Neither the Congress nor the BJP seem to comprehend how disgusted the common Indian is with the ongoing confrontation between the two major national parties that has crippled Indian Parliament over the issue of corruption. Perhaps the two parties also dont care about what hapless electors think. After all,what greater role do common voters have in our democracy than to queue up before the polling booths for the five-yearly ritual of electing the candidates of one or the other party? Once the polls are over,the all-powerful voter becomes nothing more than a dumb spectator as our honourable elected representatives conduct themselves,collectively,in the most dishonourable way in Parliament,robbing the august institution of all its lofty purpose and prestige. However,even by the alarmingly poor standards of the functioning of Indian Parliament in recent times,the current sparring between the Congress and the BJP has indeed plummeted to new depths of reckless behaviour.
Unless good sense prevails on the ruling coalition and the Opposition to reach a compromise for breaking the impasse that resulted in a washout of the winter session,the future is indeed dark for the 15th Lok Sabha,and dangerous for our democracy. The current Lok Sabha has completed only 19 months thus far. Nearly three and a half years of its term are still left before the next Lok Sabha polls are held at their scheduled time in 2014. Whatll happen if the Opposition sticks to its stance of not letting Parliament function unless its demand of setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe into the 2G spectrum scandal is accepted,and if the government does not accept this demand? It is not pleasant to conjecture. One thing is certain,though. If the Congress and the BJP continue their competitive rigidity and unreasonableness,the law of unforeseen consequences will come into effect. Governance at the Centre will be destabilised,weakening India at a time when our country is faced with huge and complex challenges,both internally and externally.
In this regard,the BJP may have fared better,but only marginally. It frequently spoke about the need to eliminate corruption from public life. But,barring exceptions,practice betrayed precept in the case of many of its functionaries in states where it is in power. After all the dirt that has come out into the open in Karnataka,many sympathisers of the BJP would laugh at the suggestion that the party is committed to providing corruption-free governance.
There is still time for the saner and more sober elements in the two major parties to try and prevent the situation from going out of control. This is hope against hope since the dialogue between them seems to have completely broken down. But the BJP should know that its brinkmanship can boomerang. The issue is clearly not whether the JPC or the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a better agency to go into the 2G scam. The real issue is whether the scamsters will be brought to justice,and whether the government and the Opposition will together arrive at a consensus on at least a few major institutional measures that can break the nexus between corrupt politicians,big business houses,bureaucrats and lobbyists. The BJPs insistence on the appointment of a JPC is unreasonable and myopic,because it does not seem to have thought through the likely consequences of being seen as the party that caused the paralysis of Parliament. It is clearly giving priority to form over substance in the fight against corruption. The past record of JPCs does not inspire confidence. As months pass by,the party will find that the people are least interested in the JPC vs PAC debate. What they want is real and substantive action in de-polluting the polity.
On its part,the Congress cannot continue to take shelter behind the Prime Ministers clean image,while doing little to stop the loot of public resources by its own functionaries in power. Nobody questions the integrity of Dr Manmohan Singh. Indeed,his personal integrity has been the biggest source of strength and stability for the UPA government. However,even this strength cannot come to his rescue if he is seen to be incapable of acting firmly,and as per the dictates of his own conscience,against the corrupt elements in his government. The people want to see him act,and not simply react to the Oppositions criticism. As the Prime Minister of the country and as the political head of the government,it is his responsibility to reach out to the Opposition to break the impasse with a concrete anti-corruption action plan. And it is the responsibility of the Opposition to respond constructively.
