Duty should be the only mantra: Modi exhorts legislative bodies

The PM said that for the next 25 years the supremacy of ‘duty’ should be reflected in every action of Parliament and state legislatures

Narendra Modi: File picture

J.P. Yadav   |   TT  |  New Delhi   |  18.11.21  :  Economic downturn, a killer Covid wave, massacre of farmers, attacks on minorities, Chinese incursions, job loss, unprecedented price rise, and targeting of those critical of the government: the jury is out on how the Prime Minister has discharged his duties in addressing the multiple problems blighting the nation, most of which he has met in public with silence.

On Wednesday, however, Narendra Modi stressed on the supremacy of duty towards the nation over everything else. “Kartavya, kartavya, kartavya hi kartavya,” the Prime Minister told elected representatives, extolling the virtues of duty and laying out the path for the next 25 years to speed up the country’s development.

Modi has christened the next 25 years leading up to the centenary year of Independence as “amrit kaal”, presumably a golden period, and has been repeatedly drawing attention to it to sharpen his nationalist agenda. Such an agenda has in the past few years often crossed over into the realms of vigilantism and targeting of those critical of the establishment.

In his inaugural address to the 82nd Presiding Officers’ Conference, attended by the Speakers of the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies, the Prime Minister said the goals set for the next 25 years could be achieved if the mantra of “kartavya” or duty was followed by one and all.

“Can’t we with full strength, devotion and responsibility realise one mantra?” Modi asked, addressing the conference in Shimla virtually from Delhi. “In my view that mantra is kartavya,” he said, chanting: “Kartavya, kartavya, kartavya hi kartavya.”

The Prime Minister said that for the next 25 years the supremacy of “duty” should be reflected in every action of Parliament and state legislatures and that in turn would send out a message to the people across the country.

“In discussions and debates in the House, the focus should be on duty. Duty should be reflected in decisions made by the House. Duty should figure in every debate,” Modi said. “For the next 25 years, in the working style of the Houses, the supremacy of duty should be evident,” he added.

Modi’s government has often been accused of using its brute majority to pass legislation by steamrolling all objections, the most notable being the farm bills that were passed without proper discussions and have sparked a yearlong protest by farmers. There is also a perception that the Modi government does not set much store by discussions in decision-making, with power being centred around two figures.

Modi gave the slogan of “one nation, one legislative platform”, calling for Parliament and the Assemblies to share resources on one digital platform. He spoke about his government’s schemes such as “one nation, one ration card”.

The Prime Minister said a portal should be created to bring Parliament and the state legislatures on one platform and all records should be digitised to connect the democratic institutions.

He also laid stress on enforcing order and discipline in the House. “Can we fix some time or day for a healthy and quality debate? It can be called a ‘healthy day’ and two hours, half a day or a full day can be allotted to debates in which no political barbs are allowed,” Modi said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in his speech stressed on discipline and decorum in the House and said decisive steps would be taken to achieve it in consultation with the parties.