PARLIAMENT LOGJAM - THE WINTER OF DISCONTENT

By Ruma Dubey

Oh well! After all this hullabaloo of the Winter Session where we expected all the tall talks to see at least some bit of action, came to a naught. One can only sigh in resignation and once again wonder where we are headed.

Its really very funny if one can see it with a sense of humour – the same BJP spent 5-7 years creating Parliamentary logjams, not allowing the Govt to function at all, defending its walkout almost every day saying that it was doing its prime duty as a responsible Opposition. Now it’s their turn to experience the same. Funnily enough, these are the almost all the same Bills which were there during the UPA regime and the same Bills are stuck.

What is extremely worrisome is that instead of debating over the Bills, the entire session has turned ‘religious’. The various exchanges over the past few days by Hindu fundamentalists, irking other religions, racking up mindless issues of conversion have all resulted in the Winter Session ending on a very damp squib. Just as the FIIs were watching when Modi won, they are watching now also, seeing how even the very able and eloquent Modi has gone quiet. One could not help but wonder why he did not utter a single word and try to end these useless controversies? If taking the nation ahead is the only focus, why not talk and end the matter there? If errant bureaucrats could be made to toe the line, why not these religious ‘sadhus’ who are actually splitting the country wide open? Does Modiji talk and inspire the crowds only when he goes visiting foreign countries? One could say that it was “too small an issue” for the Prime Minister to talk but then it was so big that it stalled the entire working of the Parliament, wasting taxpayer’s money.

Maybe the idea is that they knew all along that getting through Rajya Sabha for some Bills would be difficult and were prepared for the “Ordinance” route. That’s how they probably plan to get the Insurance Bill and the Coal re-auction Bill going.  But what was probably the most important one of all was the Land Acquisition Bill, more than Insurance. If projects are stuck and not taking off today, it is only because of land issues and availability of coal/power. But getting this Bill on the fast track is not there on the agenda at all. On 8^th Dec, there was the grandiose announcement that the Central Govt is creating 500 ready-to-bid projects worth Rs.3 lakh crore. These projects will already come “fitted” with land acquisition, forest clearance and other clearances. And this plan was announced over and above the roll-out of Rs.1.8 lakh crore worth of projects out of Rs.2.8 lakh crore stuck projects. So how do all these projects move if the Parliament just continues with a logjam?

There were some 67 Bills in all and everyone hoped that reforms were round-the-corner. But looks like all hopes, the same one, will be pinned on the Budget session. The GST anyway could not have been introduced in this session as the empowered committee of state finance ministers and the Centre have not evolved any consensus on it.

The ongoing elections are also to be blamed. During this session we had J&K and Jharkhand and during Budget Session, we will have Delhi going to the polls. So as long as sessions are tied to ‘election season’, the Opposition will be extra vigilant, trying to block all legislation, creating a logjam.

Political analysts say that currently to get Bills passed from the Rajya Sabha, the BJP has three options – eat humble pie, give Congress the mantle of “leader of Opposition” and strike a deal to get some Bills passed. That seems unlikely. Second option – accept the grim situation and go for Joint Sessions to get Bills passed. This will be long and tedious but doable. Third and most likely option – use the good old administrative process to usher in reforms, leaving the contentious Bills for later.

Well, let’s see what happens. We need development and not religion to dominate issues. This winter has been a washout, let us now wait for action outside the Parliament till Budget session.