India is considered to be the role model for democracy. Both houses of the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha have not only been the pinnacle of Indian democracy but also a symbol of reverence for all Indians. Post independence, both houses of the Parliament witnessed quality debates, discussions, ups and downs adding golden chapters to Indian constitutional power. Incidentally at present, be it National Herald or GST or 'intolerance', the opposition parties led by the Indian National Congress is sparing no opportunity to disrupt the regular activities in both houses of the Parliament. Despite both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee both urging the members of the Parliament along with Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to opt for constructive criticism instead of Parliamentary logjam, the opposition parties are adamant in creating a ruckus and defaming the Indian democracy on the global platform.

Whenever the golden chapters of the Indian Parliament are remembered, three names- Atal Bihari Vajpayee, George Fernandes and Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi occupy the cynosure of Parliamentary nostalgia. Unfortunately all three of them are alive but not in a state to be a part of active politics anymore. Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee is suffering from Dementia and hasn't attended any public event for more than a decade.  Veteran George Fernandes is suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and is under medication whereas the seasoned Congress politician and  wonderful orator Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi is miles away from active political domain since his paralysis in 2008. All three of them reached pinnacle of fame in their political careers. Interestingly three of them held Parliament to be of highest esteem, and have been part of many Parliamentary sessions. Be it budget session or monsoon session or the winter session, these stalwarts of Indian political domain never failed to pay their highest respect for the temple of Indian democracy.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee:

The legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee is immensely rich and an integral part of Indian politics. From the early days of Hindu Mahasabha, Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been an icon for fellow politicians. In 1957 he was elected to the second Lok Sabha. He has been elected in the Lok Sabha 10 times, which itself remains an excellent track record considering the fact that he was among the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party. His oratorical skills are now part of folk lore. Whenever he stood up to speak, be it the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, the house listened to him with rapt attention. Sarcasm, humour and poetic innovations- Atal Bihari Vajpayee enthralled even his political enemies with his understanding of Indian constitution and Indian Politics. In his three terms as Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave utmost importance to the opposition parties, executing his 'raj-dharma' with utmost dedication.

George Fernandes:

When Mrs Indira Gandhi announced national emergency, George Fernandes was one of those few political leaders who stood up like a rock against her dictatorial politics. A fluent orator who could easily speak 10 languages fluently, George Fernandes started his career as a socialist trade union worker who got christened ‘the giant killer’ after defeating SK Patil from Bombay in 1967 General Elections. Since then there was no looking back for him as he muscled to hardcore national politics. Be it 1974 railway strike or struggle during the emergency period or becoming a cabinet minister in Morarji Desai's Government, George Fernandes has always remained a fulcrum in national politics especially until the Vajpayee era. Although the manufactured coffin scam did hit his reputation, his popularity did not wane till he was visible in public life. After lengthy investigation, Fernandes was absolved in the case but the acquittal came too late for the seasoned leader. His contribution to Indian Democracy remains immense and let's not forget his fiery speeches which drew applause from all sides in the Lok Sabha.

Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi:

The fire-brand, anti-left Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was also a gem in his time. In 1971, he was elected for the first time in Lok Sabha from South Kolkata. Due to his oratorical skills, good governance and understanding of Indian constitution and grass root democracy, he was appointed the cabinet minister in Parliamentary Affairs. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA was in power between 1999 and 2004, it was Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi who intervened in the Parliament with constructive criticism of the ruling government. Before his ill health, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was elected to Lok Sabha seven times and even in the left fort of Bengal, he managed to win Raiganj Lok Sabha seat against all odds. Presently when Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi struggle to lead a rattled Indian National Congress and make frantic calls for adjourning the house, a political stature of the level of Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi is seriously missed in the Congress camp.

The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have witnessed the great Parliamentarians of the calibre of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Acahrya Kripalni, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indrajit Gupta, Somnath Chatterjee and many others; the present Parliamentary logjam is indeed a shame and disgrace to India's democracy. Those days of interesting debates and constructive inputs are sorely missed. Unfortunately even the selected celebrities in the Rajya Sabha do not at all feel like attending various sessions. The lean attendance of those so called 'celebrities' like Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha, Mithun Chakraborty and others is an added insult to the houses of Parliament.

If members like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, George Fernandes and Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had been in the Parliament today, we would not have witnessed lame duck-sessions or mud slinging