Conspiracy of Silence

Chidambaram  did not reply to the debate on Kashmir. It bothered no one.

The short duration discussion on violence in Kashmir and the greater issue of granting autonomy to the state began in the Lok Sabha on an accusatory note. Communist Party of India MP Gurudas Dasgupta initiated the debate by saying what echoes in the Valley in every protest: the Centre doesn’t care. Make that Parliament now.

After a lengthy debate on the issue that mostly saw the Centre and state governments at the receiving end, the Government conveniently chose not to reply to the discussion. The house was adjourned sine die without a reply on the matter by Home Minister P Chidambaram. The debate took place in the penultimate week of the Lok Sabha and more than a dozen parliamentarians spoke on the matter. 

A short duration discussion under Rule 193 has to be followed by a reply by the minister concerned—in this case, the Home Minister.

The debate saw every participating MP address his own constituency. Former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s spirited histrionics overshadowed the saner voices like those of Assadudin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, who spoke about winning people over. Abdullah chose to stretch the debate to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and the Northern Areas. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi accused the Centre of indulging the Valley. The Left asked for serious economic and political initiatives of the Government. Yet, with the UPA-II striking off the Home Minister’s reply from the list of business for the rest of the session—three working days—no one bothered enough to take the Government to task.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal claimed that since disruptions had wasted so much time of the House, the reply could not be accommodated in the list of business. He said the Government would reply in the next session if need be. The winter session is three months away.