The political opinion among the masses is veering to the point that the Opposition’s tactics of blocking passage of key Bills, like the GST, during the last Session was obstructive, and the Congress must think about how to balance protests on such matters, being a party that ruled the nation for more than 60 years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government is poised to enter its third year soon. This Government is the first with absolute majority since late Rajiv Gandhi headed a majority Government after the 1985 lok Sabha Elections.
For a long period during the past 30 years, fractured electoral mandate ushered in an era of coalition Governments at the Centre, leading to the rise of regional satraps and consequently a political culture of confrontation, one-upmanship, and unruly disruptive competitive politics in Parliament and State Assemblies.
The sittings of both Houses of Parliament have reduced and the sittings days in Assemblies can be counted on fingertips. No wonder people are jittery about such negative politics, especially after the unruly disruptions of Parliament on flimsy grounds, leading to wastage of taxpayers’ money. This type of democracy was not visualised by the founding fathers of our Constitution and it is gradually eroding the democratic fibre of the country.
Unruly political games are preventing the legislative business to be transacted, leading to policy paralysis and administrative logjams in implementation of the professed goals of the Government.
No Government can function efficiently in such a situation. The political opinion among the masses is veering to the point that the Opposition’s tactics of blocking passage of key Bills, like the GST, during the last Session was obstructive and the Congress mandarins must think about how to balance the protests on such matters, being a party that ruled the country for more than 60 years with fine gains.
The Government had gone out of the way to accommodate the views of the Opposition, but the intransigence continued and the public opinion is against such blockade.
Indian Parliamentarians are no doubt patriotic but they must realise that their primary duty is to make laws, and to make better laws they need to debate notwithstanding their political agenda. Politicians must adhere to their basic duty of law-making and commitment to fundamental values of a modern democracy.
Now onto the performance of the NDA Government. The Prime Minister has done well on all fronts and has enhanced the image of the country world over. Modi has been successful wherever he went — from the United States to France, to Britain to China, to Japan to Australia to Canada, Arab nations, to all neighbouring and other countries far and wide — in forging new bonds and sorting out unresolved issues like supply of uranium from Australia and Canada, garnering full support for his ‘Make in India’ slogan, and developing strategic ties with important nations.
He has solved the most difficult issue of conclaves of adverse possession with Bangladesh and today that country is unhesitatingly cooperating with India on all fronts, including the issue of terrorism and transit to North East.
Afghanistan, Maldives and West Asian countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE are forging partnerships. Modi’s landmark bold stopover and bonhomie in lahore with Nawaz Sharif set the two leaders on a path of reconciliation, and people are watching the sincerity of the Pakistani establishment, including its Army.
The Defence Ministry also did well by agreeing to ‘one rank one pension’ for ex-servicemen and has sorted out delays in procurements, besides giving a strong message to Pakistan on terrorism.
On the domestic front, the Government has done fairly well. First, the Mudra scheme for six crore entrepreneurs, 60 per cent of whom are SC, ST, OBC and minorities; second, the Jan Dhan Scheme for financial inclusion of a large number of poor people; third, remodeling the rural development schemes; fourth getting the coal and telecom auction right for the benefit of the States, to mention a few.
Recently, the negative politics was evident in the JNU imbroglio. The Prime Minister can deal with the political angle but the bureaucracy will be a hard nut to crack as it has a tight grip on the system. In this regard, it would be worthwhile to quote a few lines from a book With Three Prime Ministers: Reminiscences authored by HR Bhardwaj, whose review was published in The Pioneer. Bhardwaj writes: “We have Government servants who do not serve but oppress the poor and the helpless, police who do not uphold the law but shield the guilty, tax collectors who do not collect tax but connive with those who cheat the state, and whole legions whose only concern is their private welfare at the cost of society.”
His remark that “fence is eating the crop” must be taken seriously by the present rulers if they want to bring about change. A few illustrations: The Environment Ministry had done well in some respects but bureaucratic politics is eating its vital organs.
The forestry institutions are apparently being ruined by brazenly targeting honest officers and choking the institution of both funds as well as competent manpower. A case in point: One instrument costing Rs 1.5 crore installed in Jodhpur research institute for nanotechnology in 2013 is gathering dust in the absence of funds, and staff in all research establishments is getting salary for no work. All India Climate monitoring project is dead.
The Prime Minister must tackle the bureaucracy deftly, and can also include experts in his Government who can bring innovative ideas so that the agenda of governance is achieved fully.
The writer is the Chairman of the Foundation for Integrated Resource Management and former civil servant and takes up issues of public interest. bahugunaifs@gmail.com