Arguments aplenty, but debates none

This is a strange country. We cannot resist creating ruckus over everything. We are an argumentative society, it is said. But who says an argument does not require any research or accurate, detailed and current information to support the statements? Who says it should not accept other theories or arguments?

The answer, perhaps, lies in our degenerated politics.

Our politicians structure their arguments around their vote banks. Even here, they prefer the emotional content and not the larger public good. National interest, if it appears, it does so at the very end – Or may not at all. Let us take a look at the three farm laws that surfaced last year around this time and lived for a year or so only to mobilise the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Western UP belt on the borders of Delhi. The very birth of these laws happened amid chaos in Parliament and even before anyone realised, they hit the nation. No one understood their import for quite some time. However, their impact on the mandis had been quick. These laws came into force even as the middlemen in Punjab went on a strike.

The government advanced paddy procurement dates to divert the attention of farmers, but it only meant more problems for the latter. Officials refused to buy paddy citing moisture content. When the farmers pleaded with them to buy the same at a lesser price, they refused. That was only the beginning of the plight of farmers and they quite well understood the trauma they would undergo if the farm laws were allowed to continue. So, they moved to the borders of the national capital lock, stock and barrel. Finally, when it was time for the laws to go, the Parliament witnessed pandemonium and chaos. Just as last year, nothing was debated when the repeal Bill was tabled on the first day of the winter session. If the Bill was allowed to be tabled peacefully, there could have been a debate. The whole nation would have seen it and understood the real concerns of the government, the Opposition and the fence-sitters regarding the same. That would not happen in India.

The farmers want to know what else would go into oblivion along with the three farm laws. People would like to know when the Delhi borders would be cleared. Our politicians won't let us know that. So, the blame game continues. The Opposition will now use this pretext to mount an attack on the government from tomorrow to stall the House business. The ruling party is bound to snide them and question their motives. Both would project themselves as farmer-friendly.

Unfortunately, our country is perennially on an election mode because of the multiple elections. This keeps our leaders always busy. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi asked the Opposition "what is your intention?" He said the government had planned to pass the bill on priority in both Houses today. This question also applies to his party. Both need to come clean. Don't they?