I do not understand why my countrymen are not outraged and disgusted at the current goings-on in our parliament.Elsewhere people would,I am sure,revolt in indignation if things came to such a pass.We are jaded by such spectacles and resigned,thus letting the most vital organ of democracy spin out of its normal course and zig zag away into sheer chaos.
BJP can now justly claim that it has succeeded in accomplishing things Congress had never done in last seventy five years.During the worst years of Congress rule if opposition expressed deep shock about a calamity such as the Kumbh Mela stampede when UP Government is declaring a massive undercount of casualties,and demanded action, the government would have conceded certain steps such as holding an emergency session and a prompt and credible investigation.
What do we find in stead today?
An unbelievable furore from the Treasury benches as if the very raising of this issue is a dire offence against the constitution.
The ways in which the voice of the opposition is gagged are brazen and outrageous.As though any criticism of the Prime Minister is no less than a lese majeste.Charges against government that are well-grounded and strong are dismissed by raucous hoots and curses by members from the ruling party.
Where is the room for fine reasoning and astute marshalling of facts when the criticisms and charges against government are shouted down by an unruly mob in the very heart of democracy?To top it all it seems to be the unfortunate lot of the Speaker to underwrite such flagrant misconduct as entirely legitimate with his authority.
I fail to understand why on earth such shenanigans are considered as in perfect order.But the glaring reality is that they are or have become such.
Not only Parliament but all major and supporting institutions of democracy have been hollowed out,leaving people stunned and witless.Nor do I understand why the opposition is losing their breath in such shouting and slashing matches.They should apply their minds and energies in more fruitful ways.Parliament is no longer the place where major discussion,criticism and revision of proposed government policies and programmes take place and are revised.The government cannot be held to account by representatives of the people.In stead it has become a forum where democratic procedures and practices are turned on their heads to rubber- stamp whatever the government says and does.
The Supreme Court is under tremendous pressure as the supine surrender of former CJIs have narrowed the scope for intervention and make the tussle with the executive more arduous.Besides there is not a scruple among rulers about most devious and despotic measures,or the most blatant lies and deceits that they adopt to secure their ends.And all in the holy name of democracy.
This weird,magical reversal is accompanied by the head of government claiming divine origin and every now and then donning patently religious garb,acting as chief priest in ersatz pujahs. Whatever he says is hailed by devotees as the voice of an oracle.
The infallibility is proclaimed by devotees as the economy shows every sign of a fateful downturn and the value of the rupee plunges headlong,and the prices spiral as in a nightmare for common people. This is nothing but a rehearsal for eventual transformation of the state into a monolithic fascist state. If the opposition realize this,and sometimes they seem to, then this is the moment for them to sink all differences and unite solidly to mobilize the people for unyielding resistance to this insidious but unmistakable rise of fascist take-over of democracy. Only the conspirers will dress it in traditional ‘sanatan’ clothes to the tune of Vedic chants,and invoke it through pious rituals.
It is therefore distressing that opposition leaders are pretending to themselves that democratic norms and conditions have not succumbed and they are thus giving an air of respectability to hollowed-out shells of democracy.
Not only that,they shut out of their minds the looming danger of fascism,and quarrel among themselves by poaching on one another’s turf.Certain opposition parties even try to maintain a balance in their attitude to fascists and the largest opposition party.
This farcical situation would cause laughter had it not been so pathetic and dangerous. The common people are bearing the brunt of this brutal attack of corporate capital and its state accomplice. Nutrition, livelihood,peace and security as well as absence of fear are all going for a toss.They feel in their bones what is happening and at whose instance.But since they see around themselves no organised and credible force that can rally them for the fight to save democracy,they settle down to private or sectional bargains with the dominant power.
One hopes forlornly that the opposition will come to their senses,set aside their mutual grievances,agree to minor adjustments and concessions and organise people for the fateful combat in near future.It will require strategy,resources,training of workers for various kinds of tasks and total dedication to the goal.
Hiren Gohain is a political commentator
