Inside the Halls of Democracy: Reflection, Boredom and Unexpected Lessons On the 26th of June, I and 26 of my fellow volunteers and interns from IIDS had the incredible opportunity to attend a session at the Federal Parliament located in Baneshwor. At 10 am sharp, our group of interns and volunteers gathered eagerly at entrance number 3, where our names were carefully checked off by the guards. Following the necessary protocols, with our IIDS identity cards in hand, we were granted access to the prestigious halls beyond. Prior to entering, our bags and belongings underwent routine inspections, with separate lines for men and women. Once inside the grand Sansad Bhawan, we were given a brief overview of the session’s rules, including basic guidelines such as refraining from eating, sitting cross-legged, making noise, clapping or dozing off for that matter due to the monotonous nature of the session. Respectfully agreeing to abide by these regulations, we formed a line and were escorted into the building.
Upon entering the building, our attention was immediately drawn to a prominently displayed poster on the wall, outlining a list of items that were restricted within the premises, including keys, food, and weapons serving as a reminder of the paramount importance placed on maintaining a secure and controlled environment within the premises. As we made our way further inside the building, we couldn’t help but be impressed by the building’s amazing interior, reminiscent of the grandeur often found in prestigious establishments like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Spiral stairs led us to a theatre-like seating arrangement, where we, as audience members, were guided to the topmost seating area. While our presence as audience members in the parliamentary session was an honour, we immediately encountered certain challenges that affected our overall experience. Due to the seating arrangement, we faced limitations in directly observing the parliament members, relying instead on TV monitors to follow the proceedings closely. On top of which, the absence of functioning air conditioning resulted in an environment that became increasingly humid and warm, impacting the comfort of all the attendees.
Nevertheless, the session commenced in a formal and orderly manner with the entrance of the spokesperson of the parliament and a collective sense of respect was displayed as everyone stood for the national anthem. In a systematic manner, each parliament member was called upon to present their concerns and shed light on pressing issues affecting their respective constituencies. As the session unfolded, a wide range of topics came to the forefront, reflecting the diverse range of issues faced by various societies in Nepal including the issue of discrimination towards Dalit community members, highlighting the grave consequences it led to, such as honour-based violence and character assassination, drug abuse among youths in rural parts of Nepal and disturbing incidents of theft, violence and vandalism occurring in holy Buddhist sanctuaries, emphasising the need for increased security measures to preserve the sanctity of these sacred sites.
Initially, there was a sense of amusement among us as we settled into the parliamentary session. However, as the session went on, we became increasingly aware of our limited attention spans and soon the lack of external stimuli crept up on us, given the restrictions placed upon us. We were not permitted to use our phones, which had become a much needed source of entertainment and distraction. On top of that, we were expected to maintain composure and refrain from fidgeting or even sitting cross-legged. Multiple times during the session, I found myself unknowingly trying to cross my legs and yawning or just trying to make conversation with my friends, desperately trying to find some source of entertainment. Seated alongside our group, were restless high school students from Little Angels School, who, like us, looked for ways to entertain and distract themselves throughout the session resorting to toilet breaks, playful giggling, and teasing each other. Occasionally, we would hear silly little remarks such as “Isn’t this the guy from TikTok?” pointing towards parliament members. Whenever the debates grew intense, our attention piqued, and we listened attentively, reminiscent of our school trip days when we too excitedly anticipated what would unfold next. Unfortunately for us, the microphones were conveniently muted during heated debates, leaving us to go back to gazing off into the distance due to the monotony of the session.
After what felt like an eternity sitting inside the auditorium, we were finally relieved to head for lunch at the parliament’s canteen. To our surprise, the food offered at the canteen there was not only reasonably priced and delicious, but the kitchen and seating areas were also clean and neatly arranged. Despite the occasional bouts of boredom, this experience was truly memorable, offering us unique insights into the inner workings of a parliamentary session and an unexpected but much needed reality check to reflect and work on our attention spans and susceptibility to distractions especially in formal environments like such.
The event summary was prepared by Tanushri Gauchan, Research Interns, IIDS.