Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Constructive opposition needed) that was published in Newsband

Constructive opposition needed

There are times when politicians simply have to stand up and do the right thing. And there are times when it is also the role of the press to hold them to it. Today is one of those times when the media should back electoral and political reform. That is why the right thing to do for members of parliament from both ruling and opposition parties is to support the government's reform plans.

The MPs in India regard themselves as reformer and they are all elected on manifestos committed to reform. They must recognize a lifetime opportunity when they are given one. They should put reform above the partisan squabbling which impresses no one. MPs on all sides need to lift their sights. They need to have a sense of history. And they need to be aware that they are being watched and judged not just by the living public but by the ghosts of the reformers who went before, and in whose footsteps they are privileged to tread.

The question today is much clearer than too many politicians seem to pretend. It is whether India can at last move decisively towards democratic law-making. It is about putting the people firmly in charge of their own politics. That is a noble cause, even in a time of economic preoccupation. It ought to be something which all parties can support.

The bills which are faulty will certainly need to be amended and compromises made. The imbalances in the society should be removed. And this idea no one who considers themselves a democrat should oppose. This is what our past generations have striven to achieve.

The opposition parties should not resort to outright opposition to good programs chalked out by the ruling party. If they oppose everything that the ruling party does then it is like deceiving the people of India. It would be like utilizing a tactic masquerading as a principle. If the programme motion is a reasonable one, why should there be opposition to it from any quarters? Opposition should not be for the sake of the opposition. Opposition should be constructive, and all destructive oppositions should be avoided for the best of the entire Indian population. There should be proper talking between the parties. A compromise has to be struck somewhere. If the opposition parties cannot get themselves to behave responsibly, then they are not being true to their history as parties of reform.

Only the existence of a responsible ruling party and constructive opposition in the parliament can make our country progress rapidly.