New facets of PM’s ways revealed

Two facets of Prime Minister Modi’s ways have recently been revealed. After failing to get market-friendly measures off the ground, he is learning that only a stable political environment can create the ambience for forward movement, and that a whip hand in the Lok Sabha does not guarantee success. For a year and a half he displayed an attitude of looking down upon the Opposition. That changed on Friday. The PM invited his predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh, and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to tea to create the sense that the ruling party was not averse to a working relationship with the main Opposition party. This had not happened in Mr Modi’s 18 months. Specifically, they discussed the passage in the Rajya Sabha — where BJP numbers are quite pathetic and likely to remain so for some more time — of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, which requires a Constitution amendment.

The humbling of the mighty may be a part of the Bihar election effect. But it is probable that the PM might have publicly engaged the Opposition on the GST issue even if the poll result had been favourable. The reason is that criticism is rising from supporters in the world of business and foreign countries too can see that India is all talk and too little action. It will be interesting to see if the most important leader of the government will extend an olive branch to the Opposition only when he is cornered. The question is: will a working relationship with the Opposition be attempted even when ordinary legislation — not a measure calling for Constitution amendment, as the GST Bill — and other key national issue are on the agenda? Where the PM’s overture on GST leads will depend on whether his government accepts some of the changes the Congress seeks.

On the other important question of the day — the secularism issue — Mr Modi said nothing new in Parliament. Trite expressions like “India first” and “our holy book is the Constitution” date back to his Lok Sabha campaign days. In fact, the PM studiously avoided commenting on the recent unfortunate events in Parliament. He said of course that the Constitution will not be reviewed. Such political articulation is positive. But on the practical plane, without adequate Rajya Sabha backing, it is impossible to envisage making changes to the Constitution. Initiating the secularism debate a day prior, Union home minister Rajnath Singh just criticised the incorporation of the word “secularism” in the Constitution. The government’s response is not really a clear signal to the communal loudmouths.