NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Tuesday expressed his anguish over the House’s failure to discuss issues pertaining to the tribal community on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples which is celebrated every year on August 9.
Like all other days since Parliament first met on July 19 for the Monsoon Session, business in the Lok Sabha was disrupted on Monday as well.
Some opposition members shouted slogans, waved placards and entered into the Well soon after the House met and started taking up question Hour.
The opposition MPs were protesting the refusal of the presiding officer to allow discussion on the Pegasus spyware issue, scrapping of the three farm laws and inflation.
A day later, when the House met, Birla broached the issue of missing the International Tribal Day.
He said, “I request you to return to your respective seats as Question Hour is an important time. I want to communicate and discuss with you. Yesterday was Tribal Day.
Since time immemorial, the tribal communities have immensely contributed to social and economic development and also in the freedom struggle.”
The speaker further said, “I wished to have a discussion on this in the House. You all should have discussed this. However, it is not fair that you all do not want the House to function.”
Birla said the House is for the exploited, discarded and deprived sections of the society.
He again requested the protesting members to go back to their seats “if democracy and the country have to be strengthened and if you want to become the voice of the people”.
The speaker said he wanted discussions to take place on all issues. “But this is not the proper manner to behave. The people have not sent you to shout slogans and wave placards in the House.”
Even last week, the speaker had reminded the protesting MPs of their duty towards the people who had elected them and the decorum and dignity which they should maintain in the House. He had even admonished and warned them but to no avail.
