It is unfortunate that a state with virtually no voices both in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha because of the politics of numbers in this country, should further compromise its position by nominating to the Rajya Sabha a person purely on political considerations. Dr WS Kharlukhi is the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) president in Meghalaya. To be fair, Meghalaya has no dearth of leaders with the political acumen to raise crucial issues in the Rajya Sabha which is the Upper House of Parliament that decides on whether or not a particular Bill can become an Act. It is just that such people are not privileged to belong to a political party. Perhaps it is fond idealism to expect political leaders to rise above partisan politics and send to the Rajya Sabha a person who can draw attention to the problems not just of Meghalaya but of the region as a whole. When the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA) was put to vote in the Rajya Sabha last year we did not hear too many voices from the region opposing the Bill on the floor of the House and bringing out its pernicious intent. True, the Rajya Sabha MP from the Congress then did not vote for the Bill but we never got to hear her arguments on why she thinks CAA is a disruptive piece of legislation. Articulation is important and sending a Rajya Sabha member without the political capital to represent a state of over three million people is simply a waste of a rare political opportunity.
In the past the Rajya Sabha, has seen many stalwarts from various walks of life. They were people who have excelled in their respective fields. Going through the political history of India we will find that the Rajya Sabha has been playing a pivotal role in India’s parliamentary democracy. Article 249 allows Parliament to legislate on matters enumerated in the State List if the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution by two-thirds majority. This happened in 1952 and 1986. Under Article 312, Parliament is allowed to create an All India Services common to the Union and the States, if the Rajya Sabha passes a requisite resolution. The Rajya Sabha passed resolutions in 1961 and 1965, to create Indian Engineering Service, Indian Forest Service, Indian Medical and Health Service, Indian Agricultural Service and the Indian Educational Service.
Considering the importance of the Upper House, logic should dictate that the best person/s be sent to represent the state in the hallowed portals of India’s democracy. But no, political loyalty weighs over all other considerations. Over the years the quality of Rajya Sabha MPs has left much to be desired, again because politics trumps every other yardstick.
