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| Picture isn't hazy, Left won't be lazy | | UPA Govt to face stormy Opposition | |
NEW DELHI, NOV 9
The Congress-led coalition government at the Centre is in for trouble. Indications are by no means uncertain that the Manmohan Singh government will face stormy scenes in both Houses of Parliament during the upcoming winter session.
With the Opposition parties, particularly the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), currently busy working out respective strategies to make their presence felt on the scene inside and outside Parliament, the UPA government is bound to be troubled and embarrassed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. On present indications, the Manmohan Singh government will have to answer inconvenient questions from the Opposition.
The Left parties are part of the present Congress-led coalition government. But the posture of the Left leaders is going to be diferent altogether. The government should expect the red war cry to get shriller during the winter session of Parliament, commencing November 20. The reason is a severe reprimand from the party bosses who have ticked-off CPI-M leaders for not doing enough to spread the Left agenda in the two Houses.
The CPI-M's organisational report says that though May 2004 may have returned a record number of MPs for the party, but the numbers have not translated into an aggressive Left agenda being pushed through. The report reprimands the MPs and points out that: The performance in the Lok Sabha needs improvement and party MPs should intervene in proceedings more often. The work done by party MPs in the standing committee is weak. The MPs seem unable to put across their disagreements where it matters.
Interestingly for a party whose members are widely believed to be the best read, the party says its MPs need to prepare better and take its work of scrutinising reports and legislations more seriously."We try to put forth our point very effectively, but it is ultimately up to the government to take it up. There is no feeling of helplessness," says senior CPI-M leader, Brinda Karat.
While the senior leaders may not have taken well to the report, the smaller constituents of the Left front seem to agree, saying the onus of the Left cause in Parliament rests with the CPI-M as it is the big brother after all. Some Left leaders also believe that there is a conspicuous lack of an orator the CPI-M after a very vocal Somnath Chatterjee became the Speaker of Lok Sabha.
"The bigger parties have to take more responsibility" says senior Left leader Abani Roy.While Lenin may have believed that the Parliament is a pigsty, the Communists in India are keenly aware that if it wants the legislations important to it to be pushed through or have its dissent effectively heard, it is Parliament that is the best resort. |
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