ET Plus Report
Jammu, Mar 14: Even as a few interventions by a couple of ministers were seen in the Legislative Assembly today , seeking presence of main opposition party PDP's presence in the House and asking for a sort of 'appeal' from the Assembly to participate in the proceedings, no serious or formal attempt has yet been made by the government to take party's absence seriously or express concern over their decision to completely boycott rest of the session. On the second consecutive day, the government went on with its 'business as usual' without caring for the absence of single largest party in the House.
In the political circles while it is being argued that democracy calls for PDP's presence in the House rather than their staying away from it, political proprietary also demands that government should have taken up this as a matter of concern and seriously discussed , rather than continuing with scheduled business , as if it were conducting of a classroom where absence or presence of all children doesn't matter in moving ahead with completion of syllabus. Both parties in the ruling coalition Congress as well as National Conference have not uttered a formal statement calling for their presence in the Assembly. No matter other two parties BJP and NPP are there in the House to register as opposition but PDP being the principle opposition party, its decision on boycott certainly impacts upon the conduct of the Legislative proceedings in more than one way, if not legally or constitutionally.
Observers have it to say that ruling elite are silent as it suits both the parties again in more than one way. But that is not what a democratic set up is all for, particularly the Assembly which is the highest forum of representation of public representatives where the presence of main opposition party is mandatory to keep a check and scrutiny on the functioning of the government. The way PDP had been taking on the government on a host of issues which the party leadership deems most crucial in terms of its constituency , NC and Congress must be feeling relieved for a while without their nagging and uproar, that resulted in disruptions occasionally, but again the legislative proceedings are not a matter of convenience nor should it be seen as absence of opposition helps conducting of business peacefully.
For a couple of days till the grants of various departments will be discussed and passed , no matter with voice vote, PDP's absence may not matter for the government . But when it comes to tabling some important bills , discussing sensitive matters through resolutions and private members bills, or while raking up issues of common masses, PDP's absence would certainly become conspicuous which is why government must make serious efforts in this direction and appeal PDP to join the proceedings. Of all the bills, it is the tabling of vital Police Bill which is in government business and without PDP, which has been airing serious concern over certain provisions, its passage would again invite serious repercussions and snowball the issue into controversy again. Government, Congress in particular must recall what its stalwart late Pandit JL Nehru had made a significant quote reflecting importance of the opposition in the Parliament: "Government is like a cycle moving down a slope …….and opposition is like a brake which checks its speed …". |
