The Hindu Business Line : A session that did not go much beyond Budget

The just-concluded Budget session will be remembered more for the daily disorder, division, anger, acrimony and agitation than for any constructive legislative work.

The three-month-long Budget session of Parliament has ended. Unfortunately, it is remembered more for the daily disorder, division, anger, acrimony and agitation than for any constructive legislative work. No doubt, Parliament passed the Finance Bill, 2007, giving effect to all the Budget proposals. This apart, whatever legislative work that was achieved was done in haste and in a rather haphazard fashion.

Striking a confrontationist posture right from Day One, the Opposition made it clear that it would use the floor for political battles, especially with the marathon seven-phase UP elections running almost parallel to the session. The stunning discovery of human trafficking indulged in by some members also cast its long shadow of shame over the session.

Having finished with the main business of passing the Finance Bill, both the Houses did some minor legislative business in the final two weeks that also saw frequent adjournments over some issue or the other. Among them were the Sethu Samudram Canal issue and the Sikh row involving Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Bofors again

Once again the Bofors scandal presented the Opposition the stick to beat the Treasury Benches with. In all these 20 years since it first erupted over the political scene, the issue has had its visitations time and again to haunt the Congress party. Just when the Opposition seemed resigned to the fact of Ottavio Quattrocchi being "let off the hook," news from Argentina about his arrest enthused it to resume its attack on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and, Ms Sonia Gandhi. The Opposition savaged the "sinister silence" of the Government over Quattrocchi's detention in Argentina and its alleged disinterest in getting him extradited to India to face trial.

Perhaps the classic example of using the floor of Parliament for partisan political ends came, sadly and surprisingly from a former Prime Minister, Mr H. D. Deve Gowda. Mr Gowda's raking up the emotive Cauvery waters issue, prompted the Lok Sabha Speaker to virtually admonish him. Even as the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, was ready to reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Mr Chatterjee conceded a request by Mr Gowda for an intervention on the condition that he would not bring up the Cauvery issue that had seen feelings run high and forced a few adjournments.

But in his first words, Mr Gowda said that the Speaker had asked him not to mention "the Cauvery issue," thus making his intentions clear. Alluding to the opposition to a discussion on the issue by Tamil Nadu MPs, he asked whether "the compulsions of coalition politics and exigencies of power play" could be allowed to gag the voices of five-and-a-half crore people who wanted to find expression through their elected representatives in Parliament. A visibly upset Speaker made it known that he did not quite appreciate the way Mr Gowda sought to rake up the issue. In a veiled comment on the performance of his predecessor, Dr Singh called up on all political parties to treat water as a national resource and not as an issue that should divide the people.

Lacklustre discussion

The discussion on the Finance Bill was the most lacklustre and perfunctory in recent memory. In the Lok Sabha, the National Democratic Alliance fielded Hiren Pathak of the BJP as its main speaker and the former Union Minister's performance was disappointing and lacked cut and thrust.

Forced adjournments even during the all important Question Hour, thin attendance that would find even the honourable few yawing in the soporific summer afternoon and the crucial Finance Bill, 2007 having been adopted, the lawmakers were left with little to do in Parliament the last two weeks. An early sine die adjournment was very much in the air despite the CPI complaining through its veteran Gurudas Dasgupta that Parliament work was not being taken seriously. In his customary valedictory address, the Lok Sabha Speaker revealed his mind, expressing concern over passage of legislative and financial business without discussion. He bemoaned the fact that the House lost over 73 hours due to interruptions and forced adjournments during the session. With the general mood of confrontation during the entire session weighing on their minds, the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Dr Manmohan Singh, who is also the Leader of the House, and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Jaswant Singh, expressed dismay and disappointment over the persistent pandemonium, but hoped the monsoon session would see better days. Mr Jaswant Singh said the session was unusual because the House functioned in fits and starts. "This is because probably there is a defect in the engine and we should reflect on this," he said in a rather enigmatic fashion, leaving his remarks to differing interpretations.

Perhaps, the most honest comment came from the Prime Minister whose observation seemed closest to the truth. Observing that he did not want to comment on what had happened during the session, Dr Singh quipped, "Everything is not right." Continuing, he said time has come for "everyone to reflect what is happening in the House.

There was a time when Parliament made a serious effort to redress the problems that had crept into the system. On the 50th anniversary of Independence, we had evolved a code of conduct. There was to be no entering the Well of the House and there would be no disruption of Question Hour.

All this seems to have been forgotten. It is our solemn duty as Parliamentarians to reflect whether it enhances the standing of Parliament in the eyes of the people." The prime minister's appeal has not come a day sooner. Monsoon session is two months away. As a veteran parliamentarian said outside in wry humour, "One hopes the time is enough for the message to register."

(The author, a former Deputy Editor with PTI, is a New Delhi-based freelance journalist. Feedback can be sent to rajamani_rc@yahoo.co.uk or rajamanirc@gmail.com)