Just plain gas?

Is this a case of pouring cola over troubled waters? See how Parliament8217;s alacrity in constituting a joint committee to inquire into pe...

Is this a case of pouring cola over troubled waters? See how Parliament8217;s alacrity in constituting a joint committee to inquire into pesticide contamination of carbonated soft drinks has altered the dynamics at Sansad Bhavan. Just the other day, Lok Sabha members were using the no-trust vote to quibble over the pettiest of political points, giving every indication that non-cooperation would hence forth be the guiding mantra. And now here they are, with their nominees on the JPC earnestly resolved to sit together in the weeks ahead and evolve safety standards for soft drinks. Just last week, the monsoon session concluded in a rather deserted Rajya Sabha, with the opposition abiding by its boycott of proceedings. But there they are, a representative each of the Congress, CPIM and RJD among the five Upper House members on the committee.

This display of united responsiveness would be laudable if it weren8217;t so ludicrous. The JPC, under Sharad Pawar8217;s leadership, has taken on the task of scrutinising the Centre for Science and Environment8217;s report and suggesting appropriate standards for soft drinks. Certainly, the scrutiny and re-evaluation of existing guidelines is critical. It is the need for Parliament to participate in the exercise that8217;s doubtful. There are government accredited laboratories equipped to trace toxicity in not just aerated beverages, but most other items of mass consumption. Similarly, the health ministry surely has qualified experts to upgrade the country8217;s certification guidelines. It is important to note that this is a task for the specialist. It is a straightforward task: To augment the CSE tests with checks on a larger, wider sample of beverages; to inquire into the health ramifications of contaminants; and to suggest safety standards.

In this bid to play sleuthhounds, parliamentarians have presented an abysmal record of priorities. A joint parliamentary committee is a powerful instrument to investigate issues of national import and suggest policy changes. It must not be employed to duplicate 8212; even complicate 8212; the work of government agencies. In this cola controversy itself, there are larger issues demanding their activism and intervention. The traces of pesticide reportedly detected point to a pesticide policy gone hopelessly wrong; the quality of water used by bottlers points to the deeper imperative of providing safe drinking water to all, not just those who can afford the sugary, bubbly variant. Parliamentarians would be well-advised to address thorny issues that affect a majority of Indians, and not simply arrogate to themselves jobs specialists are more competent to attend to.