No Resolution In Sight For The Impasse In Parliament
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-08-03 07:37:06
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
With the impasse continuing and both sides hardening their stance, 11 days of the monsoon session have been practically washed out. While TMC MP Derek O'Brien accuses the government of rushing through 12 bills at an average time of seven minutes per bill and making "papri chaat" instead of laws, Prime Minister Modi says those were "derogatory comments by a senior MP" and the repeated adjournments forced by the opposition are "an insult to the constitution". Neither side is willing to seek a solution although the onus is on the government to pacify the opposition in order to make Parliament function in an orderly manner as their main demand for discussion over the Pegasus snooping charges is valid and is in national interest.
But the government is not interested in answering difficult questions in Parliament and is using its brute majority to get bills passed without discussion. It suits its purpose to paint the opposition as a disruptive lot that does not have the interests of the people at heart. While it is true that holding the government accountable, making law through informed debate and raising issues that concern the people are the main roles of MPs, it is also true that if a big issue comes up, the opposition is not wrong in demanding a discussion over it in the House. But to make that the only issue at the cost of all other issues is also not wise and the opposition must also think of ways to let the house function properly. They must seriously introspect if they are playing in the hands of the government by allowing it to avoid scrutiny as there has been no discussion over any issue in the House in this session.
15 opposition parties today held a meeting over breakfast to discuss strategy. They have decided to hold a mock Parliament outside the House. Later, some MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, made their way to Parliament on cycles to highlight the rising cost of fuel. While holding a mock Parliament is a good way to highlight issues, it cannot be a substitute for the real thing. A complete breakdown of democratic processes over an issue that is not intractable is in nobody's interest. Both the government and the opposition must be flexible and find out a solution through dialogue to ensure proper functioning of Parliament for the remainder of the monsoon session.
