Sumptuous breakfast and a good burp later, price rise is forgotten -Governance Now

Sumptuous breakfast and a good burp later, price rise is forgotten

A family (or fraternity) that eats together, stays together - or at least makes compromises together.

Sarthak Ray | August 2, 2010

Nothing like morning tea to melt the frost - it seems to be the case with our political parties. The price-rise issue which ensured that House adjournments moved from one day to another like clockwork last week was finally buried under dollops of butter on toast. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and entourage called the opposition and fanboys for breakfast and poof....the issue vanished before the omelettes (or whatever was served) were downed.

What transpired at the meeting is not clear. This morning, both the Houses of parilament passed a resolution saying, "This House expresses concern at inflationary pressure on the economy and calls upon the government to contain its impact." And we have had normal functioning in both Houses since then.

What made the opposition drop the adjournment-motion demand like a hot potato and agree to the mere 'passing of a resolution after discussion in both Houses'? One would think it was a little too late to have conscience-pangs over the wasted workhours of parliament. Just when the citizenry and sundry were thinking that the opposition would get the recalcitrant government to take responsibility for the price-rise, it is all bonhomie and bon appetit!

Or is it that the government is 'sincere' about fighting price-rise and has the opposition convinced?

Is it time for us to stop worrying now that our representatives are setting an example for us? Are they saying "Go on! Stop skipping that breakfast. It is no more that expensive"?

What one wonders is why wasn't this agreement reached right at the start. The government could have shown some foresight and anticipated the opposition's moves on the price-rise issue. It could have arranged this meeting before the session commenced or after the first unproductive day of this session.

The opposition may have succeeded in mounting some pressure on the government for a debate. But it should have realised much earlier that it would never have the stamina to bag the adjournment motion.

But none of that, obviously, did happen. A good five working days of Parliament, costing the taxpayers lakhs and some more, are now fodder. So, go ahead gentlemen. Break your fast while we break our backs paying for it.

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