| Abstract: | The present paper is a study on the increasing but unproductive use of the practice of gherao which has almost become an accepted norms amongst the law-makers in India. Originally rooted in the labour movements of the 1960s as a form of protest, it must be conceded that gherao has increasingly become a normalized, albeit disruptive, tactic among Indian lawmakers. The study highlights how elected representatives both in power and in opposition have appropriated this confrontational method, diverging from traditional parliamentary norms and procedures. Based upon an approach combining content analysis of parliamentary proceedings, secondary sources, media reports, and government expenditure data related to legislative disruptions, the paper concludes that gherao is often employed to intensify political discourse and stall proceedings. Although gherao has intensify debates between those in power and the oppositions in India, yet the public exchequer has lost tremendously at the expenses of tax-payers and public funds undermining the efficient functioning of democratic institutions. |
