The Hindu Business Line : Turbulent monsoon session

The Government stuck to its stand on ruling out any JPC on the nuclear issue, pointing out that no international agreement had been subjected to Parliament’s scrutiny or ratification in the 57 years since the Constitution came into force.

R. C. Rajamani

As expected, it was a turbulent monsoon session of Parliament that ended abruptly — four days ahead of schedule — on September 10. As members dispersed for their respective homes, the one thought that troubled their minds was the strong possibility of an early general election. For, the Left parties, whose support from outside is crucial to the survival of the Congress-led UPA Government, have opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal lock, stock and barrel.

The Government is equally determined to go ahead with the deal, come what may. Unless the two display a miraculous change of attitude between now and the winter session, expected to start in the third week of November, it is difficult to imagine the life of this Government extending beyond the New Year.

It was chaos from day one for the session, which commenced on August 10. The Lok Sabha lost 41 working hours and the Rajya Sabha 42 hours owing to disruption of proceedings over the Government-Opposition face-off on the nuclear and other issues.

Even the all important Question Hour went for a toss for eight days in the Lok Sabha and seven in the Upper House. The much talked about discussion on the nuclear issue was not taken up though it was listed in both the Houses.

Casualties

Among other casualties were the promised discussions on the Government’s contentious decision to import wheat and on the socio-economic status of Muslims in the light of the Sachar Committee report. Expressing anguish over the loss of precious Parliament time due to disruption, the Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, exhorted all members to do some “retrospection”.

On the last day, amidst the din over the nuclear issue, the Lok Sabha passed the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2006 without discussion, while the Labour Minister, Mr Oscar Fernandes, introduced in the Rajya Sabha the long awaited Bill providing social security to unorganised workers.

The Upper House also passed two other key Bills — The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Bill and the Competition (Amendment) Bill — without discussion.

During week earlier, the Shipping and Transport Minister, Mr T.R. Baalu secured the passage of the Carriage by Road Bill in the Rajya Sabha without any discussion. The Petroleum Minister, Mr Murli Deora, managed to introduce a Bill for establishing the Rajiv Gandhi Petroleum Institute at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

The Lok Sabha passed the Apprentices (Amendment) Bill 2007 in similar fashion. The Bill, amending the original Apprentices Act 1961, seeks to provide reservation for backward classes apart from the already covered scheduled castes and tribes in apprenticeship training.

BJP demand

The BJP-led NDA demanded the formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to go into the whole gamut of the Indo-US deal on civil nuclear cooperation. It also vehemently opposed the Government’s decision to form a 15-member UPA-Left committee to examine the nuclear deal, “bypassing Parliament”.

The Government was equally steadfast in its stand on ruling out any JPC on the nuclear issue, pointing out that no international agreement had been subjected to Parliament’s scrutiny or ratification in the 57 years since the Constitution came into force. It also rejected the Opposition’s demand for dismantling the 15-member UPA-Left committee formed to look into the concerns expressed by its Left supporters.

A shameful event during the session was Lok Sabha’s reprimand of the RJD member, Mr Rajesh Kumar Manjhi, who went on an official tour with a woman who posed as his wife, and suspended him for 30 sittings of the House.

The Speaker said it was yet another “very sorry incident.” Mr Manjhi, the Gaya (SC) MP, was found guilty of cheating and impersonation by a Committee headed by Mr V. Kishore Chandra S. Deo.

‘Headless chicken’

Earlier in the session, for days together, the lawmakers were aflutter in Parliament, insisting that they had been likened to “headless chicken” for their reaction to the Indo-US nuclear deal in a interview by Mr Ronen Sen, India’s Ambassador in Washington.

They appeared convinced that the avian analogy was aimed at them even in the face of advice by the Government and the presiding officers that they wait for the authentic version of the interview. Revealing ruffled feathers and in a flap, as it were, they clamoured for the recall of the “offending” envoy.

Even senior members and former Ministers seemed so overcome that they forgot moderation momentarily. For instance, Mr Yashwant Sinha in the Rajya Sabha spoke thus: “Sir (addressing the Chair), I have filed a notice of breach of privilege against our Ambassador in Washington. This is a breach of Privilege of the entire House, because he has called us ‘headless chickens’. I think nothing worse has ever been said about Parliamentarians by a serving officer of the Government of India. To describe this august assembly, as ‘headless chickens’ is abusive language, the parallel of which is difficult to find in our democracy.

“I have been personally quoted; I am a former External Affairs Minister myself. This gentleman has served with me in various capacities and, therefore, I am particularly pained that I have been described as ‘opposing the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, without reading the text’, which shows that I am not merely a headless chicken, I am also a brainless Chicken!”

The spectre of a mid-term poll also hung over Parliament during the entire session as the Left continued with its veiled threats about the Government having to face “serious consequences” if it went ahead with the nuclear deal.

An impression was also sought to be made by the treasury benches that they were ready for any eventuality – fall of the Government and an early return to the people. Lending credence to the impression was the way the Government speedily discussed and disposed of the supplementary demands (general) and (railways). The Lok Sabha sat late for two consecutive days to pass the demands and approve the relevant appropriation Bills.

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