Making the House work

News: In India, the efficiency of Parliament is measured through the number of bills passed. Given that the government has decided to repeal three farm laws, this will raise questions on the efficiency of Parliament and the net output.

What questions does it raise for Representative democracy?

Repealing these farm laws will be unique as they had been passed but never implemented. This will also raise questions on the fate of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The government has faced severe criticism on human rights and freedom of the press, and increasing cases of sedition and UAPA.

Moreover, laws passed by Parliament are being seen as unacceptable by people.

What is the role of opposition under present circumstances?

The opposition and government need to ensure coordination on common issues, standardize the Parliamentary procedures, give or represent voices of the suppressed and marginalized segment. Unnecessary confrontation should be avoided, and adequate respect should be given to differences of opinion.

The opposition should avoid using stalling the functioning of the Parliament. Further, the ruling party should create sufficient space for the opposition to voice their views and concerns. Otherwise, it could lead to factionalism within the ruling party.

What should be the way forward?

A vibrant democracy needs a robust civil society. So government should give voice to people, give space to legitimate voices of concern and protests, ensure that democracy is representative all the time.

Source: This post is based on the article” Making the House work” published in Indian Express on 29th November 2021.