OPPOSITION HOLDS PARLIAMENT TO RANSOM
Modi government frustrates designs with
Ordinances
By Amba Charan Vashishth
The opposition has failed to come to terms with
the people's verdict which gave a convincing majority to Modi government
defeating the forces of status quo and 'performance deficit' represented by
Congress-led UPA and its cohorts. It has also failed to digest the enormous
work done by the new government. Ghar
wapsi programme in various parts of the country was blow out of proportion to make an issue
out of no issue. It became handy to an issue starved opposition to cry hoarse
in Rajya Sabha to stall the passage of important bills and retard nation's
progress.
In the 2014 elections to Lok Sabha whether it was the
Congress or the left parties or the social justice brigade of Mulayam Singh
Yadav's Samajwadi Party, Janta Dal-United, Janta Dal-Secular or Lalu Yadav's
Rashtriya Janata Dal or the self-proclaimed 'secularists' — they all were all
out to defeat the BJP-led NDA and its icon Narendra Modi who contested the
election on the plank of development and good governance with the slogan "sabkka
saath, sabkaa vikaas". People gave Modi a big hand. He addressed
historic rallies all over the country, the size of congregation never witnessed
before. The people of India defeated convincingly and decisively the ruling
Congress-led UPA and others. The
vanquished were dumbfounded.
During the last seven months Prime Minister Modi has made a
mark for himself — and for the country —
with his unique style of functioning in the country that the world came to
recognize that he is the man who has the skill to translate his words into
action. He impressed the people of the countries he visited in a manner no
other Indian leader so far in the past could. He has established a rapport with
world leaders like US President, Russian President, Chinese President, Japanese
Prime Minister, neighbours Nepal, Bhutan and who not whom he met. Not to be
lagged behind the world leaders made a beeline to visit India and meet Modi.
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Modi is the first Indian
leader to have impressed the world so fast and so soon in so short a time
to be declared the the most favourite to win TIME magazine's prestigious
'Person of the Year' award. At home for the TIMES OF INDIA "Person
of the Year (2014) award", according to the paper, Narendra Modi had a
walkover as there was no contest.
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He has the knack
of silencing his critics and convincing his opponents who had accused him of
weaving dreams which could not be realised. He became the first Prime Minister
to speak ex tempore while replying to the debate on Motion of Thanks to the
President's Address in both houses of Parliament. Without naming any individual
MP or Party, he gave a befitting reply to every point of importance raised in
the debate.
He also became
the first Prime Minister to make an ex tempore address to the nation on the
Doordarshan and also while addressing the nation on the Independence Day from
the ramparts of the Red Fort.
During the last
seven months he has launched many innovative projects and initiatives. He means
what he says and says what he means. In implementation of his declarations and
that too in no time, he has no parallel. The Jandhan Yojna was launched
within a fortnight of the announcement on august 15. The Banks have achieved
the target of opening 10 crore accounts one month before the 26 January
deadline set earlier.
The “Make in
India” programme is creating waves within the country and generating ripples
even abroad.Swachh Bharat programme has caught the imagination of the nation and has
created a new awareness among the masses. Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna too has made
the public representatives to involve themselves with the hopes and aspirations
of their constituents by developing one such village every year in one's
constituency.
The economy is
back on the rails sooner than expected. The industrial production has picked up.
The GDP is projected to achieve a higher growth this financial year. The global
interest in the country is increasing fast and pace of FDI investment gaining
momentum. Economic reforms and liberalization of economy has received a boost.
On fighting
terror and internal security, Modi government has sent out a tough message to
the anti-national elements. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is tackling the
situation head-on. Tough stand on border skirmishes by both China and Pakistan
has started paying dividends. Pakistan has started harking to the
concerns of India on cross-border terrorism with tangible results.
An opposition
severely battered by the people has lost its direction. It is groping in the
dark what to do. It has lost the stamina to digest such great achievements so
fast. The caravan of development led by Modi government is unstoppable. Modi
government had nothing to do, directly or indirectly, with the isolated reports
of ghar wapsi by certain families and groups in
different parts of the country But it came handy to the opposition already
starved of issues to take on the Modi government. It made a mountain of a mole
hill.
During this very
period there were reports of conversion of Hindus into Christianity in Odisha
and Kerala. But that did not pierce the conscience of the self-styled
secularists for whom conversion is a pious ‘secular’ act and unflinching right
but ghar wapsi (re-conversion) a rank ‘communalism’ and
a ’crime’ unpardonable. If people have the right to convert, who can deny them
the right to rethink and re-convert?
The Insurance
Bill, the Land Acquisition Bill and Coal Sector reform Bills stood already
passed by the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha too was expected to give its approval
because not doing so would have put the opposition in the dock for stalling the
process of reforms which were out to benefit the nation. Since Lok Sabha had
already put its seal of approval to these Bills, ghar wapsi did not raise the tempers of those
very ‘secularists’ in this house. These very parties which did not allow the
Rajya Sabha to function remained unconcerned on the ghar wapsi issue in
Lok Sabha.
The Modi
government on its part expressed its willingness to discuss the issue and volunteered
to come out with a law to ban conversions. But those very people beating their
chests red in Rajya Sabha were not willing to put an end to that very crime
they were opposing. That exposes the hypocrisy and honesty of their sense of
purpose.
The NDA
government, in these circumstances, could not afford to allow the parliament to
be held to ransom. It could not to afford to inherit status quo stigma of the
UPA government suffering from “governance deficit”. The only course left
with the government was to resort to issue Ordinances which a representative
government needs to explore only rarely. But Modi government had no other
alternative. It decided to move on and clear the hurdles created by the
opposition. The opposition had vowed to function as a constructive organ of
democracy. But it, in effect, proved to be a hurdle in the nation’s march
forward. The opposition is surely the watchdog of public interest — a watchdog that is useful as long as it is vigilant but not
when it immobilizes its own master and
pushes him to a hospital bed. ***
