The incident in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was as unprecedented as it was painful. This was the first time since the enforcement of the Constitution in 1950 that the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha not only withdrew from the House in anger but also made an observation which could be interpreted to imply a threat of resignation.
Mr Hidayatullah was obviously greatly provoked by the Congress (I) deputy leader, Mr NKP Salve’s remark that the House “is not an orphanage of which he (Chairman) is the superintendent or a school of which he is the headmaster”. This was a strong remark which Mr. Salve did well to withdraw on Thursday, apparently to assuage Mr Hidayatullah’s feelings. But why was it made at all? Only the previous day another Congress (1) member, Mr MC Bhandare, had an unpleasant brush with Mr Hidayatullah. It is possible to infer that like some opposition MPs, some Congress (I) members also tend to be unruly and resent the Chairman’s efforts to make them conform to norms. This has in fact been the case on several occasions on both sides of the House. But that cannot be said to settle the present issue. Mr Hidayatullah should have paused and pondered whether he had given the Congress (I) MP cause for complaint. It is self-evident that some remark or remarks by the Chairman were less than fair or proper. But if he owed it to the House to uphold the dignity of the office of the Chairman Mr. Hidayatullah, too, should not have allowed himself to be so provoked. On the face of it, he appears to have over-reacted.
The prestige of parliament has suffered greatly in recent years. It needs to be restored if so central an institution in our democratic set up is not to be discredited in the eyes of the people. This calls for responsiveness on the part of the government to the views of MPs, restraint and understanding on the part of members and apt handling by the two presiding officers. These two offices require not only fair-mindedness and firmness but also a certain style of functioning. The speaker in the House of Commons is seldom heard. Indeed, agood Speaker by definition seldom speaks. He has to give rulings but he is expected to do so quietly and in the fewest possible words. The Speaker is an umpire; he is not a performer.
The same holds true about the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, though he happens to combine in himself the office of Vice-President. In Mr Hidayatullah the Upper House has a Chairman who is as distinguished as any of his predecessors, including Dr Radhakrishnan and Dr. Zakir Husain, both of whom subsequently rose to the highest office in the land. He has been an eminent Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The requirements of his present office are different from that of the previous one. While a judge has to intervene in a counsel’s arguments in order to elucidate facts and points of law, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is required to conduct the business of the House without favour or fear in accordance with well-established rules and conventions. The difference is important and perhaps explains Wednesday’s incidents. But it should be possible for so experienced a person as Mr Hidayatullah to recognize the requirements of his new office and live up to them. Vice-presidency should give enough scope for his other talents.