By being more human and perhaps candid, NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, also an MP, created a furor. Her mistake was that she spoke the truth and did not mince words. She opted to speak as a person rather than an MP. In other words, she thought it was not always necessary to be politically correct. One could be oneself, enjoy a light moment and get across to people as one of them. It was, she erred in thinking, not always prudent to speak from a pedestal. Instead she opted to be one of us: decided to chat rather than talk down to an audience: she chose not to sermonize or appear condescending.About Supriya Sule�s stance
An innocent question about a sari or where it was bought cannot deflect real issues. An MP by virtue of being one does not cease to be human. Neither does legislative status take away his or her right to discuss things normal, in this case a sari
Kumkum Chadha
By being more human and perhaps candid, NCP chief Sharad Pawars daughter, Supriya Sule, also an MP, created a furor. Her mistake was that she spoke the truth and did not mince words. She opted to speak as a person rather than an MP. In other words, she thought it was not always necessary to be politically correct. One could be oneself, enjoy a light moment and get across to people as one of them. It was, she erred in thinking, not always prudent to speak from a pedestal. Instead she opted to be one of us: decided to chat rather than talk down to an audience: she chose not to sermonize or appear condescending.
One reason perhaps was that she was speaking to a generation of young Indians: those who could relate to things human rather than be in awe of the elected. When she said what she did, it was perhaps to get across the point that MPs and politicians are normal human beings and not a breed apart from those who vote them in. Therefore in their everyday life they think and work like average people.
Sule was addressing students at an event organized in her home state, Maharashtra. She said that people think that MPs are discussing important affairs but it may not always be the case, particularly when debates are repetitive.
When I go to Parliament, I hear the first speech, the second speech and third speech. Till the fourth speech, the one who is speaking is saying the same things the earlier speakers have said, she is reported to have said.
If I am speaking to the MP from Chennai, you will say: Oh God, I may be discussing the heavy rains in Chennai. We dont indulge in any such discussion. We discuss things like: from where did you buy your sari and from where did I get mine, said Sule.
To drive home the point she added, You students sometimes get bored after sitting through lectures and then start talking about actress Deepika Padukone and her looks in Bajirao Mastani.
Seen in context, it was perfectly a genuine admission: a statement of fact of how human minds think, act and work.
This was substantiated by her colleague BJDs Tathagata Satpathy. Sule, he said, had helped him: Supriya has demystified the Honble part of MPs. We are all human beings. By being candid, she has helped the whole lot of us to be accepted by people as such. Satpathy, however, was in a minority of one. He hit the nail on the head and like Sule preferred to narrate things as they were, instead of wanting to sound politically
correct.
This is not to suggest that others did not subscribe to Sule or Satpathys views. Many privately agreed with what she had said. Had she got kudos for her statement, several would have voiced their support. But since she got flak, they left her to fight a lone battle: to defend her remarks. Sule did attempt damage control because all guns pointed at her.
Boredom is not alien to MPs. Therefore debate after debate, for hours on end, a break from serious issues is a genuine need. It is not an either or situation; neither are they interchangeable.
Simply put, Supriya was not suggesting that saris overtake debate or are any substitute. Neither was she implying that if MPs discuss saris they do not debate issues. On the contrary, there are pressing issues that are discussed and many MPs, Supriya included, do sufficient homework and prepare well if and when they speak.
Supriya belongs to the young brigade of women MPs who are bright and articulate. Therefore when they speak in Parliament they do so from both their head and heart. Surpiyas speech on religious intolerance was very well received. It touched a chord.
Independent surveys have rated Sules performance as an MP quite high. On a scale of ten she scored over 6 points scored in a survey conducted by a television channel of repute.
With an overall score of 6.4, Sule scored 5.6 on accessibility and 6.6 on 10 for trustworthiness. She scored 6.6 for law and order, 6.9 for providing public transport, 6.5 for good roads, 6.1 for schools, 6.7 for provision of safe drinking water and 5.9 for primary health centers. She was rated 6.7 on the issue of womens safety and 7.4 for creating jobs.
According to another survey done by PRS Legislative Research, Sules attendance in Parliament between June 2014 to December last year, was 92 percent; she had participated in 30 debates and asked 450 questions. On all three counts, Sule had surpassed the national average of 83 percent attendance and 109 questions respectively.
But this is not about Sule alone. There are other MPs who have performed well: those who, alongside, make small talk, take a break and discuss saris. Their male colleagues may not talk about saris and beauty parlours but sure do about weight, food and sometimes women. But all this must be taken with a pinch of salt. Brief interludes, jokes and good humor are a part of professional functioning. So also in politics and Parliament. Therefore there is no need to take out ones dagger if one, willy-nilly deviates from the business of the day.
It is against this backdrop that those who decried Sules sari remark need to look within. They need to be honest about their commitment and work. Their concern should be to put their heads together and work out strategies to ensure that Parliament functions; conducts business to help the government in national progress; as also raise issues to improve the lot of the common man.
An innocent question about a sari or where it was bought cannot deflect real issues. An MP by virtue of being one, does not cease to be human. Neither does legislative status take away his or her right to discuss things normal, in this case a sari. Therefore instead of Sules colleagues raising a hue and cry about what she said, they would do well if they spend time in fulfilling their duties as elected representatives. Were they to do that honestly, they too, like Sule, will be able to stand up and admit that Parliament has a little bit of play.
The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])
