The political spirit of the Legislative Council has not been kept by eroding the basic principals over the years
Shivang Satya Gupta
Jammu, April 10: The recent elections and the eight nominations to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council also known as Vidhan Parishad has initiated a fresh debate on the fast erosion of the sanctity of the Council and its political spirit by negating the basic principals laid down for nomination of members to the council by the Governor of J&K.
Even though there have been voices calling for the abolition of the council by former members or political people but their opinions differ and most of them feel the upper House as irritant.
But the fact is that the Upper House has a purpose to keep a check on the Lower House but the voices for its abolition are doing rounds because its sanctity over the years has been grossly eroded by making it a political rehabilitation centre by the successive governments instead of electing people of prominence to the council.
The recent cry for its abolition or cleansing is again due to certain such facts which send a wrong signal among the masses with one of the Legislators of the Assembly calling for its complete abolition terming it as “Rehabilitation Center for Political Renegades”.
However instead of abolishing it the need of the hour is to cleanse it and restore the political spirit and sanctity to the Council by following the basic principles for elections and nomination of the members to this august House.
According to facts available the first legislature of the erstwhile kingdom that is now the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir was established by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1934, but in 1957 a new constitution was adopted by the constituent assembly and a bicameral legislature system was founded after India adopted its own constitution.
The main clause for the constitution of the full council reads that eight members shall be nominated by the Governor, not more than three of whom shall be persons belonging to any of the socially or economically backward classes in the State, and the others shall be persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of matters such as literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social service.
It further adds that It is not subject to dissolution, It is a permanent House, It is highly specialized and professional, It can send bills back for reconsiderations, with or without recommendations and it can delay bills for a maximum of six months (two considerations), by which time the Vidhan Sabha may withdraw the bill.
Considering the above facts the current scenario is vertically opposite and it is actually being used to rehabilitate the political failures, close friends and relatives of the ruling class and opponents with just a few persons belonging to special classes mentioned in the constitution.
The current government has gone one step further by accommodating two real brothers belonging to royal family but of opposite parties thus becoming a platform to appease the political heavyweights instead of following the basic principles to uphold the sanctity of the council.
It is time we start cleansing of the House and next time members are elected as per the principals laid down by the constitution.