Pepper spray now, what next. Will our MPs ever get serious?

Pepper spray in Parliament, and possibly a knife. Does it surprise really? Many of our lawmakers have a penchant for hurling paper balls, footwear and expletives at targets across the benches in both the houses. This skill goes well with their ability at relentless shouting from the back benches and trooping into the well at the smallest perceived provocation. For a people so used to such antics and disruptive behaviour, we should not lose sleep over the L Rajagopal matter.

The only question that begs an explanation is what on earth L Rajagopal, the Congress MP from Vijaywada, was trying to achieve by using pepper spray on fellow parliamentarians. According to Wikipedia, pepper spray is a lachrymatory agent — a chemical compound that causes tears and temporary blindness in the target — used by police to control riots or unruly crowds. The non-lethal compound is also used in personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears. Why did he think such a chemical was appropriate for fellow parliamentarians? Well, he operates in close proximity to them; he should know.

The choice of weapon is a bit odd, but it could be explained away. As attention-grabbing tools, paper balls, footwears and other missiles are passe. Being loud among so many loud people was never a good idea. Some of his colleagues are already through the routine of breaking mikes and tearing papers. These have been used so often in our Parliament and assemblies that these no more generate any excitement among the larger target audience.

He had to go for something different, something more sensational. Pepper spray was a good option, considering its ability to move people to tears. He was sure not many around him were sympathetic enough to his demand for the revocation of the idea of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh - the Congress and the BJP have agreed to the division in principle. The sight of everyone coming out in tears over Telangana would have been good publicity for his cause. If his intention was to hog the limelight, Rajagopal has done well. He has been all over television after his pepper spray act. It might not help his cause, but it certainly will earn him political brownie points.

One TDP member is believed to have taken out a knife. One is not sure whether he meant to use it as a weapon of defence or attack or he carries a knife as a matter of habit. Since all parliamentarian are ‘honourable’, let’s accept it as an innocent action aimed at attracting attention. The problem, however, is a knife won’t be good enough the next time. Someone else will smuggle in firearms the next time. The bigger, the more menacing, the better.

On a serious note, where does all this end? Parliament has been reduced to a platform for theatrics and grand posturing by all parties. That poor behaviour in the House is being beamed live to people has hardly proved a deterrent for our representatives. They have simply stopped bothering about the dignity of the institution.

“What happened is disgraceful, unprecedented, unforgivable,” said senior parliamentarian Jaswant Singh reacting to the incident. “It is very shameful. It hurt me after seeing what happened. I never imagined that in the history of Parliament something like this would happen…” said BJP president Rajnath Singh. “It is terrorising parliamentary democracy…” said senior minister Veerappa Moily. Only yesterday, Prime Minister manmohan Singh had said “My heart bleeds to see what is happening in the House.”

All this is okay, but where is the collective action to restore the dignity of the House? The current Lok Sabha has been the least productive with disruptions and forced adjournments proving more the order than the exception. Worse, with the equation among parties so bitter and acrimonious, there is little hope of the next Lok Sabha performing any better - even the reaction to today’s incident was along partisan lines. Whose job is to find a solution?

It is time for the parliamentarians to get serious.