Welcome to Rajya Sabha, Sachin: but how often will you be there? What will you do there?
New Delhi: according to reports, celebrities are quick to accept government’s offer to enter Rajya Sabha as ‘nominated’ members. But when it comes to attending House proceedings, they mostly stay away.
Records from the Rajya Sabha show that except film actress Shabana Azami who has highest attendance among celebrities, none of them could make the Rajya Sabha a platform to raise issues of public interest. Singer Lata Mangeshkar and painter M F Husain, on the other hand, had the worst record of not only attending the House but also in participating in a debate or raising any issue.
Fifteen out of 118 members ‘nominated’ to the Rajya Sabha since 1952 were from different ‘arts’ fields. It included Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Vajayantimala Bali, Nargis Dutt, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Hema Malini. Analysis of the attendance records of these members during six consecutive Sessions of their tenure shows Lata Mangeskar who was the Rajya Sabha MP from November 22, 1999 to November 21, 2005 had attended only six out of over 170 sittings 2000-01.
Hema Malini who was nominated to the House as MP in August, 2003 had attended only 50 out of 127 sittings during 2004-05 as against Dara Singh who attended 76 sittings during the same period. Though their numbers were higher than Lata, Husain or Mrinal Sen, their record was still quite poor as compared to active politicians, academicians, writers or retired civil servants who joined the Upper House.
We now need a debate after the government nominated film actress Rekha and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar for the Rajya Sabha. Since Sachin is still an active cricketer, it is to be seen whether he would be absent from the Rajya Sabha like most of celebrities or he would rather mark for himself in Parliament, like he has on the cricketing field.
And of course, a question may be addressed to Sachin – what will you do in Rajya Sabha? Just watch in amusement and puzzlement or perform, which you are better known for!