First day, first show

Will this be another winter of our discontent? This is not an idle question to raise at the start of another winter session given the fact t...

Will this be another winter of our discontent? This is not an idle question to raise at the start of another winter session given the fact that almost an entire year has gone by in terms of time spent in Parliament with very little to show for it. The piling up of some 43 government and 269 private members8217; Bills testifies to the loss of precious opportunities to set right a chronically ailing political, economic and social system. The blame for this has to be borne by both the Treasury Benches and the Opposition. Disruptions have been caused by parties across the spectrum.

It has never been this newspaper8217;s argument that valid issues should not be debated extensively 8212; and indeed the Express with its petrol pump scam expose could be partly held responsible for the disruption of the monsoon session. The point, however, is that these debates should logically end with at least an attempt to address the issue at hand but rarely indeed does light accompany the heat generated. What is equally disturbing is the tendency at the end of each session to push Bills through mechanically, without the informed debate that should ideally mark the process. Monday8217;s proceedings in the Lok Sabha did not raise any great hope that the country8217;s Members of Parliament have learnt their lessons. Already the attempts to hijack the discussion are in evidence. It does not really matter for the citizens of this country whether Gujarat is discussed before Uttar Pradesh, but if there is some degree of consensus that the politics of polarisation should be eschewed at all costs, as should the politics of manipulation, the country would be the better. Since Gujarat8217;s sectarian cauldron, UP8217;s chronic instability, the drought-related deaths in Rajasthan and the threat of terrorism look set to dominate the proceedings, it would be a great pity if these issues are reduced to empty exercises in scoring political points.

There is also a battery of Bills pending that represents an effort to introduce accountability and responsibility in the management of the economy. It is only to be hoped that MPs spare some time to look at the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill, pending these last two years, which attempts to tackle the tricky but extremely important issue of government downsizing and to curb government expenditure. As important is the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security of Interest Bill, introduced in the last session and which addresses the vexed issue of the non-performing assets of nationalised banks 8211; now valued at an astounding Rs 70,000 crore. The pity of course is that issues of this kind, although they impinge directly on national interest, tend to get swamped by the more contentious political debates. It is only to be hoped, therefore, that this time things will be different and Parliament will witness the maturing of debate and effective transaction of business.