Oppn raises 'intolerance' issue in LS

Opposition parties today raised in Lok Sabha the issue of 'intolerance', saying the untoward incidents witnessed in the recent past should be condemned as they send out "negative messages" and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the matter.

Participating in a debate on the 'Commitment to the Constitution', Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said every incident of intolerance should be condemned and that it should be looked at as to why dignified artistes, including Aamir Khan, are feeling uneasy in their own country.

Few incidents of intolerance are sending "negative messages" and the Prime Minister should rise to the occasion in addressing the issue, he said.

"We should look at why artistes like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, A R Rahman... are feeling uneasy in our own country? Why are they saying so," he said during the debate being held as part of 125th birth anniversary celebrations of B R Ambedkar.

Wondering why these people are facing such a situation, Bandopadhyay said the issue should be taken up on priority.

His remarks come against the backdrop of various artistes -- including cine star Aamir Khan -- finding themselves in the eye of a storm over their remarks on intolerance.

"Why sometimes we find incidents of intolerance happening?.... Intolerance from every corner should be condemned," the TMC member said.

The Prime Minister has spoken against such incidents but he did not do it in the country but abroad, he said, adding when the Prime Minister rises to the occasion, it would give a positive signal to the country. Modi was in the House.

Underlining that India is a tolerant country, Bandyopadhyay said when incidents of intolerance happen, then the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the government.

"We (the House) should firmly, in a united voice, protest against such incidents... We should not hesitate to raise our voice," the TMC leader said.

BJD's Tathagata Satpathy said incidents of intolerance should not be tolerated.
"Let's be totally intolerant towards intolerance (incidents)," he said, adding that just by speaking about the issues would not help address the problems.

"The onus lies on us (the House) to prove that we mean what we speak," he noted.  
Emphasising that "unity in diversity" is the ethos of the country, Bandyopadhyay said, "we have to re-affirm our firm commitment to the whole Constitution".

Every citizen and religion has the right to perform its customs and implement it in its own style, he added.

Taking a swipe at the Centre, the TMC leader said there is an attempt to discard the federal structure and the principles in this regard are violated. "How can the Centre be strengthened if states are weak?" he wondered.

Referring to the Home Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks about secularism, Bandyopadhyay said that nobody should oppose secularism and "he (Singh) should not criticise the existing Constitution".

Talking about Articles in the Constitution on minority protection and prohibition of untouchability, Bandyopadhyay said eradicating "discriminatory attitude" would be a befitting thing for Ambedkar.

Bandyopadhyay said there is scope for amendments and about 100 amendments to Constitution have been made so far.

Satpathy said that going by the way the Centre is functioning, the federal structure is not given attention.

Taking a dig at the government's decision to impose cess for Swachh Bharat, the BJD member said no tax was slapped on people for cleanliness drive in his home state Odisha.

Satpathy also wondered how the word secularism, when translated into Hindi, becomes a "perverted" word while referring to Home Minister's remarks earlier.

"Just because we don't speak Hindi does not mean we are not Indians," the BJD leader noted.

Earlier in the House, Rajnath Singh objected to the use of Hindi word 'Dharma Nirpekshta', saying the literal translation of the secularism should be 'Panth Nirpekshta' and it should be regularly used as it is the official Hindi translation of secularism.

"Secularism is the most misused word in the country. Its misuse should come to an end. Because of the rampant misuse of the word, there have been instances of tension in the society," Singh said.

About freedom of expression, Satpathy said there have been instances of Internet being blocked during protests in Gujarat and misuse of a provision in the Information Technology Act in Maharashtra.

"I think its time we trust our people," he said. 

With several members wishing to participate in the debate, Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai said the Chair would not restrict the time for members to speak, but urged them to be brief so that other members can participate."

Anand Rao Adsul (Shiv Sena) said the name of Ambedkar and Indian constitution are intertwined with each other.

Launching an attack on the Congress, he said this party had ruled the country for 55 years of the 65 years of the Constitution, but "still the country did not grow enough." He also criticised the Congress for not feeling the need to observe Constitution Day in the past 65 years.

He also attacked Congress President Sonia Gandhi, saying she had claimed that Congress had made Ambedkar the Chairman of the drafting committee of the Constitution, but it was the same Congress party which fielded candidates against him in two subsequent elections.

"People who made him Chairman of the drafting committee themselves put up candidates to oppose Ambedkar in two elections which he contested from Mumbai.

And the result was Babasaheb Ambedkar lost both the times," Adsul added.
K Rammohan Naidu (TDP) said the Constitution acted as a unifying factor amidst the diversity of India.

"No matter how good a Constitution we have, it depends on how good the Government is, which will interpret and implement the Constitution. It will depend on the Centre on how much importance it gives to federalism," he said.

He said Congress adopted a "big brother" and not an "elder brother" attitude while dividing Andhra Pradesh.

Observing that Ambedkar had kept in mind the interests of the weaker sections while framing Constitution, Naidu demanded extending the reservation available in government jobs to the private sector.

Jitendra Chowdhury (CPI-M) too demanded reservation for minorities. He said while OBCs and minorities comprised 85 per cent of population, the prevalent reservation ratio does not match the population ratio.

Demanding for reservation for women in legislature in order to empower them, Chowdhury said that allocation for SC and STs in the budget be increased, saying "unless reservation for SC, ST is done, the community will not get job opportunity in our country."

Participating in discussion, Ram Vilas Paswan (LJP) said that like August 15 and January 26 are celebrated as Independence Day and Republic Day, November 26 too should be celebrated as Constitution Day.

As soon as the House met after lunch, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu requested all members to maintain decorum while participating in the discussion on the committment to the Constitution.

"All sides should maintain decorum so that a proper message goes to the people... It is my plea (to the members)," Naidu said while referring to the protests and heated exchanges witnessed in the House when Home Minister Rajnath Singh initiated the discussion.

BJD's Tathagata Satpathy cited a concept of the founders of Dravida Kazhagam movement in South India and remarked that they had said if the largest number of people are speaking one language then it should be the national language.

"Then the crow, having the largest population among birds, should become your national bird," the BJD member noted citing that concept.

"As a government why would you have pictures of certain Gods in government offices and not pictures of other Gods," Satpathy wondered.

During the discussion, BJP member S S Ahluwalia said that Sudip Bandyopadhyay's statement that in the Constituent Assembly Ambedkar represented Bengal was incorrect.

In response, TMC member and historian Sugata Bose clarified that Ambedkar indeed represented Bengal at that time. "Ambedkar represented Jessore and Khulna constituencies from undivided Bengal. When Partition happened, these areas went to Pakistan Constituent Assembly," he said.

As it was important that Ambedkar was re-elected to the Constituent Assembly, he was elected from what was then Bombay Province, Bose noted.