Delivery,
Not Disruption & Drama, Is What Parliament Is For
Are the all
too familiar wasteful and almost non-functional parliamentary proceedings in
India a mirror to the fact that liberal democracy has proved to be a failure
here? That seventy-five years of this subversion of the intent of our founding
fathers is quite enough? That which is enshrined
in India’s bulky omnibus constitution may have been, after all, an imposition
too far? That a guided democracy that does not brook anarchy and deliberate
subversion needs to be ushered in now?
If this
cannot be done overnight, the serious efforts at reforms must begin urgently.
Does this unwieldy and out-of-date constitution need to be amended or replaced
by one that serves the times we live in? Is wasting hundreds of crores to run
parliamentary sessions that end up hurriedly passing bills into law without discussion
worth it? It seems to be the only recourse available, and that by virtue of a
ruling alliance majority. Where is the proper representation of the people in
all this? Is this a sham with no accountability that is merely playing at
democracy?
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi launched the winter session of parliament on the 1st
of December with the customary opening remarks from the head of government. His
strong admonitions and appeals to the opposition to not vent their frustration
at their recent rout at the Bihar Assembly elections, fell quite predictably,
on deaf ears. The wrath is not only directed at the ruling NDA alliance, but
the Election Commission, a constitutional body; at the courts, including the
Supreme Court, for not supporting the spurious Congress and TMC allegations.
This is a
time when we must act. Expulsions will work better than persuasion. Nothing
short of it will make any difference to parliamentarians, enamoured of extra
constitutional methods, bent on stopping the work of the house. Methods that
instigate mobs and riots, arson and violence, on the streets.
But since
such people are thankfully in a minority in parliament, they can, and must be
firmly dealt with. Suspending them for a day or two, or even a week, has not
worked in the past. They need to be sent out for the whole session. Their terms
as members of parliament need to be cut from five years to four or even three,
till they decide to behave appropriately in the house. It remains to be seen
whether the government has the determination to do any such thing. Judging from
past sessions of parliament, this does not seem likely. Helplessness is also a
political strategy.
It must be
said that not all parties in the opposition at this time are of one mind, and
some want to proceed with the business at hand. The prime minister’s remarks occasioned
strong reactions from the Congress, though it has won only 6 seats out of 243
in Bihar. There is no acceptance of reality. No urge to change its ways. Instead,
its anger was wrapped in an assertion that the conduct of the elections was
unfair, followed by a clamour for an immediate discussion on the ongoing SIR
process. This, even if the discussion was held under the broader category of ‘election
reforms’.
However, several
other opposition parties were markedly more interested in pursuing other issues,
including the legislative agenda first.
A clear
division in the ranks of the I.N.D.I.A opposition alliance is evidently forming,
and the leadership of the alliance by Congress might well be under review. The
Trinamool Congress (TMC) from West Bengal, for example, was already moving on
its own and not attending meetings called by Congress. There is also disquiet
within the Congress on the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and indeed the Gandhi
family.
That the
recent ‘Vote Chori’ campaign in the media and the tour in Bihar undertaken by Rahul
Gandhi and Tejaswi Yadav pulled a blank, and possibly harmed their cause, must
be still rankling. And yet, Congress is determined to continue the campaign. But
others in the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, including Tejaswi Yadav of the RJD, are not
convinced. There is apparently no Vote Chori except as a fantasy in Rahul
Gandhi’s mind!
The prime minister urged the sections of the
opposition who are busy accusing the EC to get over their obsession. Parliamentary
Affairs Minister Kiren Rijuju was more conciliatory, and assured the protestors
that the government would consider the demand for a discussion on SIR, but the
timelines for it could not be dictated by the opposition.
Through the
noise, a bill was passed in the morning of day one in the Lok Sabha. It was to
implement the GST law in Manipur. But another two bills, also tabled by the
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, to rejig levies on tobacco, pan masala and
related goods, could not proceed in the face of constant slogan shouting. This resulted,
as usual, in the Lok Sabha being adjourned for the rest of the day. Every
expensive session of parliament functions in this chaotic manner.
The Rajya
Sabha fared no better, with the opposition Congress, CPM and TMC demanding
immediate discussion on SIR and eventually walking out when it was not agreed
to. The plan is to keep it up for days,
and taking it to the entrances and lawns outside as well.
The real
fear is that the SIR process now to take place in just 12 states at first, will
catch and out many illegals. The process, to update and sanctify the electoral
rolls may weed out lakhs of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. If found out, they
have been added with the likely connivance of parties who use them in their
vote banks. That the SIR has been regularly conducted every few years since
independence is conveniently ignored.
In his
opening remarks before the start of the session, Prime Minister Modi said the
opposition should avoid disruption so that debate and discussion can take place
on important legislation. Nor should sections of the opposition use the winter
session as a political ‘warm up’ tool for the approaching poll campaigns in
West Bengal and Tamil Nadu that will go in for elections in the first half of
2026. This, followed by those in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh in 2027.
There is
every attempt to bring state politics to the highest legislative body in the
land, remarked the prime minister.
Everyone
knows what is going on, but how far is the government prepared to go in order
to stop it?
(1,064
words)
December
2nd, 2025
For:
Firstpost/News18.com
Gautam
Mukherjee
