Temple & Parliament; NITI Wilderness; Nato Net
Opinion Watch
Temple & Parliament
Parliament is meant to hold the executive accountable, in strictest term, and the claim that it’s a temple and so there be no pandemonium which is being equated with desecration is bizarre to say the least. The Pioneer has quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said after unveiling the new parliament that “this connects planning to reality, policy to realization, willpower to execution, and Sankalp to Siddhi”
The Noida-based daily in its Editorial called for upholding the sanctity of Parliament, as it has been called a temple by both the government and Opposition, in all circumstances. It also reasoned that a speaker in the House of Parliament, when speaking, not be shouted down, while all must stick to the timeline allotted to them.
Parliament breathes with lungs of standing committees which hold every organ of the executive accountable to remove chaff from legislative business to bring the best in the public interest. Members in Parliament follow up them by further scrutinizing the government business with their unsparing lenses. But Parliament is now without such functioning institutions for all practical purposes, and in place lofty prose is being dished out for the popular consumption.
NITI Wilderness
The Asian Age in its Editorial has turned spotlight on 11 Chief Ministers skipping the eighth Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog, arguing that the think tank conclave was marred by the political battles. The daily opined that the short-sightedness of some of the chief ministers made them to slip the meeting, which has to plan for India@2047.
The daily also reasoned that the lack of financial power in the NITI Aayog may explain lukewarm response. The daily also claimed that it was pity that the call for fiscal prudence is also not getting the due attention, while the meeting was meant to discuss issues of great importance such as the MSMEs, healthcare, and skilling people to the global standards.
While it’s worth lamenting that a policy meet was also marred by divisive politics, it must also be noted that the NITI Aayog has failed to demonstrate its relevance to states. The think tank has not done in the last eight years anything which will justify its claim to be a think tank.
Nato Net
The Economic Times in its Editorial has argued that all aspects must be weighed before responding to the possible offer of the US for India to join Nato Plus. The daily said that Japan and South Korea, who are part of the Nato Plus, have land disputes with China.
The business daily, however, stressed that the invitation be weighed with Indian pivot for multipolarity in the world order. India, said the daily, has done well being a member of Quad, I2U2, G20, SCO and BRICS.
It will be foolhardy even to entertain the idea of joining Nato Plus, for the group is a Second World War residue, which by not being disbanded, remains a reason for conflicts.
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