Derek O'Brien was addressing Rajya Sabha's newest MPs at a parliamentary workshop. The former quiz master deployed a familiar strategy to explain how things get done in India's Council of States.
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00:00So to make this game show interesting, we need to divide you up into, say, 5 teams.
00:12In each team, there will be 3 MPs.
00:20For the next 45 minutes, we're going to actually play a game.
00:24We're going to do a game show.
00:26And through this game show, you're going to get to know about zero hour, about special mention, about calling attention, and about 267.
00:36So to make this game show interesting, we need to divide you up into, say, 5 teams.
00:47In each team, there will be 3 MPs.
00:50One rule in every team, you can't both be from the same party.
00:56So you just have to sit next to each other.
00:58So here we go. I'm going to give you 1 minute to put yourselves into teams.
01:03Make sure there is nobody from your party into the team.
01:06The comrades, CPM and CPI, are here 100% attended.
01:10So you may have 2 from the CPM or CPI.
01:14Ready? Please start and make yourselves into 5 teams of 3 each.
01:19Don't feel shy. Move around and get yourself into the team.
01:25Make a team of 3.
01:27You have to sit next to each other.
01:31A team of 3.
01:35A team of 3.
01:37My instructions are so clear.
01:403 in a team.
01:42Are y'all 3?
01:44Are y'all 3? Excuse me, are y'all 3?
01:46Then come here and sit now. You can sit close to each other.
01:483 of you come here.
01:50Because you can't discuss. We'll have to talk.
01:53Bring your name card and come.
01:57PT Usha ji, please bring your name card and come.
02:00Yeah, so if you're it, don't feel shy.
02:03Yeah, one team can have 4, no problem.
02:05One team can have 4 because there are 16.
02:07Okay? Bring your name card.
02:09Done.
02:13Which team are you in?
02:15No, no, no. There have to be 3 in a team, right?
02:25Who's coming here?
02:27There.
02:29So, whoever says MPs don't take instructions.
02:34See how very well all of you took instructions.
02:36This game is good because there's a prize at the end.
02:40I know some of you have only been here in Rajya Sabha for 7 days and 10 days.
02:44But I also know that lots of you have already submitted 0-hour notices.
02:49You've already submitted special mentions.
02:51So, that is very good.
02:53Okay.
02:57Very good.
02:59So, I'm going to give each of you a file.
03:05And I'm going to tell you what's in that file.
03:07Once I get the file across to you, you just follow the file.
03:11Because then we will start our game.
03:13Okay?
03:15Otherwise, on a Sunday morning, if I start showing your PowerPoint,
03:19you all will all feel like coffee very soon.
03:21Okay?
03:23Here we go.
03:25Here we go. All of you.
03:27I've given you, Baba.
03:29Now.
03:31Okay.
03:33You've all got it? Don't try and read all the pages.
03:35Just follow what I'm saying. Just follow.
03:38We're going to start with only the first page.
03:41And that is a 0-hour.
03:43Okay. Let me first tell you.
03:45Only on the first page. Don't bother to go to any other page.
03:47Please. It will only get complicated.
03:49That's a 0-hour. First page.
03:51This one.
03:53Okay?
03:55Madam, I didn't give you?
03:57Oh, specs.
03:59Yeah.
04:01Now, 0-hour.
04:03If you look at the rulebook in Parliament,
04:05there is no mention of 0-hour in the rules.
04:10None at all.
04:12There is no rule for 0-hour.
04:14But there is a 0-hour.
04:16Because 0-hour has become a convention.
04:20It has become a convention, so that's why there is 0-hour.
04:22I think it started sometime in the 1960s.
04:24Okay?
04:260-hour started.
04:28Second point you need to remember, just as a history.
04:300-hour till 2014
04:34was always after question hour.
04:36First question hour,
04:38then 0-hour.
04:40The last chairman of the Rajya Sabha
04:42needs to be credited,
04:44Shri Hamid Ansari, Sir,
04:46who changed it and brought 0-hour
04:48before question hour.
04:50So here is my first question to you.
04:52Why do you think
04:548 years ago,
04:560-hour
04:58became the first
05:00and question hour
05:02was from 12 to 1.
05:04Any of the teams wants to answer?
05:06No minus points.
05:08Yes?
05:10Microphone.
05:12Discuss.
05:14Team members, you can discuss.
05:16Even if you are different parties, you can discuss and answer.
05:18Yes, Sir.
05:20Yes, Sir.
05:22Just come in.
05:24Why do you think 0-hour
05:26has been brought? I'll come to you.
05:28One chance first.
05:30Members themselves are actually
05:32moving for this 0-hour.
05:34So that must be heard first.
05:36No, question hour is also of members.
05:38Question hour is also.
05:40So, you are from
05:42Santosh Kumar. No, no, no.
05:44One answer only. I am very strict here.
05:46Okay.
05:48This team.
