Editorial 1: Managing conflict, cherishing diversity and nurturing oneness
Context:
- Parliaments are the supreme expression of the will of sovereign peoples.
- Members of Parliament in a constitutional democracy such as ours are legally obligated to periodically seek endorsement for their plans and programmes from their constituents through free, fair and open elections.
- Therefore, Parliaments constituted by popular will are bestowed with constitutional and moral authority to enact laws, determine political goals, allocate resources, give voice to the common citizens and hold the executive accountable for their acts of omission and commission.
- It is the people of a nation that are the beating heart of parliamentary democracy.
Indian as a ‘mother of democracy’:
- Indian is founded on the solid bedrock of our multidimensional historical and cultural legacy that goes back several millennia.
- Not only do our ancient texts refer to institutions and political structures that facilitated deliberation and debate, but they also clearly indicate the presence of participative governance, particularly at the village community level.
- Therefore, parliamentary democracy has strengthened and flourished in independent India is in itself an eloquent testimony to this democratic ethos, so zealously safeguarded by our forefathers.
Indian Parliament represents will of people
- When India attained independence in 1947, serious doubts were expressed by many political analysts from overseas about the viability of the democratic experiment, which they considered to be an alien implant on the Indian political terra firma.
- However, our founding fathers who were steeped in our history, tradition and culture, and who had an intuitive faith in the political judgement and wisdom of our common people, had no such hesitation or self-doubt.
- India adopted a most enlightened Constitution at the dawn of our freedom and the journey in the last seven decades has vindicated that faith in the people of India and in their capability to make the right choice when it mattered the most.
- India’s accommodative parliamentary system has helped the nation to manage conflicts, and cherish diversity, yet nurture oneness of spirit to keep us united and strong and to guide the nation ever forward on the path of development and prosperity for the last person in the queue.
- As, the Parliament of India, guided as it is by the Constitution, has provided space and respect for diversity in all its dimensions, yet dealing with all in an even-handed way, and never hesitating to reach out to the weaker sections of society.
- Parliament also serves as an effective mouthpiece of the people in bringing their issues, concerns, problems and difficulties to the attention of governments and the nation.
- Ever since its establishment, the Parliament of India has played a determined and purposive role in bringing about positive socio-economic change in a society as diverse as India, through progressive legislation and debates on matters of contemporary national interest that have gone a long way in informing the public about the nuances and varied dimensions of the issues at hand
Role of Parliament’s committee to maximise the functioning of Parliament
- Our parliamentary committees are extensions of Parliament. They are referred to as parliaments in a microcosm.
- These committees are vested with great authority and responsibility to carry out detailed scrutiny of bills, budgetary proposals, programmes and policies and the working of different ministries of the Union government.
- Committees complement and support the work of Parliament enormously since they enjoy greater flexibility in their functioning.
- They can devise their own methodology, take evidence of government officials and elicit views directly from the people, organisations and experts.
- These feedback mechanisms help to sharpen parliamentary scrutiny and oversight of government ministries and departments.
Parliament’s rights come along with responsibilities:
- The Constitution grants members, individually and collectively as members of the Houses of Parliament, certain rights, privileges and immunities in order to enable them to discharge their responsibilities efficiently, effectively and without fear or favour.
- Parliamentary privileges shield and safeguard the autonomy, authority and dignity of Parliament from incursions in their domain by other arms of the state.
- This is vital so as to enable members to express their views freely. These privileges include immunity from prosecution for speech made in the Houses of Parliament, immunity from arrest in civil matters during parliamentary sessions or committee meetings.
- However, rights come with responsibilities, which members have to remain cognisant of, so that these privileges are not used for frivolous, baseless and defamatory allegations.
Parliament as a living house of vibrant democracy
- Parliament is not a lifeless institution but a vibrant and living embodiment of the will of more than a billion Indians.
- Individually and collectively, Parliamentarians are committed to working towards the welfare of citizens, and in this, their authority is amply fortified by the Constitution, the laws of the land and the moral authority bestowed by the people of India.
- In the seven decades of its existence, the Parliament of India has successfully created an elegant symphony of democracy, that rises above the occasional discordant notes.
- Its capacious spirit has embraced all shades of opinion with equal respect, while all along resolutely standing up for constitutional values, national interest, unity of the nation and the common good.
