Friday, April 10, 2009

Triumph of the bigger ideas

Triumph of bigger ideas...

...as it happened during the Parliament Debate on the Nuclear Deal.

Somnath Chaterjee's defiance of the whip of the party that got him the speaker’s chair; Omar Aubdullah's sharp criticism of the nuclear deal being tagged as anti-muslim alongside an expression of deep regret, for having sided with the NDA during Gujrat riots; 
Rahul Gandhi’s acceptance of Vajpayee’s contribution towards the nuclear deal; 
Shanawaz Husain's scathing attack on the government for non-performance and over simplification of the solution for the energy crisis; 
Alignment of rival Kasmiri parties (NC and PDP) on the same side of the nuclear divided; 
BJP acknowledging the need for the nuclear deal but opposing the government’s high handedness; 
Akali Dal’s neutral stand on the deal but a vote against the government; 
BJP's readiness to support it's rival Congress for reforms (both economic and social ); 
and so on, may at one level seem chaotic and cynical behavior - of MPs falling for bribes in cash and kind. And of self serving political interests driving the regrouping of political parties.

At another, it is a triumph of the bigger ideas over politics, personal egos and groupism.

The Indian constitution triumphed over party diktat; 
The government stood rightly exposed for cobbling up a majority by fair and foul means; 
The opposition to the nuclear deal in the name of Muslim interest stood rightly rubbished; 
The need to break away from the isolation of India on nuclear technology stood rightly supported; 
The by and large dysfunctional (or at best mediocre performance) of the government stood rightly condemned.

Expect more such episodes of fights over ideas. Watch individuals and groups switch sides. Watch the bigger ideas win.

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