Budget Session of Parliament: Testing time for Modi govt

The Modi government goes into its second Budget session of Parliament today in a very uncomfortable situation in political and economic terms. Though the economy appears to be in a rather good shape with a projected 7.6 per cent growth for 2015-16, there are concerns that it is not picking up momentum as much as it was expected to. This has been partly due to the continued sluggishness in the global economy. The sentiment in the private sector is less than positive, and the economists are emphasising the need for more public investment in order to draw out private investment. 

The government has been unhappy with the fact that it has not been able to push through two important economic reforms — an amended land acquisition bill and the Good and Services Tax (GST) bill — because of determined stalling from the Congress, the main opposition party, and others. The BJP and its allies enjoy a majority in the Lok Sabha but not in the Rajya Sabha. The GST is a constitution amendment bill, and it needs the approval of two-thirds of those present and voting in each House.  

The political atmosphere has suddenly turned gray. It has taken on a slightly alarming proportion though there is no real political challenge as such. It is the incidents at the Central University of Hyderabad and at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in the national capital that have vitiated the atmosphere because of student protests and the failure of the university authorities to handle them with tact and sensitivity. The situation became worse when Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani intervened in a clumsy fashion. There is the added worry of the Jats, the powerful farming community, going on a rampage during the agitation in Haryana seeking reservations in educational institutions and in government jobs.

For the first time since he took over as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has shown signs of being on the defensive. Speaking at a meeting on Odisha, he complained that the opposition parties and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are trying to destabilise his government. This is surprising,  coming from the man who was riding the electoral wave in the summer of 2014. A government which feels that it is under siege is not a good sign for the government itself; neither it is  for the country. 

The temptation for the Congress and other opposition parties might be to press home the advantage and corner the government, stall bills and disrupt the proceedings. The government and Modi can turn around and point an accusing finger at the opposition. This would be a short-sighted strategy. The BJP and Modi have been elected to serve a term of five years and they should have the opportunity to do what they can to administer the country.

The Congress have lost the mandate in 2014, and the party must serve its time in the opposition. It can criticise the government, and oppose to the extent that parliamentary procedures allow it to do so. That is, it can vote against bills which it does not agree with. But, it cannot, and should not, disrupt Parliament and go on to the streets in the name of defending people’s interests.

Parliament has to function, and it is the collective responsibility of both the government and opposition parties to let it happen. The government should adopt a conciliatory tone, and it should play down its note of triumphalism that it had adopted in the past year. The opposition should abandon its peevish attitude and cooperate in the running of Parliament.