Onus on government to ensure debate

The observations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India N V Ramana about the need for debate and dialogue in parliament are especially relevant when the monsoon session has just started. The Prime Minister, in his customary message at the beginning of the session, called for “dialogue in parliament with an open mind” and “debate, if necessary.’’ He called upon all MPs to “contemplate deeply and discuss” matters. The Chief Justice, at a function in the Rajasthan Assembly on Saturday, was more specific and pointed out that laws were being passed without adequate deliberation and scrutiny. That led to a specific problem that the judiciary had to tackle because the courts have to evaluate and interpret laws which are vague in language and intent. Lack or paucity of debates in the legislature makes the court’s work difficult in this respect.

But the Chief Justice also flagged the wider issue of lack of debate in society when he spoke of the “acrimonious” state of politics in the country, and called upon politicians not to turn opposition into hostility. He said that such hostility negated democracy and observed that the space for political opposition is shrinking in the country. He also took pains to stress that India was meant to be a parliamentary democracy, not a parliamentary government. The CJI also stressed the importance of representation and plurality. While he added that he was not criticising lawmakers but was only expressing his concern, the fact that the situation in the country caused such concern in the mind of the person who holds its highest judicial office and made him express that in public shows how serious it is. Society and politics are witnessing growing acrimony and confrontation, and there are increasing pressures and assaults on the Opposition, robbing it of the room to function. The CJI also sought to emphasise that it is parliament that is supreme, not the government, and this is very relevant when parliament’s role is eroding in the country. The big majority in parliament is being used to short-circuit debate and deliberative processes and to ensure that the government has its way every time and on every issue.

It is this situation that makes the Opposition distrust the Prime Minister’s call for debate and dialogue. It is the record of the Prime Minister, the government and the ruling party in conducting the business of parliament and dealing with the Opposition that has created that distrust. They should create the right environment in parliament for dialogue and debate to take place. Otherwise, the Prime Minister’s words will amount to nothing more than a ritual message, devoid of intent.