The Week In Parliament  

Subhas Ray

THE BJP and its allies launched yet another attack on yet another key institution of the country – the Speaker. However its tactic to disrupt the functioning of Lok Sabha was defeated. On December 15, slogan-shouting BJP members trooped into the well of the House shouting slogans tanashahi (dictatorship) and forced the adjournment of House for the day soon after the lunch break.

The next day, on December 16, soon after the Lok Sabha convened for the day, the speaker, Somnath Chatterjee made a significant statement. “ … the House could not function yesterday after the Question Hour. Further, I have been accused of indulging in tanashahi. The Chair does not have any prestige any longer and has become totally irrelevant and it has become a matter of agony for me to occupy this Chair, which I never expected to do, far less solicited. So long as I am here, I shall try my best to discharge my duties and functions according to the Rules of Procedure and my conscience. If members are not happy with the present incumbent, I shall have no regrets in leaving it. I was happier facing the Chair than occupying it. Yesterday, about 40 students of a very well know college of Pune met me in the evening. They told me that they were in the Visitors Gallery and witnessed the proceedings yesterday.  They asked me that if the parliament did not function, what was the future of parliamentary democracy in this country. I leave that question before all the members to ponder and find out the answer, and let the country know.” The House functioned normally after this intervention by the speaker.

MINORITY EDUCATION BILL

Lok Sabha passed the National Commission for Minority Education Institutioins Bill, 2004. As many as 41 members from all parties and groups participated in the discussion. From the CPI(M) side, Sebastian Paul, A V Bellarimin, Samik Lahiri and Varkala Radhakrishnan spoke.

Sebastian Paul while welcoming the intention of the government in bringing this bill, highlighted serious flaws in the provisions of the bill which may damage the purpose of enacting this bill. He said the greatest flaw of the present bill is its failure to bring private self-financing institutions under the strict social control to ensure social justice and equality in the realm of professional education. He emphasised that the need of the hour is not granting central university affiliation to educational institutions, but prevention of commercialisation of education. The CPI(M) member also criticised the bill saying it takes away whatever little control the states have on these minority institutions, most of which were profit-driven and catering to only the elite sections of minority community. He warned that all sorts of people would come into the fray, claiming privilege under the law, because a central university degree will have a better market value. “What is urgently needed is to free education from the dangerous clutches of the powerful education mafia. The fundamental right to education should be upheld. It will be desirable if the government is prepared to refer the bill for the scrutiny of the standing committee”, so saying Paul concluded.

Samik Lahiri asked the government to ensure that there is no backdoor commercialisation in the minority institutions. He also demanded that state governments should also be taken into confidence on this issue as the subject of education is in the concurrent list in the Constitution. He also wanted the government to ensure that the educational institutions are not able to misuse the new law by running away from the existing affiliations for the new affiliations.

ON INTERNAL SECURITY

Lok Sabha discussed matters relating to internal security of the country under short-duration discussion. From the CPI(M) side, Md Salim and Bajuban Riyan spoke.

Salim in his speech underlined that internal security cannot be maintained in the country if efforts to divide the people into different compartments are not countered. He said every issue is being looked through communal prism and that this attitude is not restricted to communal political parties alone. Those foreign powers which want to create problem in our country are being aided by this attitude, he noted. Salim condemned the attempts to exploit people’s feelings to for political gain and said this phenomenon is on the rise not only in India but in US and Europe.

On the immigration issue, the CPI(M) member called for a comprehensive policy and warned against attempts to give a communal colour to the issue in order to gain political mileage. If any foreigner manages to enter the country and settle here, be he a Hindu or a Muslim, it is the responsibility of the government to check such infiltration as it was an issue connected with the internal security of the nation. He demanded that the government should increase surveillance on the border to check infiltration. He lamented that instead of doing this we are being bogged down by petty politics on this issue.

