WHITHER WINTER SESSION?

In the normal course, by now the schedule for the winter session of Parliament ought to have been notified. It has not been done so far. This is causing avoidable confusion and misgivings in a section of the polity. Traditionally Parliament has met almost without exception for a short, two- three-week session beginning sometime in the second half of November. Though the dates for the winter session can still be notified on a short notice, the failure of the Government to end confusion on this score is proving counter-productive. For, it plays straight into the hands of those who allege that the Modi Government has a rather cavalier attitude towards Parliament and, two, it violates an established convention which stipulates that a winter session be held sometime in November. In all likelihood, the unofficial reasons for not heeding the old tradition will be two-fold. One, that from Prime Minister down ministers and MPs, even those of the Opposition, are engaged in the on-going Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, though the one-day polling in the former is scheduled to end on November 9. Secondly, the Government might plead a lack of legislative agenda for not convening the winter session this year. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs is yet to meet for this purpose. Its chairman, Rajnath Singh, busy campaigning in Himachal Pradesh, can convene the meeting at a short notice, that is, should they want to summon the winter session. However, there is an apprehension that there may not be any winter session this year. The real reason for giving it a miss might lie in the genuine fear that a determined Opposition would indulge in disruptions and boycotts and generally misuse it to pillory the Government with an eye on the Gujarat poll. That fear is not wrong. However, these factors still do not invalidate the need to ensure that parliament stays relevant in the overall scheme of things but is also seen to be so. Unfortunately, over the years not only have the number of sittings of parliament come down drastically, what is worse both the ruling party and the opposition are guilty of reducing it virtually to a shouting club without actually deliberating in a calm atmosphere on serious issues in a constructive manner. Key legislation, including money bills are often approved in a most perfunctory manner without any serious debate. Admittedly, important legislative measures are now being dissected threadbare in various parliamentary committees before being presented for passage in Parliament.

Yet for the wider awareness and education of the public in the shaping of policies impinging on their welfare it is important that there is a free, frank and interruption-free debate in the House as well. Sadly, such a salutary feature of our parliamentary democracy is seen less and less due to the growing predominance of the political executive. The injection of confrontation in the polity has further vitiated the atmosphere for the smooth functioning of parliament and state assemblies. A government enjoying a strong majority, whether central or state, feels little obligation to the legislature, bar the bare minimum needed to stay on the right side of the Constitution. The resulting diminution in the role of legislatures has shifted the power of balance in the constitutional system, as envisaged originally by the founding fathers, in favour of the executive. Indeed, things have come to such a pass that legislatures are now treated as rubber stamps by the executive: the executive proposes, and the legislature dutifully disposes. Small wonder, then, that no longer does our polity boast of effective and impressive parliamentarians as was the case only a few decades ago. Where are the Hiren Mukherjees and Atal Behari Vajpayees of the 21st century India or the Madhu Limayes and the Pilloo Modis, for that matter. Given the scant attention given to Parliament, and the anxiety of the ruling party to keep debates to the minimum, legislatures no longer throw up great speakers and debaters. Meanwhile, the winter session should be called for another reason: At no additional cost, the Government can deny the Opposition an opportunity to blame it for riding rough shod over an established parliamentary tradition.