Shiban Khaibri
That there should be an amendment in the existing provisions of deciding upon the issue of the choosing of the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha as articulated by the Congress Party seems quite opportunistic. It is because of the fact that this party having tasted power for more than five decades perhaps never thought of the need of such an amendment when in power and only when it is feeling the irritating pinch of not making it to the post because of the number deficit, it has taken the refuge under a change in the existing system. On the other hand, when the ruling dispensation led by the BJP wants to have recourse to what has been the precedence in the matter so far, a convention largely unwritten but followed right from the first speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Congress feels jittery. What would have been the position if things would have been otherwise is not laden with any ambiguity; the Congress would have drawn heavily from the established practices and conventions. Instead of the minimum 55, the Congress has bagged only 44 seats but wants the LoP, albeit an amendment to the rules. Shall the ruling NDA succumb to the expected pressure tactics and a threat of stalling important legislation in the upper house where the NDA is not in majority remains to be seen. Introspection and mooting ways to set right the omissions and commissions have apparently got a back burner with an accompanying dolorous pitch for the LoP by the Congress Party but why?
“Secularism, egoism and populism” – employing these three segments peculiarly tailored in lavish measures in the elections proved a wasteful exercise. A committee under the stewardship of A. K. Antony, former Defence Minister was, therefore, constituted by the Congress leadership to find out the causes of the unprecedented rout in the general elections of its candidates. Despite employing the three “isms” by the Congress Party, it felt aghast and continues to feel even now as to why and how things went wrong quite contrary to its calculations. A straight forward and a sincere senior Congress leader, A. K. Antony did not mince words to bring forth a startling fact about which the Party should have trimmed its over enthusiasm long back on the principle of equity and not gone as brazenly far as to appeal a religious cleric to exhort his community to vote for Congress and not get the “secular vote split” has reportedly opined that “People are generally refusing to trust the kind of secularism it advocates and that it has been showing a tilt towards a particular section, the minorities…” The diagnosis is not carrying any doubts and the treatment calls for none being treated extra special and none being considered extra non- special and to pursue a development model to benefit each and every one in the country irrespective of caste, creed, region and religion. Though some reactions from the Party came up in the wake of the remarks of Antony that Congress is, as a matter of principal, linked to secularism, should find no objection from any quarter whatsoever but the way it has been practiced for quite some time is the point at issue which undoubtedly the senior leader of the Party has referred to. Perhaps in veiled form, he pointed towards the faulty appeasement policy pursued by the Congress. Mere appeasement and treating the minorities as a vote Bank would always pay dividends, proved totally wrong and non workable proposition. It is not a coincidence that all those parties which endorsed overtly or covertly Congress Party’s brand of these “isms” also, more or less, met the same fate as that of Congress in the elections. The Indian electorate has been growing more prudent and wise.
The other side of the picture is that the Congress Party made miscalculations by keeping all its eggs in one basket by pinning all electoral hopes of 2014 in Rahul Gandhi and allowed him to make experiments, political and organizational about which perhaps the seniors were either not taken into confidence or they cemented further their allegiance and loyalty to the Party President by daring not asking for reviews and discussions in the party in a democratic way as was seen in the BJP. Congress and its allies especially the ones “extending support from outside” to it in UPA1 and 2 termed the open debates and discussions, voices of dissent, agreeing and raising queries to the extent at times of even questioning the high command decisions in the spirit of democracy in the BJP as ” infighting and revolt in the Party”. This was naturally their flawed view point when applying their yard stick of the principle of a virtual filial obedience to the “High Command”. Democracy and suppressing of innovative dissent are antagonistic to each other and may not always work.
Coming again to the issue of the LoP, it is to be seen as to the likely outcome of the “important meeting” which the Congress President had recently with the Congress’ Parliament strategy group comprising former PM Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Gulam Nabi Azad. This time only two issues appear to be on priority for the Congress Party. One to arrange politically motivated protest demonstrations wherever possible “against price rise” and railway fare hike and to hold 30 days old Modi Government responsible for the inflation and other economic ills notwithstanding its own contribution to the gigantic problem for a period of ten years and the second, to go all hog for the post of LoP including perhaps to the courts. However, it is expected that the BJP and its allies in the Government shall in the highest traditions of Parliamentary democracy agree and request the speaker for considering favourably the claim whatsoever of the Congress Party. It will prove an act of valuing highest democratic adherence and respecting the constitutional requirement of LoP for matters of selection of authorities like the Lokpal, the CVC, the CBI director etc. Visiting foreign dignitaries on official visits might also be willing to meet the LoP as the high traditions and the blooming of the democracy in India are getting known to the world in more crystal form.
The paradox , however, remains that the Party does not still seem to get reconciled with the fact of being in a small opposition though the role and importance of the opposition cannot be underestimated but to wreck a virtual vengeance of electoral drubbings, if the Budget session of the Parliament starting from 7th instant is allowed to get noisy and scenes of protest becoming more frequent at the behest of the Congress and its UPA allies now quite less in number comparatively as compared to 15th Lok Sabha, it would send counter productive reverberations across, all against the Congress party as a mere 30 days Government was least expected to change the long economic dormancy and the chaos into an economic boom all around or held accountable for the rise in inflation. Egoism must pave the way for proper understanding and self appraisal by the Congress party. It is quite paramount that the party reviews its policies including on secularism, reservations on caste or religious basis and other political maneuverings. Populist measures cut at the roots of economic reforms, the overall development and progress in key areas. Hence it is expected that the party plays a constructive role and shuns the policy of opposition for the sake of opposition irrespective of getting LoP or not in the Lok Sabha.
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