05:50Santosh is from Comrade.
05:52CPIM, right?
05:54This team. Mahua Mahaji of Jharkhand Mukti Murcha.
05:56Because people come and
05:58protest a lot.
06:00There is a lot of disturbance.
06:02So, it is believed that everyone will
06:04settle down in 1 hour.
06:06After that, question hour should happen.
06:08Okay.
06:10Everyone take issue.
06:12Very good. We will give you 50 points for that answer.
06:14Very good.
06:16We need a scorekeeper.
06:18So, just remember they have got 50 points.
06:20So, that's the reason why 0-hour was moved
06:22earlier before question hour.
06:24That didn't work.
06:26That's also not working. That's also true.
06:28But I only told you.
06:30Tell me, Santosh.
06:32Whatever may be the reason,
06:34that didn't work.
06:36I did not ask you whether it worked or didn't work.
06:38I only gave you the intention
06:40why it was changed.
06:42And remember, careful,
06:44there are prizes at the end. You don't want to lose
06:46any points for arguing with the quiz master.
06:48That has become immaterial.
06:50That was the reason it was done. Cool. Let's move on.
06:52Next one is
06:54special mention.
06:56This is one of the
06:58Remember, if you,
07:00some of you belong to big political parties
07:02with 80-70-80 MPs,
07:0430-40 MPs,
07:06this is, as an individual member,
07:08a great tool.
07:10In fact, one of the greatest tools
07:12in Parliament.
07:14Special mention.
07:16The notice
07:18has to be
07:20250 words or less.
07:24Please understand,
07:26unlike in Zero Hour,
07:28where you can speak
07:30from your notes,
07:32special mention you cannot.
07:34You have to read it
07:36word by word.
07:38That is the only time
07:40in Parliament where you are
07:42allowed to read word by word
07:44and you cannot change the words.
07:46This is very important.
07:48Second thing,
07:50there is a special mention example
07:52I've given you.
07:54That's why I love
07:56special mentions because
07:58I'll tell you why. One other reason.
08:00Number two,
08:02after the business of the government
08:04is done for
08:06the day, this is important,
08:08then special mentions are
08:10taken up. Special mentions
08:12normally rarely will get disrupted.
08:16Check this out.
08:18Number three,
08:20if you are not in the House,
08:22you lose your chance of your
08:24special mention. And the most
08:26interesting part of special mention,
08:28listen to this.
08:30Zero Hour,
08:32the minister
08:34or the government
08:36need not reply.
08:38Special mention,
08:40they have to
08:42reply in writing.
08:48It's another question
08:50or another matter
08:52that you may get a reply after
08:54one and a half years.
08:56So you have to be
08:58decent about it. If you
09:00don't get a reply in about
09:02two, three months, then you please
09:04write again saying that
09:06I had a special mention on so and so date
09:08and I'm sure the minister will
09:10look into it and reply.
09:12I am not going to spend
09:14too much time on
09:16two of the issues.
09:18Calling attention motion
09:20and I'll tell you why
09:22I'm going to use my discretion
09:24and
09:26not going to spend too much time
09:28that is on your third page
09:30I gave you. Take a look. Page number
09:32three.
09:34Page number three.
09:36Calling attention.
09:38So here's my
09:40question.
09:42Whose attention do you call?
09:44Hand up if you know the answer.
09:46Whose
09:48attention do you call? You're saying
09:50calling attention.
09:52Calling the attention.
09:54Whose attention are you calling? Who can answer this
09:56please? Mr. Rahim.
09:58Government.
10:00Government. The particular ministry.
10:0250 points. Well done.
10:04Well done. Well done. Well done.
10:06Please clap for your other
10:08teams.
10:10You are calling
10:12the attention of the minister.
10:14Why I don't want to spend too much time
10:16this is very important. Normally
10:18the unwritten understanding
10:20is that you get
10:22the entire opposition
10:24will get about one
10:26maximum two calling
10:28attentions in the whole session.
10:30This is normally done
10:32by your senior
10:34members of your party to take
10:36up one calling attention issue.
10:38So you call the attention of the minister.
10:40The chairman
10:42will accept it.
10:44And then there are
10:46certain rules for calling attention.
10:48If you want to participate
10:50in that discussion, I'm keeping the simple
10:52part, you know, I don't think any
10:54of you here are two-time MPs
10:56and three-time MPs. I'm keeping it very simple.
10:58Listen to this.
11:00After the minister, he
11:02or she responds,
11:04you
11:06can, after the minister
11:08expresses himself,
11:10the person who has moved
11:12the calling attention, he or she
11:14will get a chance. You as a
11:16member, listen to this, can
11:18ask a question
11:20based on the
11:22statement of the minister.
11:24Cool? How do you do
11:26that?
11:28All you have to do is
11:30write calling attention
11:32motion, write
11:34your name, by the way
11:36all your parties have your own
11:38rules, even my party. So, for the
11:40bigger parties, you must check with your chief whip.
