The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha ended on Tuesday. And, sadly for the country’s politics, it provided no hope of civility returning to the to-and-fro between the ruling party and the Opposition. It seemed that both sides were determined to continue the name-calling, lies and half-truths which was the staple of their campaign in the recent Lok Sabha poll. The fact that the election was over and there wouldn’t be one in the normal course for another five years had barely registered with the rival combatants on the treasury and Opposition benches. The pre-election confrontation and antagonism, especially between the Modi-led BJP and Rahul Gandhi-led Congress seemed here to stay. This would make five more years of embittered and broken ties, strife and acrimony between the governing party and the main Opposition. The blame lies with both. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the elder and far more experienced leader, with the onerous responsibility of shepherding the nation’s affairs for five more years, has a greater responsibility to try and lower the temperature in the polity. Seeking cooperation of all sections represented in the House for the smooth running of Parliament would make for insightful deliberations on the governmental legislative agenda. Approaching the Opposition in a genuine sense of humility would redound to his credit. Even if Rahul Gandhi were to reject the proffered hand of friendship, Modi would have shown the newly-anointed Leader of the Opposition an embittered and entitled scion of a political dynasty which remains unreconciled to its much reduced circumstances. At least, the more sensible members of the INDIA alliance would find merit in the PM’s gesture of goodwill and may isolate the entitled dynast. It is significant that the treasury benches heard the LoP’s long litany of half-baked charges and even plain untruths in relative peace, not resorting to cat-calling and barracking the LoP all through his long and rambling speech. However, a day later when Prime Minister Modi replied to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, the Congress benches in particular kept a noisy charade, heckling him loudly, moving into the well of the House despite repeated pleas by the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Worse, whenever the catcalls and shouting seemed to ebb a bit Rahul Gandhi gestured them openly to disrupt the PM’s speech with a greater vigour. If by greater numbers on the Opposition benches he meant greater disruption and disorder, God save over parliamentary democracy. On his part, Modi while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the president, tore into Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of a systematic attempt to tarnish the Agniveer scheme for recruitment in armed forces, spreading lies about the NEET system, and generally resorting to cheap jibes to target the government. The PM was unsparing in targeting the newly-installed LoP, now dubbing him “Balak Buddhi”, childish and even a parasite. The last because Congress on its own against contesting against the BJP won only 26% of the seats while riding on the shoulders of the allies its strike rate was nearly 50%. In other words, be in UP or Maharashtra, the Congress win was due to its allies. Mocking Rahul’s elation after the results, Modi said he was like the boy who had scored 99 marks out of a total of 543 and yet jumped with joy as if he had topped the class. Overall, the brief maiden session of the new Parliament in the new building bodes ill for the return of sanity to our political discourse. Before confrontation and bitterness become the new normal leaders of all parties need to reflect. For the good of the nation acrimony and strife must make way for a civilized conversation between the rival protagonists.
