The ruling dispensation riding roughshod on a dismembered opposition is not desirable as a strong opposition keeps democracy vibrant and dynamic
Deepak Laad
Riding on the gigantic mandate it received in the Lok Sabha elections, BJP now seems in no mood to adhere to Modi’s mantra of ‘sabka sath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas’ it flaunted during the hustings, so far as opposition parties are concerned.
The ruling BJP has unleashed a systematic campaign to decimate them at the Center and in the states. Already four TDP Rajyasabha MPs have crossed over to the ruling side and some SP Loksabha MPs are on their way. Congress MLAs in the state assemblies are being lured or coerced , either to defect to their side like it happened here in Goa or resign and reduce strength of their party so as to pave way for BJP to form government like it is unfolding in Karnataka.
Money is a major incentive in these unholy defections. The love for democratic values start bursting inside politicians only at times when they are relegated to warm up the opposition benches. Otherwise, whenever opportune offers come their way, politicians are ever ready to trample on every value and principle to defect outright in legally tenable bunches or be part of unethical compromises called Coalition Government – which in fact is euphemism for an arrangement for unscrupulous and unethical lot to come together to grab power to run narrow selfish agendas. Such actions are plainly treachery and betrayal of the voters’ mandate.
When our ex-deputy CM Sudin Dhavalikar, presently out in the cold, described the recent developments as a threat to democracy on the floor of house, Manohar Ajgaonkar hit back reminding him of the times when the former had approached him back in 1999 asking ‘his price’ for extending support.
Straight from the horse’s mouth comes proof that people’s representatives have price tags and horse trading is a reality in today’s politics.
A founder-member of the BJP in the state, now estranged from the party, recently hinted about possibility of horse trading in the latest political coup de maître in the state.
Will some ‘Babu’ spill the beans on how much changed hands behind the backdrop as we were kept engaged watching the unfolding drama? The going price of Rs. 40 crores per Congress MLAs in Karnataka to resign may not be a myth after all. All are naked in Turkish ‘Hamam’ (spa) goes a saying , that in a way describes majority of the present lot of politicians.
The opposition in Lok Sabha has been reduced to a small group sitting huddled in one corner looking diffident, distraught and forlorn with manifest disinterest in the House’s proceedings.
In our state assembly the pale and flustered looking - recently ousted from the cabinet- group is busy taking digs at their erstwhile cabinet colleagues.
The ruling dispensation at the center or state riding roughshod on the dismembered , rendered-weak opposition is not a desirable situation in any democracy. A strong opposition keeps the democracy vibrant and dynamic through debates and deliberations. The present narrow, selfish politics is hurting the nation’s polity.
When the nation is not faring well on major key indicators of its economy, the need of the hour is that the Government at the center takes the opposition party governments in states along - acknowledging and respecting them - seeking their constructive roles in democratic governance processes of nation building, instead of attempting to destabilize them for power grab.
The agricultural sector has grown poorly at 3.96% , facing problems of water supply and right price for the produce. The eight important core industries showed a growth rate of mere 5.10 % . Exports declined by 9.70 % and the world’s fastest growing economy has lowly 1.70 % share in world export market to show.
Thirty six crores ( 29% of population) are living in poverty.
Within a fortnight more than 200 children died in Bihar due to acute encephalitis as nourishment, medicines and medical facilities have been found wanting. The epidemic has been claiming lives of children in Uttar Pradesh too.
In neighboring Maharashtra, the number of children dying of malnourishment between April 2017 and February 2018,as admitted by their health minister, was ghastly 13500. The deaths of children and pregnant women continue unabated due to malnourishment.
Remember the Union Government aims to make India a $5 trillion ( Rs.375 lakh crores ) economy in five year’s time and a $ 3 trillion (Rs 225 lakh crores) economy by end of this financial year. Now more than a quarter of the current financial year has gone by and we haven’t even commenced the journey in that direction, yet.
At such times, the right thing to do for any nationalistic and patriotic government is to gird itself for all above challenges on a war footing- rising above petty party lines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and a bunch of minister in the center cannot collectively bring about a transition to $5 five trillion economy on their own.
For that the state governments need to be stable and functional in readiness to fire on all cylinders - free from fear of sword of Damocles of poaching and overthrowing hanging on their heads.
