India losing confidence in politicians as real issues thrown to winds

The non-confidence motion moved by the opposition alliance INDIA might have been a tactical success in breaking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s prolonged silence over the Manipur crisis that shamed the nation. Strategically speaking, INDIA missed an opportunity to pin down the Modi government on its failures and present a united alternative voice to the Modi-Modi chorus. Though one could hear INDIA-INDIA slogans that drowned the discussion in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the ‘Ayes’ of the treasury benches ultimately prevailed. It was not unexpected.

The motion was not about the numbers right from the beginning as the opposition did not have the adequate strength to overthrow the Modi government. It was about the content and the intent from both sides. But the discussions left the people disappointed. I am sure even many of Modi supporters would have also felt that the points from across many of the BJP Ministers lacked seriousness as they were all just allegations against the Congress. NDA has taken the people for granted and INDIA failed to meet the expectations.

The Lok Sabha session itself did not address major issues confronting the nation. As Speaker Om Birla himself said: the monsoon session of Lok Sabha had 17 sittings and the House functioned for 44 hours and 15 minutes. The no-confidence motion itself consumed about 20 hours.

The so-called debate itself reflected many lows with sloganeering led by the PM and the flying kiss episode involving Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. The ruling benches reduced the entire session into a sort of an election rally where the leaders say short, catchy phrases to be repeated by the audience. The seriousness of the BJP in trying to showcase its strength of confidence was thus lost.

The PM himself raked up history such as the IAF raid on terror camps in Mizoram in 1966 and Indira Gandhi’s emergency of 1975 as tools to attack the Congress. There was very little reference to the main issue raised by the opposition – the Manipur crisis. Neither Modi nor Home Minister Amit Shah could explain the action taken so far to tackle the sectarian violence except for blaming the Congress for the root cause, that too without substantiating it.

Obviously, there was nothing for the Centre to say about the failure to contain the violence for over three months. What is also startling is that none of the two Manipur MPs spoke. Lorho S. Pfoze, of BJP ally Naga People’s Front (NPF), said he was advised against speaking as Amit Shah would address the State’s issues, The Hindu reported. So, the voice from Ground Zero could not be echoed in Parliament.

BJP Ministers appeared to be trying to make fun of Rahul Gandhi not speaking as announced by him. They all shouted in unison rather than seriously listening to the opposition. Rahul, when he spoke ultimately, began well and ended with ‘Bharat Mata Ki Hatya’ jibe. He should have explained to the House as to what he meant by it rather than clarifying his position to the media outside.

Of course, one could see a lot of improvement in his body language and content delivery. He looked polished post the Bharat Jodo Yatra. And he began to exhibit a presence of mind with quick responses inside the House and outside with the media. But the flying kiss – whatever he meant by it – has taken away all the seriousness from his points. It was not a friend or a family gathering or a public rally where kisses can fly!. He should have remembered that he was in the Lok Sabha that demands certain decorum.

As we have been discussing, the opposition ought to have a shadow cabinet to monitor and raise issues department by department. For instance, if Smriti Irani and Nirmala Sitharaman reeled out statistics, the opposition should have countered with what they called failures such as farm debts, loss of employment, price rise and nonfulfillment of promises like Housing For All. Did anyone point out that the government’s intervention came a bit late in the tomato crisis. Even now, the red vegetable is sold at Rs 100 a kg in Mumbai retail against the Rs 70/kg price as promised by the government.

There was neither any voice against the Amrit Kal carrot nor resistance to the allegations against Congress Kal. Nine years of rule is more than enough to showcase what the BJP government could do rather than continuously blaming the Congress rule of nine year ago. This is where the Congress lacked the ammunition. If BJP said the opposition is politicising the Manipur crisis, the latter should have pointed out that the ruling party has turned a blind eye to the burning issue. Bombarding the Congress with atrocities in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and in Mamta’s Bengal is no solution to Manipur burning.

Agree, the opposition did not get as much time or facility as the ruling party which was not stopped from shouting down the INDIA members.

Rahul could speak for 37 minutes while Modi got two-and-a-half hours.

As we wrote earlier, ruckus by the ruling party is not expected by the people. Moreover, do our elected members have to shout as though they are in a TV debate?

Finally, the walkout by the opposition. We have said earlier also that walkouts is not the right answer for any problem. The right way is to answer the ruling party’s questions and claims by attending the House and counter the attack. They could peacefully respond and play the victim card in case the BJP members shout them down. Gandhigiri? Yes, why not!

At the end of the PM’s address, the opposition had a golden opportunity, though amid the din from treasury benches, to sum-up the idea behind the no-confidence motion and explain what it has achieved by making the PM speak on Manipur though he did not meet the people’s expectations.

The Congress could have assigned someone like Shashi Tharoor to do a quick home work on the PM’s allegation that the Indira Gandhi government had ordered IAF bombing on the Mizo areas. Mizo separatist leader Laldenga, then under Pak shelter in Karachi, had declared independence for Mizos and the Indian army strength was not adequate to tackle the resurgence. The air attack was a limited operation and confined to terror camps. It was of course difficult for anyone to explain now as to what happened 57 years ago. But this generation of the Congress leadership ought to have pointed out that it was Rajiv Gandhi who struck the Mizo peace accord with Laldenga. Rajiv had also signed a peace accord with AASU in Assam and even ordered fresh elections there when the Congress government was in power in the State – a point that Tarun Gogai could have explained. Congress should have pointed out that its governments did not neglect the Northeast, as alleged by PM.

But there was no one to wrap-up the opposition response and what PM spoke – relevant or otherwise – was allowed to have a free flow like a one-way traffic. The opposition should have said: what happened in Mizoram in 1966 is history. Today, the state is making peaceful progress. Let us discuss the present and find a solution to Manipur. Let an all-party delegation visit Manipur and try to heal the wounds – physical and mental.

The walkout was unwarranted. The opposition by this time, after 9 years of BJP’s bulldozing, should have learnt to face the attacks instead of giving an opportunity to Modi to say that they ran away from the vote.

Modi and followers take potshots at the INDIA alliance by referring to it as Ghamandia without realising that there is an NDA in GHAMANDIA. Doesn’t Modi play with the expression INDIA by saying it was there in East India company and Mujahideen?

How long do the people have to continue to suffer in this political bickering? Politicians should not be allowed to take the people for granted all the time.

(The columnist is a Mumbai-based independent media veteran, running websites and a youtube channel known for his thought-provoking messaging)