Congress, others, hold key Bills to ransom in RS
The Opposition's continued disruption of Rajya Sabha proceedings through the last week was disappointing, and also infuriating. The issue at hand was religious conversion. The details are of little consequence, as are the arguments for and against in the larger sense. This is because the matter in itself appeared to be an excuse the Opposition latched upon to distract the Government from doing business. Had this not been the case, and had the Opposition been genuinely interested in discussing religious conversions, it would have agreed to the Treasury benches' offer to debate the matter threadbare. But those such as the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the left seemed interested in extracting political mileage; a serious debate on a matter of grave national import hardly served that purpose. Pointless sloganeering, placards and black bands are far more effective when it comes to carrying out cheap smear campaigns and earning some quick brownie points.
Hence, the Opposition also spurned the Home Minister's offer to make a statement on the issue, even though protocol demands that he, as the Minister primarily concerned with this problem, address it. Instead, the Opposition called for the Prime Minister to address the Rajya Sabha on the matter. If the Prime Minister was reluctant to toe this line, it was because the last time he gave in to a similar demand and made a statement on the controversial remarks of a junior Minister, his words made no sustainable difference to an Opposition which is determined to pursue its petty agenda of embarrassing the Government. For more proof of its faux concerns about religions conversion and an equally shallow commitment to secularist ideals, one only has to note the duplicity in the behaviour of its members in the Rajya Sabha and the lok Sabha. While in the Upper House, they cry themselves hoarse about these issues, in the lower House, they don’t go beyond a casual mention of those same matters. Obviously, this is because the Opposition does not have the numbers to make much of an impact in the lok Sabha, whereas in the Rajya Sabha, it has the numerical strength to hold up the proceedings.
Meanwhile, crucial legislations remain stuck in the pipeline. At the top of the list is the insurance Bill that increases foreign direct investment ceiling to 49 per cent and revamps the sector in general. Once passed by Parliament, the new law will enable the poor who can't afford medical insurance, for instance, to get themselves necessary coverage. Interestingly, some believe that stalling this Bill is the Opposition's main target, as the Modi Government will then have little to show US President Barack Obama, when he comes to India to participate in the Republic Day celebrations. If indeed the Opposition is motivated by such cynical political calculations, it is deeply disappointing. Apart from the insurance Bill, the coal Bill, upon which the nation's energy security depends, is also awaiting the Rajya Sabha's attention. But, with the Winter Session coming to a close in two days, it does appear that the Union Government may have to take the ordinance route to get the insurance Bill through. It is not the most desirable option, but the Opposition’s conduct has left the Centre with little choice.