22

Aug

Why parleys missing in Parliament

image

New Delhi, August 22, 2023

The Manipur issue is discussed perfunctorily and woven around the viral video of two women being raped. Manipur is in deeper crisis.

Shivaji Sarkar

Where have those parliamentarians gone who used to formulate opinions as they rose to speak on any issue. Instead, now with modern gadgets and easier research tools most parliamentarians have become pedantic.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to this phenomenon. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was strong on emotions but not on issues. There was a time when the ruling Congress leaders used to tear up Nehru 

government on issues of planning to budget, food, steel, health or power production to the functioning of railways, the lifeline of India and any decision or policy. Government used to listen to its own members in Parliament and even in party fora. Now even elite groups of parties take care to be decent. Whether such posturing is only for public good needs pondering. 

Forget the members of the treasury benches, even the opposition is pusillanimous. Else they would not have missed a great opportunity like the no confidence motion. There have been occasions when these opinionss were heard in rapt attention. The opposition leaders today have forgotten the art of presenting an issue. No-confidence motion is not an opportunity to put the government on the dock but raise questions for the good of the country,  partiularly those not discussed normally. The most pressing Manipur issue was not  discussed the way it could have been.

Neither was Nuh discussed in-depth. Nor economy and claims of government on rising India. Democracy thrives on questions. These are absent.  Gaurav Gogoi started well, touching many issues but most others lost the track.  Opposition could have been more focused on Manipur, Nuh and economic factors. It could not. When they got their chance they lacked on facts, a strength most MPs  earlier used to have as they were rooted to the ground, had their own listening posts and  did their research. 

On Nuh most spoke perfunctorily. Their only charge was that it was the ruling combine which stoked the fire. Even accepting the charge, what they failed  to raise is the grim scenario. There may have been provocation but the police now say that provocative videos were recirculated more by the minority groups. No one raises the fact that stone pelting started no sooner the first yatra vehicles started  reaching the Nalhar temple. Even more than that, the military-like build up around  the hills, aiming Ak 47 rifles, incendiaries and continuous assault for hours on the  temple went undiscussed. It was a virtual war on the state facilitated by a token  police presence. No one raised the question how such build could take place without check. 

The state of Haryana was not questioned as to how such militarisation is  happening uninterrupted. The local administration admits in private that their forces neither have capability nor courage to take on organised mafia. A failed  state resorts to another illegality of bulldozing targeted structures. That’s partly discussed. None yet seems to realise the gravity of the situation. Similar build-up  around some religious structures is said to be rocking the social defence  mechanism in Uttarakhand.

The Manipur issue is discussed perfunctorily and woven around the viral video of two women being raped. Manipur is in deeper crisis. Women have become pawns or symbol of a depraved state. It is a miscalculation on the part of the Biren Singh government to target the Kukis for quite some time. Was it an ethnic issue or was it facilitating its move to serve some vested interests? It is not an allegation but the perception. It has not happened so suddenly as is being made out. All eyes are riveted on May 3, when an all tribal march organised a rally in  Imphal and clashes began. What is forgotten is that the organised uprooting of tribal families in the hill areas began on March 10 amid allegation of illegal occupation  of forest land. The reality is that those families had been living there for long.

It is also a fact that with the discovery of minerals and petroleum, those areas have become too lucrative. The sudden dislodging of the people from habitats is certainly an issue of humanity even if not human rights. Why was it being ignored? As it appears Meiteis were a preferred lot for the administration.  Parliament did not discuss how Meitei women’s group Meira Paibis have become so powerful, ruthless and inhuman to treat rival groups and their women with utmost humiliation and contempt. They even force Assam Rifles and Army  columns to be isolated and search and seize their resources! Neither the opposition nor the ruling party discuss these dehumanising aspects seriously affecting the Manipur fibre. 

Surprisingly, not one MP raised the issues of economy with the seriousness that it deserves. The government may rightly claim that Indian economy is  surpassing that of even Germany and France to claim fifth to third global positions. Every claim needs an assessment. The Opposition has not raised any  questions on these claims. Even if India in terms of monetary value crosses the total GDP of the UK, does it really become that powerful. The UK has a miniscule population and India is world’s most crowded place. It was not asked whether the figures in rupee terms was boosted by an inflation or not which makes every bit  expensive, as RBI hints at. On the contrary, per capita income remains depressing.

Nobody raised the issue of why RBI is soft on interest rate regime while the US is going firm on it. It has added to the confidence and strength of the dollar.  On the contrary, Indian rupee continues to totter despite government efforts to channelise trade in rupee denominations in about 25 countries. Diplomatic  agreements do not reflect the reality of the rupee transactions.

None sought clarification on the changes in Forest Conservation Act or the Lok Vishwas Act that decriminalises 42 offences that is said to boost ease of  business. Even falling consumption sales in rural area was not discussed nor the recent devastations on hills or how could inflation be  brought down.

  • Share:

About Us

We must explain to you how all seds this mistakens idea off denouncing pleasures and praising pain was born and I will give you a completed accounts..

Contact Us

Contact Info

  • 70, Gyan Khand- 4, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Uttar Pradesh.
  • +91-9810533682
  • info@mediamap.co.in
  • Week Days: 09.00 to 18.00 Sunday: Closed