Opening act

Great expectations are pinned to the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, given the sheer volume of unfinished legislative business, and the amazing free fall of the past few months. The opposition’s passive-aggressive behaviour and the government’s reflexive obduracy over a JPC were the reason the winter session had to be written off, and that certainly contributed to the clear authority vacuum of recent months, even as agitations around the Lokpal bill gathered force. In the winter session, the government introduced nine of 32 new bills and passed zero of 31 pending bills. The February-March 2011 budget session was marginally better, as the government managed to introduce 14 of 35 new bills and pass 10 of 34 pending bills. It is difficult to deny that this current impasse has been largely brought about by the irresponsible grandstanding of the entire political class. Now, after all the rhetoric about Parliament’s irreplaceable place in a deliberative democracy, it is time to demonstrate that control.

Even as the Lokpal bill clamour threatens to begin again, given the near-impossibility of meeting any immediate deadlines, Parliament must retain a sense of its own place and refuse to be swayed by all the street action. Apart from the Lokpal bill, it must be noted that in this very session there are several bills in the works that aim to curb corruption and its various facets, from the whistleblower bill to the judicial accountability bill and one on the bribing of foreign officials. Other matters on the agenda are equally pressing — from mining regulation to insurance and banking laws to pension and the GST, not to mention ambitious, far-reaching bills like the women’s reservation bill. Giving final shape to these bills will take patience and commitment, and a conscious decision to eschew confrontation.

The relationship between the two major parties is still frayed, but they will have to find areas of overlap and agreement on pending legislation. One of the unintended consequences of the Lokpal-related sound and fury has been this

behind-the-scenes cooperation between parties — not only to sort out legislative details, but also because of the climate of generalised hostility towards the political class, and issues like SPOs, for example, where the BJP and the Congress have common instincts. Cooperation and give will be essential to push through even a part of the legislation on its plate.