Salim pointed out that the threat to the security of most countries today emanated not on their borders but within the countries. Our problem has crossed over from across the border. To deal with this, it is essential to formulate a comprehensive policy. Today community efforts also have their own importance. Power, capacity, quality of governance, growth rate, quality of education, health facilities etc also play a key role in the security of the nation. Security cannot be seen in isolation, it has to assessed taking into account all these aspects, said Salim.

Referring to the important aspect of criminalisation of politics, the CPI(M) MP said unless the nexus between anti-social elements and politicians is broken, the threat to internal security would remain. He said the accumulative politics of today have made the politics of this country very dirty. It is a sorry state today where MPs and MLAs have to work while under the protection of stenguns.

Bajuban Riyan in his speech opined that fencing of our borders would be one of the effective methods to curb infiltration problem. However, he criticised the slow progress in this regard. He demanded the government to compensate the small landowners whose lands are being acquired or yet to be acquired. He also wanted our government to take up with the governments of the neighbouring countries regarding training camps, supply of arms and ammunition to separatist groups from their countries.  He referred to such camps being operated in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan and said that they must be immediately disbanded taking the help of these countries. Riyan also stressed that the government must continue dialogue with these extremist groups as political solution is always the best solution. He commented that it was a very sorry state of affairs that some of the leading political parties in our country have links with these extremists. Civilians who are being killed in the cross-fire should be duly compensated, he demanded.

RAILWAYS APPROPRIATION BILL

Rajya Sabha took up discussion on the Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2004 on December 13. Participating in the discussion, Chandran Pillai of CPI(M) expressed serious concern at the growing rate of rail accidents in the recent years. Nearly 300 accidents take place every year and the figure is increasing every year.

Pillai felt that the existing railway tracks – laid by the British through the length and breadth of our country – have surpassed their longevity and this was one of the main causes for rail accidents in India. He demanded immediate replacement of railway tracks and rolling stocks to stem the growing number of railway accidents. He found fault with the ministry for neglecting the infrastructural needs of railways despite the fact that as a major mass transport in the country, the demand for freight operations as well as passenger operations of railways has been increasing significantly. He demanded the government to come out with a white paper regarding the complete status of railways operational efficiency and safety aspects.

Quoting from a report of a high power committee Pillai stated that no scientific and objective findings are emerging from the various inquiries into the accidents. Taking up the cause of labour, Pillai demanded recognition of trade unions through secret ballot and filling up of the nearly 1,70,000 vacancies in the railways.  As regards licensed porters, contract workers and catering staff of railways, Pillai opposed privatisation of these services. He also criticised the railways for depriving minimum wage and health care to contract workers, who were doing bulk of the job at the ground. He reiminded that as a principal employer, railways has some responsibility. Pillai demanded a new Rail Neer unit in Kerala considering the number of people visiting the Sabarimala pilgrimage and the tourist potential of Kerala. Regarding train services to Agartala in Tripura, he demanded completion of the project by 2006 as scheduled.

PRICE RISE

Participating in the discussion on the price rise in Rajya Sabha on December 14, Prasanta Chatterjee of CPI (M) expressed concern at the continual fall of real wages of working people due to the price hike. He charged the NDA government of ruining the country with its neo-liberal policies and criticised the UPA government for increasing the price of diesel, which has a cascading effect on the prices of all commodities.

Pillai referred to Amartya Sen’s quote, wherein he had said “the availability of food to the common man does not depend on the rains, but on the policy of the government and how the government reacts to it. The globalisation process is destroying farmers’ lives and livelihood, and leading to the misery of the people and the growing imbalances between the rich and the poor, he said.

With the rice and wheat prices also increasing, both the APL and BPL categories people were hard hit, said Pillai. Coupled with this the drastic fall in procurement prices was eroding the resources of poor sections of society. Pillai demanded the strengthening of the Public Distribution System which will be of succour to the poor and the tribals. All essential commodities should be supplied at a cheaper price for the poor. Unearthing black money and recovery of debts from the rich people is one of the ways to face the challenge of resource shortage, he reminded. He called upon the government to sincerely implement the measures promised in the CMP of the UPA government.

(December 19, 2004)