Parliament’s upper house, the Rajya Sabha, has a dignity of its own. While the stalwarts in Indian politics are mostly seen in the lower house, the Lok Sabha, where they reach up through direct elections by the people, Rajya Sabha is where most members are elected by legislators of state assemblies. It earns its aura majorly through the presence of a set of 12 nominated members drawn from fields of eminence like entertainers, writers, scientists, entrepreneurs, legal luminaries, sports persons etc. There were occasions when the establishment brought in politicians too to the nominated posts in Rajya Sabha, much against the basic concept of nominations. This time, when four nominated posts fell vacant, the government went in for selection of four eminent persons, all from the southern states.
This all-South decision might have been arrived at partly due to the lack of a substantial number of MPs for the ruling BJP-NDA from those states, where regional parties mostly rule the roost. One way for a ruling establishment to handle such a scenario is to altogether leave things at that and adopt a couldn’t-care-less attitude. But, the BJP being the principal national party cannot afford to ignore any region, be it the south or the east or the north-east, each of which has special styles and characteristics. Even in nominations, a fair share of representation should go to each region. That’s how the system of democracy makes itself relevant and a government reinforces its moral authority on the people across the social spectrum.
As for nominated members in Rajya Sabha, they are seen mostly as the jewels of the upper house. This, even as these worthies do not show an inclination for regular presence or attendance. They are busy in their respective fields, politics interests them too little perhaps, and some of them attend the sessions only to the extent that would require of them for retention of their membership. This however is not what the framers of the Constitution visualized. The nominated members’ wisdom should show up in the upper house, at least when legislations of a related nature are made. There, of course, were some nominated members who went on to become Union Ministers and held even the PM post. They have acquitted themselves well. It will be in the fitness of things if more individuals of eminence are brought into the Rajya Sabha. This will give an added weight to India’s democratic process also as the standard of discussions in the lower house of Parliament is steadily going down as is widely pointed out.
