House set for a winter of drama, if not debate

The penultimate session of Parliament under the current tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government commences today.
The winter session holds significance in Parliament’s calendar as it provides the government with an opportunity to give a decisive push to its legi-slative agenda.

Set to adjourn on December 22, the session unfolds against the backdrop of recent state assembly election results in four states and at least two contentious issues on the agenda for the 15 days of sittings. One involves the consideration of the Ethics Committee report recommending the expulsion of its member Mohua Moitra by the Lok Sabha, while the other involves the bills to replace the decades-old Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Evidence Act.

Introduced during the last session, these three bills were examined by the standing committee, whose report, pending submission to Parliament, does not reflect unanimity. Many members of the opposition have attached dissent notes. This sets the stage for a possible confrontation between the government and those opposed to it, with a section suggesting these bills, whose title in Hindi is not exactly agreeable. For instance, the Indian Penal Code is being sought to be replaced by a bill titled Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

While the discussion on these bills in both Houses would bring out the
disagreements on the provisions, there is little doubt over their clear passage in the Lok Sabha, which should be taking them up.

The challenge, if any, for the parliamentary managers of the governing coalition would be in the Rajya Sabha, where its strength will require additional support from parties that otherwise prefer to maintain equidistance on either side of the aisle.

The action proposed against the sitting Trinamool Congress MP has the potential to further accentuate the wide gap between the government and the opposition inside Parliament. While during the last decade, several sitting members were expelled from the House after being indicted by special committees that probed Cash for Question issues, constitutional experts are divided over the process adopted and the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee in the present case.

The fact that the session commences the day after the results of four of the five assemblies are declared should determine the mood of the political formations and set the compass of direction.

Over the past few sessions, parties in the otherwise disparate opposition have demonstrated greater cohesion and a sense of purpose by closing ranks to take on the government. Despite different priorities, these parties, with competing and sometimes conflicting interests, continued to work together on issues. The fact that the larger opposition is helmed by a seasoned and pragmatic Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, makes it comfortable for parties to sink differences and focus collectively on issues where interests converge.

Having come together on the nascent I.N.D.I.A platform, these parties have shown a greater inclination to work as a team and walk in a coordinated manner in the quest to pin the government on the floor.

Over the past several sessions, members of the opposition have complained that instead of accommodating issues parties want to discuss, the government takes steps that go in the opposite direction, despite promises of willingness to deliberate every issue the opposition wants to discuss.

The opposition maintains its demand for a thorough debate on issues such as the volatile situation in Manipur, the current state of affairs on the border with China, and the fiscal and economic situation in the country, including crony capitalism, which does not find favour. Adding to the list this time would be India and its position in regard to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine in Gaza.

On the other hand, the government insists that resorting to tactics that result in stalling the proceedings is part of a fine-tuned strategy that members of the opposition adapt to create a different narrative. These arguments and counter-arguments sound far too familiar.

Lost in the verbal duels and charges against one another is the fact that Parliament is a place for both the government and the opposition. It is only with the cooperation of both sides that proceedings can be conducted in a smooth manner. Otherwise, noisy interruptions by members who feel aggrieved and pronouncing marching orders to those who disregard the directives of the chair would remain a recurring feature. Stand-off situations remain unresolved for days, leading to the loss of precious parliamentary time.

The opposition has the right to raise issues and question the government, which in turn has to ensure the completion of its business. All this requires a spirit of accommodation with the government of the day, providing the opposition with its say while it has its way.

Amid this tussle over the narrative emerging from Parliament proceedings, what will be interesting to watch is the element of surprise the government can spring. During the 16th Lok Sabha, the penultimate session saw the enactment of a constitutional amendment that provided 10% reservation for economically backward sections.

The move was characterised as a political masterstroke of the government, just as it called for a special session of Parliament this September and secured passage of another constitutional amendment fulfilling a long-pending demand to reserve a third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures. Wait for the session to get underway and watch the proceedings of Parliament during its 15 sittings, the first full regular session in the new building.

(The writer is a senior journalist based in New Delhi.)