, vinash purush, khoon se kheti, anarchist, dictatorial, Khalistani, corrupt, ashamed, abused, betrayed, drama, hypocrisy, Covid spreader, snoopgate and even common word \u2018incompetent\u2019 are now unparliamentary.
\nFollowed by Rajya Sabha notification that dharnas, demonstrations, fast or religious ceremonies are not allowed in Parliament precincts. Predictably, this double whammy stirred a hornet\u2019s nest with Opposition slamming Centre\u2019s attempt of \u201cthrottling\u201d democracy by trying to \u201cgag\u201d as terms used by it described \u201creality\u201d of Government.
\nTrust Lok Sabha Speaker Birla to douse flames clarifying dharna was from 2009 order and no words had been banned. \u201cNo Government can ban words in Parliament and Assemblies. Members are free to express views and no one can snatch that right but it should be as per Parliament decorum.\u201d Sic.
\nWorse, he justified it by saying it was a tradition since 1954 and the latest list merely compiles words found undignified in a specific context and expunged from Parliament, various Assemblies records and Commonwealth countries Parliaments. In fact, many words were considered unparliamentary during Congress\u2019s UPA era and only 62 words were added.
\nInterestingly, the Unparliamentary Expressions book, first compiled in 1999 was last updated in 2009 resulting in many State legislatures being guided by it.
\nIn 1999 references were taken from debates and phrases declared unparliamentary by pre-Independence Central Legislative Assembly, Constituent Assembly, Provisional Parliament, first to the tenth Lok Sabhas and Rajya Sabha, State legislatures and Commonwealth Parliaments like UK.
\nImportantly Article 105(2) states, \u201cno MP shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any committee thereof\u201d. MPs do not enjoy the freedom to say whatever they want inside the House. Whatever an MP says is subject to discipline of Parliament Rules, Members \u201cgood sense,\u201d and Speaker\u2019s control of proceedings. These checks ensure MPs cannot use \u201cdefamatory, indecent, undignified or unparliamentary words\u201d inside the House.
\nRule 380 (\u201cExpunction\u201d) of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha states: \u201cIf Speaker is of opinion that words have been used in debate which are defamatory or indecent, unparliamentary or undignified he may while exercising discretion order such words be expunged from House proceedings.\u201d Rule 381 says: \u201cThe portion of House proceedings so expunged shall be marked by asterisks and an explanatory foot-note shall be inserted in proceedings: \u201cExpunged as ordered by the Chair.\u201d
\nPertinently, the word \u2018Godse\u2019 was removed from unparliamentary words list in 2015 after Shiv Sena MP Nashik Godse requested removal wondering how an MP\u2019s surname could be \u201cunparliamentary.\u201d Recall, it was first expunged in 1958 when a MP equated Prime Minister Nehru to Godse, Gandhi\u2019s assassin on floor of the House and later again in 1962 when another member equated Godse to Swami Viveknanda. But it is also contextual. A MP cannot praise Godse, but he can say Godse assassinated Gandhi.
\nQuestionably what happens if a MP uses these words? Zilch. No action can be taken against anyone who uses these words, there is no legal sanctity, Speaker has power to expunge any indecent, defamatory expression, it is not restrictive but for exercising restrain as expressions are more important than singular meaning of the word.
\nDoes it mean \u2018Jaichands\u2019 who are masquerading as \u201cconscience of the nation\u201d should now be addressed respectfully as \u201cRight Honourables\u201d? Can we accept our netagan to behave like true blue-blooded MPs? Will it add to piling garbage heard before or meet similar fate as other diktats in 1999, 2009 etc: Still born.
\nUnderstandable, in today\u2019s digital age if governance is all about \u2018feeling good\u2019 then politics is all about \u2018sounding good\u2019. Many MPs are highly skeptical. \u201cIn a country where principles and politics are two ends of a spectrum, one fails to comprehend how \u2018unparliamentary words\u2019 can stem the growing \u2018rot of moral decay in our polity.\u201d
\nTrue, at one level the row seems trivial as it has run for years without anyone bothered. But it also points to breakdown of democratic compact between Government and Opposition and trust loss. Increasingly bills are being passed sans discussion or debate with electoral hostilities spilling over the House floor.
\nAsserted a senior Parliament watcher, \u201cParliament is the highest law-making institution but such limited definition that is central to deliberative democracy would be an act of vishwasghat of its lofty purpose despite both Houses being filled with chamchas or \u2018chors\u2019 more interested in \u2018dramas\u2019 and \u2018abuse\u2019 than addressing \u2018corruption\u2019. While Opposition accuses Treasury Benches of \u2018jumlajeevis\u2019, they counter with disruptive \u2018anarchists\u2019! At this rate MPs will be left with no other option but to use sign language.
\nUndoubtedly, harsh words are part and parcel of politics. Even Westminster, mother of all Parliamentary discourses is not free from this. One notorious case is of leading Labour right Nye Bevan who often crossed swords with Winston Churchill describing Conservatives as gutter snipes and vermins. In Australian Senate phrases \u201cdumbo\u201d and \u201cliar\u201d among others, are unparliamentary.
\nIn our present all-pervasive decadence, interspersed with growing public distaste there comes a moment of truth and reckoning: Are we putting a premium on \u2018hypocrisy\u2019 of leaders which thanks to their Parliamentary privilege grants them unassailable protection to free speech? Is it not merely an excuse to create \u2018drama?\u2019
\nWhat is most worrying is our politicians are busy eroding credibility and sanctity of Parliament by perfecting the art of cultivating low morality and high greed according to their whims and fancies \u2014 and need of the hour which has been made a lot more malignant by our fragmented politics. Wherein slander, sensation smear and sully are the new political dialogues chanted by one and all Parties with each propounding its own recipe of harmony, according to their own warped and selfish political needs.
\nNone cares a damn for decency and decorum except for scoring brownie points against each other. Ends matter not means as winning is the name of the game. Clearly, any slur, slight and disrespect to Parliament would deal a body blow to the credibility and authority of the State. Democracy is not competition in Constitutional indecency and impropriety. \u2014 INFA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unparliamentary Or Gag? By Poonam I Kaushish What\u2019s in word? Everything when it comes to our polity. We were treated to one such last week. Our Right Honourables re-discovered one new parliamentary term: unparliamentary. As Parliament\u2019s monsoon session begins a row has erupted over a 50-page words compilation unfit for use in Parliament which would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-195782","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-features"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195782\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}