The Hindu Business Line : Parliament faces a winter of discord

At least 50 legislative measures are scheduled for introduction or consideration in the winter session of Parliament, opening today. But this appears a tall order, given the confrontationist mood of the Opposition. R. C. Rajamani says that it may be safe to bet that once again matters political rather than legislative will dominate the proceedings. Paradoxically, it is going to be a hot winter of polemics and politics.

(From left) Mr Somnath Chatterjee, Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr P. D. T Acharya, Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister and Mr Priyaranjan Das Munshi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, ahead of Parliament winter session — V. Sudershan.

BY ALL accounts it is going to be a winter of discord for the Parliament session beginning today (Wednesday) in the backdrop of volatile political developments such as the Volcker Committee report on Iraqi oil pay-off scandal and the Left's indignation over the United Progressive Alliance Government's anti-Iran vote at the UN.

The main BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Opposition is ready with considerable ammunition against the Government and has already served notice of its belligerent intentions. Its win in the Bihar Assembly election should strengthen its hands. It has said it would not be satisfied with less than the exit of Mr Natwar Singh, who was stripped of his External Affairs portfolio. It has demanded the resignation of both Mr Natwar Singh and of the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, as the Volcker report names him and the party as "non-contractual beneficiaries" of the oil-for-food pay-off. However, the attack may be blunted by the latest reports suggesting that the NDA government had known of the "pay-off" but had taken no action. The BJP has denied any knowledge of the letter.

According to the BJP, it has moved notices on as many as 40 issues to be discussed under Rules 193 and 184. The Volcker report, the Mitrokhin papers and the storming of the Jehanabad prison by Naxalites are sought to be discussed under Rule 184, which provides for voting.

The Left, nit-picking from Day One of the UPA regime on one economic issue or the other, is now training its guns on the Government over India's vote against Iran at the last meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It has stated, rather ominously, that its future ties with the UPA may hinge on the stand the Government would take at the IAEA meeting on November 24, a day after the start of the session. However, latest reports indicate that the Government may have worked out a satisfactory formula to resolve the issue. It has apparently assured the Left of its move to ensure that the Iran nuclear issue remains within the jurisdiction of the IAEA and that there is a possibility of there being no voting.

Two of the key economic legislation that are likely to be taken up are the Pension Fund Regulatory Mechanism Bill and the National Tax Tribunal Bill. The two have been given priority for Parliament approval during the four-week session. The Factories Amendment Bill, the Punjab General Sales Tax Repeal Bill, the Electricity (Amendment) Bill and the Unorganised Sector Workers' Bill, the Government Securities Bill, the Actuaries Bill, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Bill, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (Cooperatives) and the Information Technology (Amendment) Bill are the other pieces of legislation likely to be taken up in this session.

One Bill that has a bearing on India's foreign trade is the legislation to give university and statutory status to the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). The measure is expected to encourage the NIFT to compete in the global garment and textile markets. The Government is likely to introduce three new amending Bills to the Chartered Accountants Act, the Cost and Works Accountants Act and the Company Secretaries Act.

The Left is pressing for the introduction of the Scheduled Tribes Forest Rights and is likely to raise the plight of the poor farmers and the current upward trend of prices of essential commodities. A particular spot of the Left-UPA standoff is the Pension Regulatory Authority Amendment Bill. The Left has suggested some amendments that may force the Government to recede from its original position on certain provisions of the measure.

The Left is also bringing up the women's reservation and blaming the Congress for the little progress on it, though well aware of the utter lack of political consensus on the issue. Its own friends such as the RJD are against the Bill without the provision of further reservation for the oppressed sections within the legislation. Nevertheless, the CPI(M) has suggested a joint Parliament sitting to pass the legislation.

For the Opposition, the other planks of attack are the Supreme Court's final interpretation of its judgment on the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly (the Court has held the dissolution "unconstitutional"); the Delhi bomb blasts and the recent spurt in violence in Kashmir despite India's humanitarian aid to PoK.

Bracing up to face the NDA onslaught, the Congress is believed to have opposed any discussion on the issue of Mitrokhin papers that allege that the KGB had funded political parties, primarily the Congress, and their leaders during the Cold War years. At a dinner meeting ahead of the session, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Congress chief, Ms Sonia Gandhi, told the Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, that the Government was willing to discuss all issues barring the Mitrokhin papers.

The ruling UPA has at least one stick to beat the Opposition with: The RSS chief, Mr K. S. Sudarshan's reported call to Hindus to have four children each is certain to produce sparks with the ruling benches ready to rap the Sangh Parivar for its "communal demographic philosophy".

The Government is likely to introduce the controversial Communal Violence Bill during the session. When passed, it will give the Centre greater powers to intervene in a communally disturbed area and also give riot victims the right to compensation. But the measure has the potential to trigger a fierce confrontation between the UPA and the NDA. Under the Bill, the Centre can advise a State to declare a district or districts "communally disturbed". If the State disagrees, the Centre can still intervene and send in security forces to control the situation in consultation with the local authorities.

In the area of legal and political legislation pending Parliamentary attention are the Contempt of Courts Amendment Bill, the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Bill and the Criminal Law Amendment Bill. Among the social sector legislation are the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, the Manipur University Bill, the Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights Bill, the Prevention of Child Marriage Bill, the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (Reservation in Posts and Services) Bill and the Disaster Management Bill. The Government may bring in a Distance Education Council Bill, establishing a regulating authority for open universities.

At least 50 legislative measures are scheduled for introduction or consideration. This appears a tall order for the session, given the potential for interruption of proceedings in view of the confrontationist mood of the Opposition.

The Speaker may have tried to impress up on the political parties the need for smooth legislative business in view of a heavy agenda that includes long-pending Bills. However, it may be safe to bet is that once again matters political rather than legislative will dominate the proceedings. It is going to be, though paradoxically, a hot winter of polemics, political discord and public discontent.

(The author, a former Deputy Editor of PTI, is a New Delhi-based freelance journalist.)

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