CONTEXT: The Indian Parliament is quickly moving from being the custodian of the dignity of legislation to being a site for the acclamation of authoritarianism.
Issues with parliamentary practices:
Suspension of Question Hour: It is a very important tool used by members to question the ministers on substantive issues and expect to get a holistic response upfront.
Avoiding adequate deliberations: In the absence of deliberation, the fears and concerns of the stakeholders have been raised.
Neglect of Farmer's concerns: A lot of the farmers' legitimate fears have less to do with the text and more with the context, related to the three agricultural reforms bills.
Removal of Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime.
Fears of greater power to the corporates leading to unhealthy monopolies.
More power to the State: Clause 127 of Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 give power to the states to change laws through notification of rules.
HThe hurriedinterest of corporate India on priority: The nature of federal flexibility is seen w n powers to the states are given over labour laws but taken over agricultural ones.
The common thread here seems to be that the hurried interests of corporate India take precedence over farmers and labour, rather than well-negotiateded social contract between all three.
Refusal to grant Division of votes: If a member of a House asks for a division of votes, the Speaker needs to grant it.
The Speaker can refuse under some circumstances, but even then he has to take something like an informal headcount vote before refusing division.
Recently, the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha refused to grant division over the agricultural bills.
Way Forward:
Parliament to inspire confidence:
The betrayal of procedure in Parliament is not just about technicalities. Some deference to process can build trust because it is a sign of a government that listens.
Parliamentary practice will not be able to knit an enduring social contract between labour, capital and farmers if it does not inspire confidence.