In the post-Independence India, veterans like JB Kripalini, Ashok Mehta, Piloo Mody, MA Ayangar, AB Vajpayee, RM Lohia, SM Joshi, Madhu Dandavate, Biju Patnaik, SN Dwibedi, Bhupesh Gupta, Jyotirmaya Basu, AK Gopalan and others who carried the legacy of freedom movement occupied the seats in the opposition benches, debated intensively on bills and raised issues of national importance that enriched parliamentary debates and influenced citizens. Both ruling and opposition sides were led by political stalwarts who enriched a debate culture of Parliament that gave Bills more sanctity.
During the time of Pandit Nehru as PM, private members of the Parliaments were encouraged to sponsor bills. With passing away of many such stalwarts, political parties have become weak. Recently in an article, Varun Gandhi, MP, said that during Monsoon session of
Parliament in 2021, the Lok Sabha passed 18 bills most of which were debated for 34 minutes each. According to him, a crucial bill relating to amendment of bankruptcy law hardly saw a debate for about 5 minutes. The opposition parties are now fragmented for which their voice is also thin.
Indira Gandhi during her tenure cleverly utilised fragmented opposition as an asset for her; now the NDA similarly is in advantageous position due to fragmented opposition. In 1977 in the post-Emergency general election, the fragmented opposition got united under the banner of Janata Party under inspiring effort of Jayprakash Narayan, which did not last long due to ego clash among some leaders. So, it disintegrated and fragmented to half a dozen splinter groups.
In modern India, criticism of Government or any party is most often painted as anti-national. As per a report in an English daily, the Allahabad High Court while releasing some students on bail for having raised certain slogans in a cricket match reportedly observed: “The unity of India is not made of bamboo reeds which will bend to the passing winds of empty slogans”.
As per media reports, the Chief Justice of SC NV Ramana speaking in P Kohili memorial lecture reportedly observed that, “There is an immediate requirement for the creation of an independent umbrella institution, so as to bring various agencies like the CBI, SFIO, ED, etc under one roof” to break any nexus with political executive. The relation between Union and opposition ruled States is getting sore day by day. There was a media report that Telengana Cabinet proposed to give a day long Dharana in Delhi to protest Union Government’s alleged discriminatory paddy procurement policy. In West Bengal, the Speaker of the Assembly had raised about “Excessive Interference” of Rajbhavan in the Assembly works. Addressing CPI (M) party meet in Kannur, Tamil Nadu CM has questioned misuse of the office of the Governor by saying, “When there is an elected Cabinet in each State, is it not unconstitutional to seek to rule over the State via the office of the Governor? Is it constitutional to seek to run a parallel Government through the Governor’s office in the States led by non-BJP parties?” He quoted Mahatma Gandhi to further say “Self-Government without autonomy is akin to replacing the white tiger with an Indian tiger”. Stalin further said that with GST the Centre has snatched tax revenues of the State.
It may be mentioned that late Biju Patnaik was always insisting for more financial power to States. He had prophetically coined the demand of financial autonomy for States in 1990 to overcome a State’s backwardness. CM Naveen Patnaik reiterated the same voice seeking special financial autonomy to States in 2018 on the occasion of foundation day of the party. A strong and viable opposition at national level could act as a check and balance and protect a federal spirit. The tall leader late Biju Patnaik used to express his disgust on fragmentation of political parties who openly used to say that misconceived dreams, arrogance and ego of a few leaders at national level impeded unity of opposition parties. At his instance, a meeting of various fractions of Janata Dal was held at New Delhi in the last week of July, 1995 where he virtually warned faction leaders “to unite or face the doom, since people no longer would tolerate with such splits.” There are no leader today of the stature of Biju Patnaik, RK Hegde, Devilal to unite the opposition at national level.
Some media reports recently said that veteran leaders like Sharad Pawar and Nitin Gadkari rightly talked about need of opposition emerging strong to “help democracy”. No doubt, such bold astuteness qualities are needed from leaders for wellbeing of country’s democracy. Now added to fragmentation of parties, defection by legislators, use of black money in election has completely degraded political culture hindering participatory democracy ‘By the people’ a reality. In November 1967 participating in Parliament debate veteran parliamentarian SM Joshi had warned about floor crossing and had appealed to follow a convention not to admit legislators defecting from a party. Now floor crossing is engineered by ruling parties and the defectors are entertained in 5 star hotels and lured Ministership to break Governments eroding the essence of electoral politics and betraying people’s mandate as well as negating all the noble values cherished by freedom struggle.
The election result of 5 States has shown that electorate have delivered a decisive mandate and discarded fragmented opposition. On this background, efforts to unite such parties at national level may bring some sort of unity but would not be sustainable like in the past without collective mechanism, management, a cohesive leadership united under common minimum programme covering broad issues such as judicial reform, independence of EC, women’s reservation, prevention of evil of defection, strengthening federal structure, reviewing laws intruding federal spirit, limiting role of Governor, recognising right to irrigation and right to employment as fundamental rights, shelter for houseless, scrapping colonial laws like sedition, activation of institution of Lokpal, taxation power to States, creation of employment opportunity on idea of national reconstruction etc. It would also need to adopt new narratives to attract farmers, labourers and youths. At the first, there should be some unanimity on the common issues touching the citizens. Regional parties would be in an effective position to occupy the drivers’ seat of national politics in the present context to influence national discourse if their unity is institutionalised and its leadership is periodically changed betweenthe regional icons.