MPs must make the Winter Session meaningful
The Winter Session of Parliament, which begins today, will be a major test for the BJP-led NDA Government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power on the promise of delivering wide-ranging reforms that would propel the country on the path of development, and there is now a high level of anticipation and optimism in all quarters, at home and abroad. The Prime Minister has successful talked up the mood of the nation and also convinced the rest of the world that the India Story is ready to take off again — now, he must make the most of this rare opportunity, leverage the mass momentum in his favour and initiate the reforms process in earnest.
But this is easier said than done. Even though the ruling coalition has a clear majority in the lok Sabha, it does not enjoy the same position in the Rajya Sabha. It is possible then that Bills passed in the lower House will be stonewalled in the Upper House, especially given how desperate the Opposition is to run down the Government. No doubt, there will be churlish parliamentarians who'll come to Sansad Bhavan with an obstructionist attitude and be tempted to disrupt the proceedings of the House. Hopefully, saner voices in the Opposition will prevail. This, however, isn’t to suggest that the Opposition, no matter how small in number, should quietly toe the Government's line; on the contrary, it is duty-bound to act as the people’s watchdog and offer constructive criticism.
In fact, the responsibility for the smooth functioning of Parliament must be shared by the Opposition and Treasury benches. While the former must refrain from using Parliament as a platform for political gimmickry, the latter must commit itself to a process of consensus-building. The ruling coalition has the numerical power to see through legislations — if it can't get a Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha, it has the option of calling a joint session of Parliament and getting it through. But that would enhance confrontation, which is best avoided.
Thankfully, NDA leaders have made clear that they do not prefer such tactics. Additionally, one may also take comfort from the fact that the first session of the 16th lok Sabha was, in fact, the most productive in a decade. Both Houses worked for more than their allotted time and conducted brisk legislative business. If, in the 22-working-day Winter Session, parliamentarians follow the template they’d set in the Budget Session, then we can have a game-changer on our hands, as several important Bills, including the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014, and the Insurance (laws) Amendment Bill, 2008, are on the anvil.