Opposition has a key role to play in Winter Session

In the Winter Session of Parliament, to commence today, all eyes will naturally be on the manner of the repeal of the three controversial farm laws which had unleashed a year-long political storm, with the farmers’ protest claiming the lives of around 700 agriculturists — and then on the manner in which the Narendra Modi government deals with the demand for a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce. The farmers appear adamant about not giving up their protest unless a law on MSP is passed. Going by the recent observations of the Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who has urged the farmers to leave their protest sites in the national capital and return home, it would appear that the government is not inclined to go into the issue of a law on MSP. It deems it sufficient to announce that a committee will look into the matter. It does also seem that the government may not be in a mood for discussion on detailing the reasons for withdrawing the three laws in question.

However, on both counts, the farmers are likely to be left dissatisfied. They would want to know why they were put through the pain of mounting an intensive year-long struggle if the government did not have a convincing case. With state elections round the corner, the Opposition parties too are likely to emphasise this. They will also need to offer economic reasoning in support of having a MSP validated by law, especially since the government and its backers have made the proposition sound infeasible.

To register their unhappiness, Opposition parties tend to resort to the device of a walkout. But if they are really keen to get to the bottom of things, and to make their argument before the country in a lucid fashion, they would do well to show patience and explain their position, rather than let the government rush through the agriculture-related matters, which it may be planning to do since angry farmers have been on the warpath.

Much of the responsibility for advancing the case of the farmers would devolve on the Congress Party and the manner in which it coordinates with its allies since it is the largest Opposition party in Parliament, although its current organisational weaknesses are on public display.

Seeking to exploit this, and the fact of defections from Congress to her party in various states, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has sought to challenge Congress’ status in Parliament. The decision of her party TMC not to attend meetings called by Congress on floor coordination does rather put the idea of Opposition unity against the ruling BJP on test, although the matter is plainly academic. In reality, many leading “secular” Opposition parties are not with Congress, and choose to plough their own furrow in their areas of influence.

In a Parliament session of 23 days, the government is readying itself to pass as many as 26 Bills. This hardly does justice to the idea of legislation arising from proper debate and discussion. In addition to the laws the government desires to enact, there is a lengthy list of issues that the Opposition parties would like to raise, besides the farmers’ question. There is no getting away from the fact that Parliament needs to work a greater number of days with dedication.

In a Parliament session of 23 days, the government is readying itself to pass as many as 26 Bills. This hardly does justice to the idea of legislation arising from proper debate and discussion.