This is for the first time that the saffron brigade has assumed power at the centre as the dominant partner of a coalition. Twenty years back in 1977, it had come to power as a faction within the first non-Congress government headed by Morarji Desai. Again in 1989 they had an indirect proximity to power when they supported VP Singh's National Front government . But this time, it wields more power and authority to push through its programmes.
The three day long opening session of the twelfth parliament saw a lot of fiery arguments from both treasury and opposition benches. Amidst this din, lost unfortunately were the crying issues of the people -- issues like unemployment, the plight of the agricultural workers and the workers of lakhs of sick and closed industries throughout the country, the long standing demands of different nationality movements, the question of dalits being butchered by the private armies in Bihar and the plight of women. Barring isolated occasions, MPs belonging to major UF parties also remained mum, for inexplicable reasons. Maybe they are yet to recover from the shock of being sizeably reduced in number, or exhausted of all energies in their futile bid to keep the UF intact.
We are trying hard to develop floor coordination with other left MPs and personally I met senior leaders of the major left parties and talked to them on the subject. Let us expect them to rise to the occasion and learn the lesson that emanates from their own previous experiences. It has been absolutely clear that the saffron threat can't just be thwarted by the repetition of the number game, by putting a few heads together and working out simple equations, bereft of any ideology and principles. They were even ready, for the purpose of keeping the BJP at bay, to accept the leadership of the Congress party. But this is a lost game. So the only way left is putting utmost emphasis on unleashing united initiatives of the Left at the grassroots level and cementing the unity at higher levels on that basis. The Left must prioritise unity among them before going in for a broader united practice. This is the concrete lesson one has to draw from the past exercises. The sooner the bigger left parties do this the better.
In this session a condolence resolution condemning the assassination of Comrade Anil Barooah by the degenerated ULFA militants just on the eve of elections was moved. The resolution was jointly signed by some of the senior left MPs like Somnath Chatterjee (CPI(M)), Geeta Mukherjee (CPI), Amar Roy Pradhan (FB) and Sanat Mandal (RSP) and myself. But sadly, the issue couldn't be raised to its potential height partly because of the inaction on the part of those who were a part of the planned move earlier. However, the motion has gone on record in the parliamentary minutes book.
Jayant Rongpi
(As told to Anindya Sen)
| (Excerpts from Com. Rongpi’s speech during the debate on
the vote of confidence.) Mr. Speaker, Sir, at last you have given me a chance to speak. So, I thank you. I rise here to register a very committed opposition to this motion of confidence in the Council of Ministers led by the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on behalf of my party, the Autonomous State Demand Committee..... I oppose this in the interests of millions of unemployed youth of the country,... the underprivileged, the tribals, the dalits and the backwards of this country. In the interests of the common man of this country and, most important, in the interests of democracy and national integration, I find myself dutybound to oppose this motion. I do not want to repeat all those things about their hidden agenda, about the moral authority they have lost, about the compromise they have made with corruption and with so many other caprices. But as nobody, no leader has pointed out the policy about the North-Eastern States, I want to confine myself to that... The policy has not changed so far as the North-East is concerned. The successive governments at the Centre have deployed the army to crush the democratic movements of the North-East. They have tried to divide and crush the democratic mevements of the North-East and to bargain with the regional parties, who have vacillating positions, somehow or other to get their support and in the process violate the human rights of the people. I have seen that this Government is also not different from other governments of this country. I would have been very happy if at least a word about some introspection had been said. Five decades back when the Army was deployed in the North-East, there was only one insurgent outfit. Now, after five decades, there are 20 insurgent outfits in the North-East. So, is it not time to have an introspection? ... I do not want a magic to be performed from the North Block, but at least the Government should have stated that they would review its North-East policy in the backdrop of five decades of extremist disturbances there... Sir, I would conclude by making the one last point. Sir, I cannot support this motion because the BJP has taken the help of feudal elements, especially in Bihar.....They have taken the help of feudal landlords, that is, the Ranvir Sena and because of that they have got quite a number of seats in Bihar.... With these words, I oppose the Motion of Confidence in the Council of Ministers. |