listen to what?
   Date :10-Aug-2021

Modi_1  H x W:
 
 
THE three-and-a-half-minute video made by Opposition parties with title “Mr. Modi, Listen to Us” makes little sense -- as usual. The video shows leaders of various Opposition parties making accusations against the Government on the floor of the two Houses of Parliament. Each one is seen and heard alleging in effect that the Government was trampling upon the Opposition’s right to free speech, or demolishing values of democracy etc. The main refrain is that the Government must allow discussion on issues such as new farm laws and the Pegasus snoop-ware. The attempt is to show that it is the Government that is blocking discussion in Parliament. As the video progresses, the viewers realise that it is an exercise in utter falsehood and pure nautanki -- drama -- in order to attract the people’s attention. Of course, it is the basic right of every political party to push its narrative to serve its goals. But when several Opposition parties come together to heap on the nation a canard of such a stupid variety, then the people have every right to question them closely on all issues -- though they may not have any convincing reply to offer to searching questions. By now, the whole nation knows that the Government has always been willing to carry on with discussion on every possible issue of public interest and importance.
 
The common people also recall easily the countless appeals to sanity so that senseless pretences of democratic values can be given up in favour of a serious dialogue. In the case of new farm laws, the Government has had long hours of discussion and debate in Parliament’s both Houses. The Government also has engaged itself in negotiations with the leaders of the so-called farmer-protesters on as many as a dozen occasions. Time and again, senior ministers in the Government have expressed full readiness to discuss the farm laws with anybody -- in Parliament or outside it. However, the Opposition has adopted a totally senselsess and obstinate approach to this issue. The protest leaders do not want any discussion, but want the new laws to be scrapped in totality. The Government agreed to a suggestion from the judiciary that it would keep on hold the implementation of new laws for a period of 18 months. It also showed full readiness to abide by whatever a committee appointed the honourable Supreme Court would rule as regards the new legislations.
 
But the protest leaders -- and the Opposition parties -- do not want anything of this sort. They have only one refrain -- scrap the new laws. Similar is the story with the Pegasus issue as well. Even though the Government keeps insisting that it is willing to have full discussion, the Opposition pretends not to have heard that point at all. The Government is willing to allow them a free hand in discussion on the issue, but the Opposition continues to ask for discussion again and again. What is its actual demand? -- if we may ask! The Opposition has no answer to any such question. It cannot have an answer to any such question. For, such a positioning suit its politics. The “Mr.-Modi,-Listen-To-Us” video also stems from that senseless political game in which the Opposition wants to hold the nation a hostage. The video makes no sense. it has no concrete suggestion to make. All it seems to have succeeded in doing is laying bare its own acrimony whose meaning at least the common people fail to understand.
 
As a ‘People’s Newspaper’, we have kept telling our readers in particular and the society in general again and again that such nautanki is not going to take the country any forward. Here, too, we say again in conclusion that the Opposition is not interested in sorting out any issue. For, its interest is in keeping issues festering without cause -- as part of its run up to the next Lok Sabha elections. Considering the overall strength -- or otherwise -- of the character of the Opposition, we muster courage to stress that this nautanki is soon going to meet its end since nobody can persist with such a nonsense for 3-4 years until the next elections in 2024. On the other hand, we expect the Government to hold its patience intact and wear the Opposition out.