The word ‘parliament’ is derived from the root word ‘parler’ or ‘parley’, meaning to talk/speak. The etymology, however, is silent whether this includes ‘letting others speak’. A look at the daily proceedings of the budget session shows MPs not just love to speak and also frequently interrupt others. For instance, on March 7, a day when Lok Sabha sat till 9.25 pm, working for nearly 10 hours, the proceedings indicate 391 occasions of “interruptions”. On average, in the budget session, the records indicate an instance of interruption every 2.7 minutes of productive time. Interruptions and disruptions led to frequent adjournments. On as many as 14 out of 29 days, not a single question was answered orally. In all, 75 questions were orally answered, an average of 2.6 answers per day.

Of course, those who interrupt are at least present in the House. There are many others who do not attend even when their name is listed for questions or debate. In the Question Hour ministers answer questions raised by MPs. Every day 20 starred questions are listed to be answered orally, and a few supplementary questions are permitted. Given the time constraint, usually five to eight questions get asked, and the ministers give written replies to the rest. The order of questions is decided by lots, and MPs whose questions do not fall in the first ten of the day may expect not to get their turn. This is not necessarily true. Take, for instance, April 27, in the Lok Sabha. After the first four questions, nine of the next 12 were not answered, because the MPs concerned were absent.

... contd.