A democracy, like applause, cannot function with one hand alone. It is sustained by the essential interplay, the understanding, restraint, and constructive dialogue between the government and the opposition. When the House falls silent due to obstruction, it is not just business that halts; the very vitality of democracy diminishes.

A peculiar paradox defines our legislative culture today: our elected representatives are fond of delivering lofty orations on parliamentary dignity, even as the daily grind of politics makes a mockery of that very ideal. From the hallowed halls of Parliament to state assemblies, and down to local governing bodies, the fervent appeals for decorum grow louder in direct proportion to the shamelessness with which they are ignored in practice.

Read in Hindi: समझ, संयम और संवाद से ही चलती है लोकतांत्रिक व्यवस्था

Recall an era when these chambers were esteemed forums for a civil clash of ideologies. Debates could be fierce, yet they were couched in a language of respect. Disagreement was not synonymous with disrespect; arguments were substantive, and discourse was occasionally elevated by wit and poetry. Contrast this with the present reality, where these institutions are rapidly turning into theatrical arenas. The stage is now set for noise, orchestrated disruptions, slogan-shouting, and political theatre designed for the camera’s gaze. The institutions entrusted with nurturing democratic norms have ironically become the primary agents of their decay.

This decline is self-inflicted. When the "honourable" members of the House themselves weaponise intemperate language, physical altercations, and blatant institutional disrespect as tools of political strategy, any expectation of democratic decorum from the public becomes an exercise in profound hypocrisy.

The consequence is a palpable erosion of trust. In recent years, the social stature of democratic institutions has sharply declined, and with it, the public’s respect for its legislators. This is not a random trend but the direct outcome of a relentless coarsening of political conduct.

Public commentator Prof Paras Nath Choudhary offers a piercing analysis: "Electoral defeat has shed its role as a moment for introspection. It has been repurposed as a licence to paralyse the legislature. Today, the markers of a 'strong opposition' are the tactics of obstruction: stalling debate, sabotaging Question Hour, and transforming every session into an arena for vengeance." He adds, "Simultaneously, the ruling dispensation, emboldened by numerical majorities, often retreats from dialogue into a fortress of arrogance, refusing to genuinely engage. The casualty in this crossfire is the foundational spirit of democracy, the culture of reasoned debate, consensus-building, and respectful dissent."

A recent incident, the one-day suspension of a BJP MLC in the Karnataka Legislative Council for disruptive behaviour, is not an anomaly. It is merely the latest symptom of a debilitating sickness that has infected legislatures across the country. Unruly protests, coordinated walkouts, forced adjournments, and the expulsion of members are now woven into the routine fabric of proceedings. The core issue transcends which party holds power. The true crisis is that every political actor has become a calculating opportunist, expertly exploiting procedural chaos for momentary tactical gain.

This institutional dysfunction extracts a dual toll. The first cost is to democratic integrity. The second, strikingly quantifiable, is levied on the national treasury. Conservative estimates suggest it costs approximately ₹2.5 lakh per minute to run Parliament. Factoring in infrastructure, security, and salaries, a single lost six-hour working day represents a waste of nearly ₹9 crore of public money. Over successive sessions, the accumulated financial loss from such stalled hours runs into thousands of crores, a staggering drain on resources that should serve the public good.

The evidence is undeniable. Legislative forums are increasingly theatres for political performance, not pillars of governance. Pressing national issues, rigorous policy scrutiny, and executive accountability are routinely sidelined by orchestrated drama.

Mere rhetorical flourishes about dignity are now insultingly inadequate. The path to restoration demands concrete action: the impartial enforcement of rules, the establishment of a basic covenant for dialogue between the treasury and opposition benches, and a collective recognition that sabotaging the House is an act of democratic sabotage, not political valour.

India’s legislatures are more than mere law-making factories. They are the living symbols of deliberative democracy, designed for balance and wise governance. To surrender them to perpetual chaos is to betray the republic itself.

The applause for a healthy democracy will only resonate when both hands, the government and the opposition, decide to act in concert, with responsibility and respect.