Young members make a mark in Lok Sabha

Young members have taken centre-stage in the 17th Lok Sabha with their forceful participation in debates and raising people's issues under the benevolent gaze of Speaker Om Birla.

Be it Hibi Eden of the Congress, Tejasvi Surya of the BJP, Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool or Ritesh Pandey of the BSP, first-term members made their presence felt in the Lok Sabha by articulating the views of their respective parties and making meaningful interventions in the legislative business.

Moitra hit the international headlines by her spirited speech on “voice of dissent” that highlighted seven signs of fascism.

The 43-year-old investment banker-turned-Parliamentarian was the toast of the national as well as international media after her maiden speech that quoted Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar and Urdu poet Rahat Indori with equal ease.

Young BJP members Hina Gavit and Poonam Mahajan made some forceful interventions in the discussions on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address and resolution on the extension of President’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Prajwal Revanna, the first term JD(S) member from Hassan, raised issues related to Karnataka in the Lok Sabha. However, he felt that being the only member of his party in the Lok Sabha could be a disadvantage as he may not get enough time to air his views in the House.

Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, a second term Lok Sabha member from Mumbai’s suburb Kalyan, got three opportunities to raise issues in the Lok Sabha last week. The 32-year-old orthopaedic surgeon-turned-parliamentarian chose to raise the travails of suburban commuters in Parliament.

36-year-old Sujay Vikhe Patil of the BJP, a first-timer from Ahmednagar raised issues of onion growers of his constituency in the Lok Sabha.

Congress members Hibi Eden and T N Prathapan along with Gaurav Gogoi stormed the well of the House demanding adequate time for them to raise issues in the Lok Sabha. Eden and Prathapan – known for their lung-power – were at the forefront raising slogans against Home Minister Amit Shah’s reference to late prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the Kashmir issue.

BSP’s Ritiesh Pandey had given the notice to move a statutory resolution in the Lok Sabha opposing the SEZ (Amendment) Bill that sought to replace an Ordinance promulgated during the inter-session period.

Speaker Om Birla also indulged first-term members by increasing the duration of Zero Hour to allow them to raise issues. Birla even skipped lunch for two consecutive days and sat through the proceedings himself.