Pitiable state of Indian democracy

The Budget session of the Parliament this year too seems to be a washout as far as any productive business is concerned apart from passing the Budget. The Opposition has already set a prelude to the same in its boycott of the President's address of the joint session. President's address is not boycotted usually. It is a custom that is time-honoured. The BJP on Friday lashed out at Opposition parties for boycotting President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint siting of Parliament, calling it "unfortunate" and noting that he as the constitutional head of the country is above political differences.

BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad singled out the Congress, the largest Opposition party which is among the 20 parties that boycotted the address, in his attack, saying its "arrogance" is the "real problem" as it believes that it is bound to rule the country despite not having the popular mandate. The Opposition parties violated parliamentary conventions. We can expect little else with our leaders who prefer politics to national interest of Parliamentary customs and traditions.

Nowadays, political parties don't waste time in attacking the ruling party or the Treasury Benches in the House. The come well prepared with their agenda. Their preparation for the Business Advisory Committee meets is less meticulous. If the Opposition carefully plans its assault from the moment the Speaker or the Chair occupies his or her seat, the rivals in power lapse no time in attacking them. Their aggressiveness matches that of the others and the wordy dual outmatches one another's.

From the hollowed precincts of the Parliament to the portals of the Assemblies, this is the common occurrence. More time is spent on getting historical in the hysterical accusative arguments leading to the burial of the people's interest or the national interest. The recent times have seen even the armed forces being drawn into the muck. Of course, no one takes them seriously. If people were to believe in every utterance, then the nation will have to accept that our former leaders as well the present ones are all anti-nationals.

Mercifully, this does not happen despite such level of acrimony. Let us say, for once, that these MPs all have genuine interest in the welfare of the farmers in mind. Many of them could be so. But, why is the farmer still fighting for his rights and a fair price? Those who bring in a change to the law, criticise the same when it is taken to the logical end later. Reforms are initiated and then opposed.

With the change of the governments, these arguments too change, rather, the lines are swapped by them. We are left bewildered watching the same lines being parroted by a different set of players. When the script does not change, the story does not change. Be it farmers, tribals, women or youth or be it the other deprived sections of the society, their lives don't change. That is the pity with the Indian democracy. It is futile to expect a better performance from our representatives.