Of the four pillars of Democracy (a) Legislature, (b) Executive (c) Judiciary and (d) Media, the Parliament, the bicameral Legislature comprising two Houses, vested with the responsibility for making laws, ostensibly to sub-serve the onerous task of good governance of the country, has landed itself in the eye of a storm, given the daily scene of protests disrupting orderly proceedings. Its counterparts, namely the Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils of States are following in the footsteps of their big brother as it were.

Their members, with a five-year tenure, are elected in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, 1951 spelling out the ground rules for conduct of elections as well as the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of the Houses, corrupt practices and other offences during or in connection with such elections. The Act was enacted by the provisional Parliament under Article 327 of Indian Constitution ahead of the country’s first general election during 1951-52. The nation’s Parliament has an approved strength of 545 in Lok Sabha including the two nominees from the Anglo Indian community and 245 in Rajya Sabha including 12 nominees from expertise of different fields. The mounting cost of both conducting elections and sessions of the Parliament not being taken note of by the people, the issue of pension for the elected members has been raised in some quarters of the public.

The nation’s Parliament, according to the Constitution, conducts three sessions each year. The President is empowered to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more than a six-month gap between two sessions. Thus, the members have no reason to feel that they are under pressure of work, while enjoying enviable perks and freebies, granting them by themselves.

The manner of the incumbent members of the country’s Parliament seeking votes, marked by the mutual exchanges of the dark sides to the profiles of the contestants, barring exceptions, doesn’t bring credit to the country’s law-makers. The nation’s electorate at large, being impressed upon through wide publicity that exercising one’s franchise was a sacred duty, seem to have placed unalloyed trust in the elected members of the supreme law-making body. On their part, the honourable members are required to adhere to the principle of service to the land’s people without pursuing any of their self-interest while holding public office. To what extent the members have not done in word, thought and deed any act to betray that trust is a big question.

As if the icing on the cake, the elected members of the various Legislative Bodies have granted themselves pension for life after they cease to be members of the House, thus totally defeating the purpose of selfless service to the nation. This largesse is not justified as the members are not barred from seeking election to the Legislative Bodies without any bar on the number of times they can get elected.