What will the BJP do with this massive popular mandate? This is the question that every Indian would like to ask. Will they tread the same path, in the same way as they did after 2014 elections? That is forgetting the people and serving the interests of rich, greedy and communalists! BJP’s slogan of building a new India is of course a catchy one. But the new India is for whom? Those who understand the composition and class character of BJP can easily presume that ‘the new India of BJP will only add miseries to the common people. The tactics of the BJP seems to be, the more they serve the rich, the more they talk about the poor. In a Parliament where almost 90 percent of its members are crorepatis, the concern for the poor would only be lip service. In the 17th Lok Sabha also the same orientation is likely to continue.

Prime Minister Modi in his usual style of rhetoric promised the opposition that numbers will not be the guiding factor. On June 17, he reassured, “...the role of the opposition is important in a parliamentary democracy. The opposition need not bother about their numbers”. Even though these words sound nice to the ears, the BJP members, on the swearing day itself expressed the arrogant face of majoritarian politics for everyone to see and evaluate. Schedule 3 of the Constitution and the parliamentary rules of procedures have unambiguously prescribed the text of the oath to be taken and the parliamentary etiquettes to be followed by the members. The BJP/NDA members behaved in such a manner as if they are not bound to respect any such guidelines. They made it a place to shout slogans like jai Sri Ram, Vande Madaram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

The merits or demerits of such slogans can be debated elsewhere. But decorum of the house and sense of propriety of its members are the decisive factors. The BJP members have already signalled their way of behaviour in the house which is not at all conducive to the meaningful functioning of the Parliament. Nobody in the house including the Prime Minister did anything to control them. The new member from Bhopal whose contest was a matter of prestige for the BJP even added some appendices to her very name itself. All these throw light to a special sort of mentality which makes them believe that they are superior to everyone and everything.

They may not be very enthusiastic to listen how Nehru had narrated Bharat Mata. Still it is relevant for the patriotic citizens to know how he conceived Bharat Mata: ”…what counted ultimately were the people of India, people like them and me, who were spread all over this vast land. Bharat Mata- Mother India was essentially these millions of people, and victory (jai) to her meant victory to these people...”(Page 53, The Discovery of India,1946). For RSS-BJP, Bharat Mata means something else.

Definitely there exists a big gap in understanding and this gap is not at all accidental. It reflects the gap between secular India and theocratic India. The former espoused by the secular forces and the latter by the so-called forces of ’Hindutva’. The opposition, including the Left are small in number. But they are not a force to be neglected. It is true that BJP has got 303 members and NDA 353 members in the 17th Lok Sabha. This absolute and decisive majority BJP achieved with the support of 37.4 percent of votes. When it comes to NDA the support base is 45 percentages.

It shows that even in this massive victory majority of the people are not with the BJP. Fifty five percent of the voters still stand firmly with the idea of secularism. It is because of the lapses in the present electoral system that parties with 45 percentages of votes could bag 353 number of seats. Experience of 17th Lok Sabha elections, hence, once again underlined the necessity for changing the first -pass-post system of election. It also raised serious questions about the\ credibility of the EVMs and VVPAT arrangements.

The government has enlisted 10 bills for the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha like the triple Talaq Bill, special status for Jammu and Kashmir (Art 370), Aadhaar laws, Companies act, the Indian Medical Council act etc. Some of them are relatively routine job. Certain others like Triple Talaq and article 370 bills are of deeper and wider socio-political implications. The opposition will definitely strive to voice their observations about such bills in both the houses. The opposition in general and the Left in particular desire to have deep and meaningful debates in the Parliament. Parliament is the arena for such content wise confrontation of ideas.

With this understanding, the Left, though small in number is eager to play the role of a constructive opposition. The government move to do away with existing labour laws, forest and environmental laws in the name of ‘ease of doing business’ are to be opposed tooth and nail. The government would definitely try to prove their allegiance to the national and multinational corporations who are their economic masters and political cousins. It is they who pumped enormous amount of money to the BJP coffers.

Hence the clash of interest would obviously reflect in the parliamentary debate. Miseries of the down trodden like the dalits, minorities, Adivasis and women need to be raised. Approach of the treasury benches to such issues are to be seen. Recent happenings in Muzaffarpur, Bihar where more than 100 kids were killed by encephalitis, was shocking to the whole nation. It talks a lot about the sad living conditions of the poor people in the country. A government that has spent crores of rupees for the advertisement of ‘Ayushman Bharat’ stands exposed.

The Left and opposition members will try to raise such matters along with structural issues like economic crisis and growing unemployment reflecting the aspirations of the class and mass organisations, and for such basic issues, Parliament is yet another platform for struggles.
(IPA Service)