Legislators, wake up

In a democratic system of governance, the opposition plays a very pivotal role. Sadly that is missing in India at the moment. The citizenry is up in arms against the ruling BJP government’s autocratic governance, but there is no one in the House to bell the cat (“Violent protests hits East Delhi as CAA anger spreads,” Dec.18, Gulf Today).

Bereft of a strong opposition there is nothing that can stop the ruling government from behaving in a dictatorial fashion, as is now evident in India — a country which until now had upheld democratic values.  Protest marches and demonstrations across the country have failed to stir the government into reversing their draconian policies. In the last few months we have been seeing clashes between protestors and the police force in Hong Kong. Something similar is also taking place in India. Brute police force used against university students and women is appalling and a cause of deep worry.

Should this continue, India’s secular fabric will be torn to pieces. We have to stop this now. We need to start with our legislators. At present opposition parties in the states and the centre are fragmented in their approach. The opposition seems virtually non-existent, if I may say, because apart from a few sharp retorts in the Parliament, members of the opposition parties are unable to pile pressure on the government to halt policies which are detrimental for the wellbeing of the country.

The BJP has been systematically pushing the Hindu supremacist agenda since coming to power. The most forceful being the recently introduced CAA, which as media reports say is a deep strategy aimed at polarising India. And I don’t feel that these deductions are in any way distorted, as the ruling party contends. Since coming to power for the second term the government has been single-minded in their approach. Its moves on triple talaq and the abrogation of Article 370 are but hallmarks of that agenda.

Wake up opposition. Your slumber is costing India dear.

Ramesh Venugopal
By email