Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday expressed pain over the loss of valuable business hours in Parliament and urged the media to build pressure on public representatives and demand accountability in democracy.
"Media can strike a chord with the people and generate pressure on public representatives, where we need to honour the sanctity of these temples of democracy," he said, addressing women media persons.
Expressing pain over a lack of quality debates, he said, "Have you noticed any great debate in Parliament in the last few decades? Have you noticed any great contributions made on the floor of the House?"
"We are in the news for the wrong reason. We have learned to live with order, which is only a disorder. However, accountability has to be enforced by the media because the media is the only conveyance to reach the people at large," he said.
Claiming that he has high expectations from the media, he said, "Media can strike a chord with the people and generate pressure on public representatives, where we need to honour the sanctity of these temples of democracy."
Highlighting the role of media in democracy, he said, "You are the last hope because, for the success of democracy, two things are inalienable. First is the right to expression. If expression is qualified, compromised or subject to coercion, then it is antithetical to democratic evolution. The second is dialogue. This means that before you use your vocal cords, you must allow your ears to entertain the other point of view. If these two things do not happen, then democracy can neither be nurtured nor blossomed."
Talking about women reservation, he said, "An epochal development took place in 2023 after three decades of setbacks. A game-changer Constitutional Amendment was passed, which ensures one-third reservation for women in State Legislatures and in the Lok Sabha. It is bound to be a ground reality. It is really an Amrit Kaal for women in Indian democracy."
"You will be part of policy-making, decision-making and governance, by virtue of your strength in parliamentary institutions! My heart aches when I notice people immediately remarking, 'Why don't you implement it today itself?' Nothing can militate more severely against public interest than knowledgeable people monetising ignorance of the larger populace to propagate their political philosophy," he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
