Repeal Bill and how
The ruling NDA led by the Bharatiya Janata Party including Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the Government was willing to discuss every issue with an open mind and that it was ready to answer every question put forth by the Opposition parties in Parliament. But contrary to this, the Farm Laws Repeal Bill was passed within minutes. disregarding the Opposition demand for a debate. Heavens would not have fallen had the Opposition been given some time. Parliament is meant for discussion and debate and a full-fledged discussion was absolutely needed on the issues: 700 farmers who lost their lives, the Minimum Support Price issue, environmental concerns, besides the fact that it was a deal that needed to be supported by the States.
Though it is the joint responsibility of the ruling as well as Opposition parties to ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament, it is clear the Government intended to take advantage of its brute majority, undermining the parliamentary system.
S.K. Khosla,
Chandigarh
Ironically the Farm Laws Repeal Bill was passed in the same manner the farm laws were passed — without debate or discussion. The perception is that the Government avoided debate on the issue to escape embarrassment.
D. Sethuraman,
Chennai
The development does not augur well for the largest democratic nation in the world. There are just tall claims that the toughest issues can be tackled through meaningful debate and dialogue. The art of listening has vanished. The political class needs to indulge in serious introspection of its attitude and behaviour. And it comes from within.
Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad
Having decreed as early as 2014 that it would work towards a Congress- Mukht Bharat, the ruling party has since declared all other major political entities as dynasts or incapable and worse. Thus, one can hardly lay blame on the ruling party for its conviction that the Opposition benches do not deserve to exist and hence none worthy enough to debate with. If, earlier, the farm Bills were duly enacted on this premise, the very same laws were repealed in the Lok Sabha, in by now established precedence — ex parte. We should rejoice however that elections are still being considered relevant and vigorously contested too.
R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai
Essential survey
Last Monday, the Central Government launched the first-ever all-India survey on domestic workers as there is little official data available on their actual numbers and other parameters, such as their work conditions and average pay. The absence of data leaves them out from any formal policy that governs India’s informal workers. Domestic work in India remains one of the most undervalued and least regulated forms of employment. Due to a very unbalanced employer-employee relation, domestic workers experience exploitation, poor recognition and a high degree of exposure to isolation and violence. There are no laws to deal with the specific problems that arise in this sphere of work.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
