PARLIAMENT

Proceedings of the Parliament (May - July, 1996)

I - Rajya Sabha (178th Session)

Obituary:

23 July :Aziza Imam, ex-MP (Bihar).

30 July : Aruna Asaf Ali

Papers Tabled:

12 July: Annual Report of National Book Trust, India for 1994-95.

15 July :A.R. of National S.C. and S.T. Finance and

Development Corporation for 1994-95.

18 July :A.R. of UPSC for 1994-95.

19 July :A.R. of National Institute of Educational Planning and Advancement for 1994-95.

24 July A.R. of National Foundation for Communal Harmony for 1994-95.

: A.R. of H.H.E.C. for 1994-95.

26 July :A.R. of ICSSR for 1994-95.

A.R. of IIAS, Simla for 1994-95.

A.R. of IGNOU for 1994-95.

A.R. of BHU for 1993-94.

Special Mention:

17 July :On Exchange of Fire in Siachin by S.S. Ahluwalia.

23 July : On Collection of Waived Loans from Bunkars in UP by H.R. Nomani.

24 July On Cremation of 1000 unclaimed bodies by

Punjab Police by B.S. Mann.

25 July :On Condition of Weavers in Bihar by J. 30July Ansari.

Government Statement:

15 July : By Minister of Home Affairs Indrajit Gupta on Massacre in Bara Kharaon, Bihar.

23 July :By Prime Minister Deve Gowda on Economic Development Projects in J&K.

Statutory Resolutions:

15- : Resolution extending President's Rule in

16 July :J&K upto 17 June 1997 approved. Md. Salim, Sibtey Razi, A. Samadani participate.

Government Bills:

31 July :The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill 1996, as passed by Lok Sabha, passed.

Private Bills - Introduced:

 12 July : The Foreigner's (Amendment) Bill 1996 by R. Margabandu.

26 July : The Prohibition Bill by S. Pachauri.

II-Lok Sabha

(22-28 May, 11-12 June, 9-31 July, 1996)

Obituary:

30 July : Aruna Asaf Ali.

Panel of Chairman:

22 May :P.M. Sayeed nominated, first protem and then permanent.

Oath:

22-23 May: 10 Members in Urdu.

President's Address:

24 May : President's Address to Joint Sessions of Parliament.

Government Formation:

27. : Confidence Motion on Vajpayee Govt.

28 May Banatwalla and S.S. Owaisi participate. Vajpayee volunteers resignation.

11 June  : Speaker introduces P.M. Deve Gowda, Confidence Motion on Deve Gowda Government passed. A.R. Antulay, G.M. Banatwalla, S.S. Owaisi participate.

Statutory Resolution:

9 July : Extending President's Rule in J&K upto 17 June 1997 approved. G.M. Banatwalla and E. Ahamed participate.

Government Statement:

15 July  :By MHA on Bhojpur Massacre in Bihar.

Government Bill:

 26- 30july : The Representation of the People (Second Amendment) Bill, 1996. Passed. G.M. Banatwalla participates.

Matters under Rule 377:

27 May: On aerodrome for Ajmer by R.S. Rawat. On Implementation of 15-Point Programme for Minorities by P.R. Das Munsi.

18 July On grant of adequate funds for minorities welfare by S.S. Owaisi.

25 July: On telecast of Krishna Janmamahotsav from Dwarika by C. Patel.

Special Submission:

27 May :On Ethnic violence in Assam by several members.

Private Member's Bills:

19 July : National Population Policy Bill, 1996 introduced by A.P. Singh.

: Compulsory Education Bill, 1996 by T.S. Reddy.

: Population Control Bill, 1996 by T.S. Reddy.

11th Lok Sabha: Parties and Leaders

            Total   543      (Excluding Speaker)

Representation of O.B. Cs in Lok Sabha, 1996

If the days of the national parties are over, as the composition of the present House shows, so is the hold of the upper castes. The Backwards are not only represented in sheer numerical strength but they also form an articulate lobby...

An analysis of the results clearly shows that the public now votes as members of castes and sub-castes even in a parliamentary election. A senior Congress politician, involved in an exercise to pinpoint the reasons for the decline of the over 100-year-old Congress as a national party, offers the following explanation: one, the lack of a charismatic leader to win an election like Indira Gandhi did on the slogan of 'Garibi hatao'; two, the "Mandalisation and mandirisation' of the polity, which has broken the society into groups and sub-groups. According to him, "Rao was unable to translate economic liberalization and national security as attractive alternatives".

The gradual rise of the backward castes (excluding SC/ST) in Parliament from 13 per cent in 1971 to 23.3 per cent in 1984-is continuing and interestingly, this class of parliamentarians is not restricted only to the social-reform parties like the Janata Dal, the SP and the BSP. Significantly, the rise of the Backwards is not restricted to the Hindi belt or in predictable states like Bihar and Uttar Predesh, where politicians champion themselves as messiahs of the backward castes.

Prime minster Deve Gowda has considered this while constituting his cabinet.

According to V.B. Singh, professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, "A new class of elites has emerged from among the Backwards. They have made a forceful entry into Parliament, and while this is a positive change, the upper castes will have to do the adjusting". Says a former Speaker: "The House, because of its unique social composition, will be more difficult to manage as there will be pulls and pressures between the Backwards and the upper castes." Former prime minister V.P. Singh sums up the likely impact of this development with words of caution: "Now that the Backwards are making their presence felt, it is their duty to ensure that they do not create new victims in the process of erasing the victimizations of the past".

(Source: The India Today, 15 July, 1996)