THE marathon discussion on “Operation Sindoor” in both the Houses of Parliament demonstrated the essence of India’s democracy. The picture may still not be the best by classic definition. Yet, no matter the rough spots, the overall quality of discourse was high and showed to the world how a responsible State conducts itself. For the people of India, too, the discussion on “Operation Sindoor” in both the Houses was of high standard and extracted the very best about the entire episode post Pahalgam terror attack. There were sparks flying on occasions, but the patience with which the Government handled the challenge was remarkable. Since it may not be politically correct for the Opposition to accept the Government’s position on “Operation Sindoor”, it may continue its antagonism, all right. But the manner of the presentations of the Government’s view on the issue was just remarkable.

 

The current Opposition camp is still to learn a lot about democracy. No matter that, the nation will learn from the debate how a role-model for democratic behaviour can be operated. Factually, there was no need for such an extended time for the discussion on a subject whose details had already been known to the people of India -- and the world. Right from Day One -- that is the unfortunate Pahalgam terror attack -- The Government had spread on the table all its cards. There was nothing more to ask and nothing more to tell. Yet, the Opposition wanted to score a few brownie points -- which it just could not, thanks to the detailed and in-depth preparation by the Government. Not one wrong words slipped from the Government side. Not one undesirable statement came from the treasury benches. And the 90-minute speech by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi proved to be one of his best presentations in the Parliament -- patient, calm, well-composed, and purposeful. His face demonstrated emotion, all right, but every action, every gesture, every facial retort showed the superb control Mr. Narendra Modi has on his facilities -- plus his facts. The Prime Minister used his speech as an opportunity to hit back at the slip-shod Opposition -- and make every possible critical point of the official position before the nation (and the world) on “Operation Sindoor”.

 

One realisation that emerged from the parliamentary debate on the issue was that “Operation Sindoor” proved to be a point of paradigm shift on matters of comprehensive national security. The nation now knows that national security is a matter far deeper than anybody understood until this time; and that security does not depend on guns and planes and ships, but also on several other counts that never entered the people’s thought-process until “Operation Sindoor” happened. The people also realised how a responsible Government conducts itself in such situations. In sharp contrast, the Opposition remained sluggish and restricted itself only to hurling thoughtless allegations and raising senseless questions whose answers even the street urchins knew.

 

With the Opposition so crippled intellectually and weighed down with poverty of ideas, a democracy cannot function in full measure. But then, India is saddled with such Opposition and will have to make do with whatever is available on the platter. This is the essence of the current scenario unfolding after “Operation Sindoor”. The nation has understood its metaphor, but the Opposition appears to have chosen to stay aloof from the overall mood. True, it is doing so at its own risk, to its own peril. But if the Opposition leadership sits back and listenes to the Prime Minister’s response to the debate on “Operation Sindoor”, then it may understand the actual essence of what is happening in the country -- on multiple fronts, from using weapons to making those.