Conclusion:
- As we enter the Amrit Kaal of our existence as a sovereign nation, it is we the people of India who will have to find ways to make this supreme representative institution a place worthy of the respect and trust that voters have reposed in their elected representatives.
- Members of Parliament owe it to the citizens of this great nation to uphold the glory and dignity of Parliament. Parliamentarians are looked upon as role models and their dignified and decorous behaviour, sense of responsibility, purpose and dedication should be exhibited at all times.
- Therebefore, Let the Parliament of India continue to serve as a beacon of peace and hope for all societies and nations that aspire to provide a parliamentary forum to give expression to the collective will of the people.
Editorial 2: A bigger BRICS. better too?
Recent Context:
- Recently, Leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa took a call last week to expand the BRICS grouping from five countries to 11.
- The Johannesburg declaration, issued after the summit, said Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had been invited to become full members from January 1, 2024.
Origin of BRICS
- The acronym BRIC was first used in 2001 by Goldman Sachs in their Global Economics Paper, ‘The World Needs Better Economic BRICs’.
- On the basis of econometric analyses, the paper projected that the four economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China would be among the world’s largest economies in the next 50 years or so.
- The first BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. It was decided to include South Africa at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York in 2010, and accordingly, South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya, China, in 2011.
- Currently, BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing around 41 per cent of the global population, around 24 per cent of the global GDP, and around 16 per cent of global trade.
Expansion of BRICS and its significance
- The Johannesburg declaration said that BRICS countries had reached a consensus on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of the expansion process, but these have not been made public.
- India has strategic partnerships with four of the new six members — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran and Egypt.
- By growing to a size of 11 members, BRICS has become larger than ASEAN (10 members) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (9).
- But while many portrayed the new expanded grouping as an alternative to western blocs like the G7, Delhi doesn’t view this as an “anti-West” grouping.
- The new entrants are emerging economies with the potential to scale up. Many belong to the Global South or the developing countries, and want to hedge their bets in the increasingly polarised geopolitical landscape.
Adding New members in BRICS shows inclusiveness
Africa and Latin America
- With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately US$610 billion, Argentina is one of the largest economies in Latin America. From Africa, Ethiopia and Egypt are added as new members
- According to the World Bank, Ethiopia is the second most populous nation in Africa after Nigeria, and one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, with an estimated 6.4% growth in FY 2021/22.
- Egypt occupies a crucial geo-strategic location — 12 per cent of global trade passes through the Suez Canal — and is a key player in the region. An important economic powerhouse, it is an emerging economy with reforms brought in by the government led by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
China’s influence over these nations
- Beijing lent a helping hand to Argentina so that it could avert a default with the International Monetary Fund for the second time in 30 days. The cash-strapped country tapped almost $3 billion of a Beijing currency swap line to pay the multilateral lender.
- And China’s bilateral trade with Egypt is currently at $15 billion, double that of India’s $7.26 billion in 2021-22. Egyptian government has been wooing Chinese investments, and has travelled to China seven times in the past eight years.
Countries from Asia and their significance
- Of the three Asian countries, Saudi Arabia and UAE are strong partners of the US, and along with Egypt, have close ties with Washington.
- The inclusion of Saudi Arabia and the UAE is expected to lead to more mobilisation of financial resources for the New Development Bank, the BRICS alternative for developing countries.
Russia, China’s stakes
- With the expansion of the grouping, China is seen as trying to build its own bloc against the Western powers. But India has maintained that decisions have to be made “through consensus” the guiding principle in the grouping so that it is not completely led by Beijing.
- In fact, this inclusion of six members has been projected as the first phase of the expansion, which leaves room for a second phase.
- Russia, the other major player in the grouping, will host the next BRICS summit in Kazan in 2024. An expanded grouping of 11 members attending will work for Moscow, which has been facing diplomatic isolation. It will use the opportunity to portray Russia’s relevance despite Western pressures.
- For India, the Chinese challenge remains the most pertinent. Delhi has the unenviable task of guarding against the grouping being swayed by Beijing, which wants to pack it with countries indebted to China.
Conclusion:
- Expansion of BRICS for new members will open the new doors to economic trade and commerce along with cultural exchange among the members country, Therefore, it will help in promoting the global peace and harmony