History repeats itself, and one has to learn lessons from it. Unfortunately, India has never learnt from the past. Hence, the failure to learn from history has become quite a serious issue in the South Asian nation. Four people released coloured smoke inside the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Indian Parliament) on December 13, 2023, while two others popped open a colour aerosol canister on a road outside the Parliament Building. Incidentally, the security breach happened on the 22nd anniversary of the terror attack in the Indian Parliament.

It may be noted that some unidentified gunmen had attacked the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001, killing more than a dozen people. Later, India blamed Pakistan-based terror outfits for carrying out that attack. This time, the live broadcast of the Parliament proceedings showed a man jumping over tables and running toward the Speaker’s chair as panicked lawmakers tried to subdue him. Meanwhile, another man standing in the visitor’s gallery was seen spraying yellow smoke inside the building on December 13, 2023. Such a security lapse, especially in the Parliament, is inexcusable. The incident proves that the Parliament House lacks adequate security measures.

As per local media reports, the six miscreants entered the Parliament Complex with some equipment without being detected. The Government of India should be ashamed of this security lapse, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly said: “Every Indian is full of pride seeing the new Parliament House.” He made the comment while addressing dignitaries inside the new Parliament building soon after inaugurating it on May 28, 2023. A section of political analysts believes that the accountability and responsibility of the security lapse demanded by the parties in Opposition from Home Minister Amit Shah is appropriate. One can hope that the Government would not only take necessary legal actions against the masterminds of this incident, but would also strengthen security in an attempt to avoid such a situation in the near future.

Some are of the opinion that the concerned authorities may take the issue lightly since there has been no major damage or casualty. However, it is not possible for the Government to prevent danger in this way. The outcome of the latest incident could have been much worse. The gases and smokes that were released could have been toxic. In that case, some lives could have been lost. Indian Democracy has given many opportunities to those who want to stage anti-Government protests. A lot of messages can be sent to the Government by writing outside the Parliament Building and even verbally inside the House. Protests should also have a limit, and the December 13 (2023) incident has crossed that limit. Those who commit crimes in an important place, like the Parliament, should be severely punished.

Of course, one can wonder whether such a crime should be considered treason. The problem is that the current Government of India considers anti-Government protests as treason, harasses journalists for criticising the Government and uses Sedition Laws against the agitators to silence them. Most importantly, such a Government can use this sort of criminal act to divert public attention from the real problems and also from its own failures (as far as good governance is concerned).

According to analysts, the severity of the punishment can help the concerned authorities showcase how terrible the incident was. On the other hand, it will also be possible for the authorities to remain silent on their failure. As some of the Members of Parliament (MPs) raised the issue inside the House, the Government (with the help of the Speaker) expelled them from the Parliament temporarily. It seems that the Indian Parliament has gradually become a wonderful theatre of misrule and bad governance!

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das