Believe in power of words, not lungs: Speaker to MPs

Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today advised politicians to "believe in the power of words and not in the power of lungs", apparently keeping in mind the repeated disruptions caused during the Budget session.
Speaking at a function here, she said Parliament is the fountain-head of all power and should witness in-depth discussions on divergent issues.
"We should believe in the power of words and not in the power of lungs. We must have in depth discussions on divergent issues and there must be a convergence of opinions after thorough deliberations," she said.

The Speaker apparently had in the mind the repeated disruptions witnessed during the last Budget session of Parliament which she would like to be avoided in the upcoming Monsoon session beginning on August five.
The disruptions led to wastage of most of the Budget session as a result of which several bills remained pending.
Speaking at the award function for the CPA Centennial Year 2011 Essay Competition on "Parliamentary Democracy: Gateway to Good Governance", Kumar said MPs comprehend the pulse of the electorate and project their wishes in Parliament. "They have to be constantly vigilant and responsive."

At the same time, she said, "institutions like the Parliament cannot remain static. They have to keep evolving."

She stated this while referring to the collapse of parliamentary systems in many countries as those could not keep pace with the rising expectations.
Kumar said criticism of an institution for the sake of criticising it cannot be justified because no country can function without institutions.