Democracy at Work

Last evening, 27th Dec, while surfing the channels i chanced upon Lok Sabha TV. Time 9.45 pm.
The honourable House was in the process of passing the Lokpal Bill. Mr Pranab Mukherjee was at his parliamentary best. Interspersed with rhetoric, he chided the opposition for disrupting the functioning of the Parliament and took delight in rebuking Mr Yashwant Sinha on his "PM's farewell speech" remark.
Dr Manmohan Singh looked positively out of place and wishing that he were not there. His body language was closed as if he had been asked by the 'High Command' to sit tight and stay quiet.
Anoushka, my thirteen year old, had been pestering me to change the channel but got a lecture on the landmark occasion she was witnessing!
Soon the voting started on the various clauses and amendments.
It was quite a charade. The Honourable Speaker trying to maintain order in the House. The members seemed to be enjoying every bit of it, shouting 'AYE' or 'NO' as the proposals were brought up by the Speaker. Mrs Meira Kumar reminded me of a Cheshire cat, sans its whiskers, well coiffeured, smiling yet trying to look stern and passing/rejecting the proposals based on the noise made by the 'ayes' and the 'noes'.
She went on and on "...I think the 'ayes' have it, the 'ayes' have it. ....", or "... I think the 'noes' have it, the 'noes' have it...."
Anoushka was enjoying herself mimicking her. I looked at the clock. It was nearly eleven pm. I told Anoushka to go off to sleep.
"Papa, this is better that any serial on TV. It is so much more entertaining. Please let me watch for some more time."
Not willing to see the mockery of parliamentary proceedings and the proceedings being mocked at by genx, i switched off the TV.