Curtains have come down on a stormy but ultimately 'productive' session of Parliament, one which witnessed the Government succeeding in pushing through the farm and labour reform bills in a deeply suspicious manner, that besides prompting the leading opposition parties to boycott the rest of the session, has also set a deeply disturbing precedent.
The Rajya Sabha, also known as the House of Elders, is arguably the highest echelon of democracy in this country whose members are looked upon as statesmen who keep the country on an even keel while also bringing some sanity to an otherwise noisy, chaotic democracy. While, in theory, the ruling benches have the numbers on their side, it is believed that the Government was falling short on the day because of certain absences either on account of members who had taken ill or who were not present in the House at the time.
The decision of the Chair of the Rajya Sabha to announce that the farm bills have been passed by a voice vote while the opposition made known its demand for a division of votes, understandably enraged the opposition benches who vociferously protested the decision and prompted the subsequent boycott. However, rather than try and concede some space and negotiate with the opposition as has been the practice these years, the Government went ahead and used the opportunity of the empty opposition benches to rush through several other equally controversial bills on labour reforms without any discussion whatsoever or trying to arrive at a consensus or defend its stance to explain to the people the benefits of its decisions.
No professional sportsperson who considers himself a true professional will take pride in victories that have been won either when his/her opponent is entirely absent or had to retire injured. A true professional will want to win, but only if s/he can win fair and square. Not this Government, which seems to have no such qualms. If anything, this has revealed the complete disdain with which the Government shows for the temple of democracy, a constitutional structure where the future course of the nation is charted. The dismantling of the Rajya Sabha is reflective of the larger dismantling of democracy that we are currently witnessing -- one in which the Government of the day is completely disregarding the need for a consensus or negotiation -- both essential elements of a democracy.
Time Magazine on Tuesday night revealed its list of 100 most influential people, which included India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the accompanying citation was especially damning. "The key to democracy is not, in fact, free elections. Those only tell who got the most votes. More important are the rights of those who did not vote for the winner. India has been the world's largest democracy for more than seven decades…. Narendra Modi has brought all that into doubt… Modi has governed as if no one else matters… The crucible of the pandemic became a pretence for stifling dissent. And the world's most vibrant democracy fell deeper into shadow," Time noted.
The Government's moves to force through its favoured and unpopular bills time and again have proven that if even the highest echelons of democracy can be dismantled then what of the other structures? And what recourse do those who do not agree to have?
