On August 8, the government announced a premature adjournment of the monsoon session of Parliament. In the limited time in which Parliament functioned, it was mired in protests and adjournments, which is perhaps why the government adjourned the House early. To be sure, this isn’t the first time Parliament’s functioning has suffered because of lack of coordination between the Treasury and Opposition benches. Beyond the usual trading of charges between the government and the Opposition, this is a disturbing development.
On August 8, the government announced a premature adjournment of the monsoon session of Parliament. In the limited time in which Parliament functioned, it was mired in protests and adjournments, which is perhaps why the government adjourned the House early. To be sure, this isn’t the first time Parliament’s functioning has suffered because of lack of coordination between the Treasury and Opposition benches. Beyond the usual trading of charges between the government and the Opposition, this is a disturbing development.
In its true spirit, India’s constitutional scheme of separation of powers envisages the legislature as the arm which would demand accountability from the executive between two elections. For this to happen, Parliament should have a detailed debate on the laws which are brought forward by the executive and also discuss other issues of public interest. This cherished objective has seen a dilution for many decades now. A long-term data analysis of parliamentary performance published in HT shows that there has been a secular decline in the number of days Parliament sits in a year. It needs to be underlined that the deterioration in parliamentary functioning also has a qualitative aspect in terms of bills being passed without debate. To be sure, the government’s decision to withdraw the data protection bill to introduce a new bill after incorporating the suggestions of the standing committee marks a welcome change. In the past, many pieces of legislation were passed without even sending them to the standing committee despite repeated demands by the Opposition.
While the government needs to do all it can to bridge the trust deficit with the Opposition to improve Parliament’s functioning, the Opposition also needs to realise that it must not think of disrupting Parliament as an end in itself. At a time when the political discourse outside Parliament is becoming increasingly polarised and, perhaps, shallower, the quality of legislative debates should be seen as the last tool to arrest the deterioration in larger political discourse. The government has claimed that the new Parliament building will be ready in time for the winter session. One can only hope that when Parliament meets in the new building, it will make a new beginning to live up to its constitutional responsibilities.
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