11:46Check with your chief whip
11:48and write
11:50your name,
11:52get your chief whip or your party leader
11:54as per your party rules
11:56to, my party has, it has to be
11:58signed by the leader of the party
12:00or the chief whip. And then put your name
12:02before the
12:04discussion starts. Important.
12:06Give the slip
12:08to the desk.
12:10Simple method.
12:12Okay?
12:14One little
12:16minor tip, but still.
12:18Chairman doesn't like it and we
12:20should not do it.
12:22Somebody speaking, you're going there
12:24with your notice, then you're going to the desk.
12:26Okay? Amen.
12:28Not needed. Please don't
12:30go there, they're doing their work.
12:32There's a fantastic team there. So, what you
12:34should do, and you think the discussion is
12:36about to start, the most polite thing
12:38to do is,
12:4050 points.
12:42Kya karna hai?
12:44You want to give a notice there.
12:46Sir? Stand up.
12:50Kaisa karenge sir? Mike mein
12:52boliye sir, humko seekhna hai.
12:54Jo sahab ke log khade hai, hum
12:56unko apna kaagaz karenge. Lekin wo to
12:58back mein hai. Ajaayenge na. Kaisa aayega?
13:00Ishara se. Haan? Ishara karne se.
13:02Kaisa ishara?
13:04Aisa? Nahi. Sir.
13:06Sir, sir, sir.
13:08Whether, whether it is a waiter
13:10in a restaurant,
13:12or it is our loving staff, please don't do this.
13:14I'll tell you the simple way to do it
13:16is, take the paper
13:18with your name on it, haan?
13:20Take the paper and, even without
13:22looking at the back, if you just
13:24do this, very polite.
13:26I promise you they'll come in 30 seconds.
13:28Ye mat kijiye.
13:30Ye mat kijiye, please.
13:32Aur ye kijiye, sometimes
13:34if they're not coming, just look. Thak thak thak.
13:36Ye desk po
13:38de dijiye. 267 is a very
13:40simple tool. When I first came to
13:42Parliament, the guru of
13:44267 was my friend in
13:46BJP. Prakash.
13:48Prakash Yadavkar.
13:50He used to have one tool, because he was in opposition
13:52that time. He would have one 267
13:54every day.
13:56Approved by Arunji. Okay?
13:58So that's the 267 tool.
14:00Now you all know because you've seen.
14:02267 is
14:04you know something, like
14:06this Gujarat hooch you raised.
14:08Not a good idea
14:10to raise it in zero hour.
14:12I think so.
14:14It's better as a technique,
14:16you raise it in 267,
14:18the chairman is not
14:20going to allow your notice, but your
14:22issue is there on the table.
14:24Please all do all this. I'm
14:26repeating with the full approval of your
14:28party. Please don't get me into trouble.
14:30So here's my question. So a
14:32267, where is
14:34the form? Please look for the form.
14:36You will not find it. There is
14:38no form for 267.
14:40A 267 notice has to go
14:42on your letterhead. And
14:44it has to go on
14:46your letterhead and reach the notice
14:48office in the morning
14:50before 9.30. My request
14:52to you as a member
14:54of parliament who is responsible,
14:56don't misuse 267.
14:58Now my last question today
15:00is when was the last time
15:02a 267 notice was taken?
15:04I told you nothing in the last 5 years.
15:06So, 2016
15:08clue.
15:122016
15:14last 267
15:16hua tha.
15:18Second half of 2016
15:20where a 267 notice was given,
15:22I think three of us gave the notice.
15:24One
15:26colleague of mine from the Congress
15:28party, myself and
15:30one more party. I can't remember. DMK.
15:32Shiv Sena. Tell me what
15:34was the notice towards the end of 2016?
15:36Sir, batayiye.
15:38Aap mic on kijiye.
15:40Sir, aap kuch bol raha hai?
15:42Minus points nahi hai.
15:44Batayiye.
15:46Nahi hai, khatam. Aap batayiye.
15:48Yes?
15:50No?
15:52November 2016.
15:58Itna bada bada hint.
16:00Put up your hand, put up your hand.
16:02One second, one second.
16:04Please put, yes sir.
16:06Sir, microphone.
16:08Humara TV show chal raha hai na.
16:10Demonetization.
16:12Demonetization, November 2016.
16:14Is the right answer.
16:16Is the right
16:18answer. Very good.
16:20With that, we come to the end
16:22of our wonderful
16:24program.
16:26Yeah, prize
16:28bhi hai. All of you have done
16:30very, very well.
16:32No doubt about that.
16:34So, but I can only give
16:36prizes to two teams.
16:38Okay. So, I have to give the
16:40prizes to
16:42this team. Please give them a round of applause.
16:44Please share it.
16:46And you guys,
16:48please share.
16:50Please give them a round of applause.