Creative MPs

Most finance ministers leaven their lengthy and often boring Budget speeches with mild jokes and couplets from their favourite poet or author. Now it appears many other members of Parliament (apart from the irrepressible Lalu Prasad, of course) indulge in literary or humorous diversions in the House. What is more, the Lok Sabha has compiled these into a book and has devoted a section to them on its website. In true government style, these extras are carefully classified and tabulated. For instance, a table titled “Wit and Humour, Poetry And Couplets. Seventh Session of 15th Lok Sabha” provides a serial number, date, subject, the name of the member or minister and the nature of the interjection (“Poetry/humour/couplet/repartee”). Most of the members in this list (covering February and March 2011) have recited Urdu, Hindi or Tamil couplets, though Mamata Banerjee sang a song. But the surprise was Bhudeo Choudhary from Bihar, who criticised the tax proposals in the 2011-12 Budget by quoting a verse from former Beatle George Harrison’s famous 1966 song Taxman.