Dear lawmakers,
WE voted you to
power and WE gave you the opportunity to be a part of our Parliament- the
temple of democracy, because we trusted you and believed that you would deliver
on the promises you made to us. We, the gullible public are today watching you
holding the country’s economic and social progress to ransom by your mulish
conduct, whichever side of the fence you are on.
You swear by the
Constitution and sing hosannas to democracy at the drop of a hat, but the
fracas and filibuster we see in the Parliament day after day tell us a different story. What
is the message you are sending out to the world that is watching us when we are
on the cusp of an economic surge?
Spar, if you have
to, but please do so over issues that relate to the citizens of the country and
not over trivial personal and political rivalries. WE empowered you to fight
for a better quality of life for us and not to treat us to this unedifying
spectacle on a daily basis, wasting the country’s time and money.
Session after
parliament session has been frittered away waging wars over who is more corrupt
than the other or fighting ego battles over matters that have nothing to do
with the common man’s problems.
The privileges
you enjoy as parliamentarians are phenomenal, and as average citizens of the
country we neither get to live in the palatial bungalows of Lutyens’ Delhi nor
do we have access to free business class tickets (including an attendant), free Railway tickets for life, free phone calls, free electricity, pension (even if the House is dissolved in 13 days like the Vajpayee government), unlimited quantity of petrol/diesel in the name of security, or other subsidies like you do.
You owe all of the above to us because WE facilitated your entry into the hallowed precincts of Parliament. We have always wondered if other countries are as charitable towards their Parliamentarians!
You owe all of the above to us because WE facilitated your entry into the hallowed precincts of Parliament. We have always wondered if other countries are as charitable towards their Parliamentarians!
We work hard to pay for each of the above
necessities for ourselves. If we abscond from work or walkout from office after a skirmish
with the boss, we don’t get paid for the lost day, like you or Sachin Tendulkar
or Rekha do. We would either get fired or lose our salaries or both!
We are a tolerant citizenry and have
survived corruption and chicanery for over six decades. Our destiny is in your
hands for now, but in another 4 years, we will determine your future. Please spare a thought for the poor, downtrodden and underprivileged who
stand to lose heavily from your intransigence.
Please understand
the language of conciliation and rapprochement in the larger interest of the
nation’s welfare.
Distraught citizens.
Latha Raghuram