2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Monsoon session: Answers MPs must seek in parliament
It's that time of the year. On Monday, India's parliament will meet for the monsoon session. Theory says parliament is where the elected discuss, debate and legislate on issues. In reality, the elected simply represent the party instead of electors—in the 17th Lok Sabha, 11 of 15 sessions were adjourned early. We will know in the coming weeks whether the issues that matter are raised, or the session turns into an amphitheatre for partisan political rhetoric.
Hopefully, the MPs will not only raise the questions, but also question the answers! Here are a few issues that deserve attention and answers.
Operation Sindoor: The issue of national security and terrorism is expected to hold centre stage. The monsoon session is the first since the terror attack in Pahalgam in April. The government is expected to provide answers on intelligence failure, security lapse, if the terrorists were apprehended and, of course, the four day face-off. There is much attention on the ceasefire and whether it was imposed, as claimed repeatedly, by US President Donald J Trump, despite denials by India. The timing of the ceasefire is important but beyond when, how and who brokered it, there is the question of why the US pivoted to intervene. Was it the BrahMos hit on Nur Khan airbase? Is the Pakistani nuclear site and systems at Nur Khan airbase under US control, as claimed by Pakistan experts and, if so, what does this mean for India's security?
Air India 171 crash: The crash of the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London that claimed 260 lives is the worst in recent aviation history. The how and why of the crash is critical both for Air India and beleaguered Boeing. The Air Accident Investigation Bureau of India, which investigated the cause, released a preliminary report that seemed to park the blame on the pilots by excerpting a cockpit conversation. Why not release the whole conversation, as was done in the case of Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger's US Airways flight 1549 report? Is it normal to release a preliminary report with an inference about fault—particularly when tradition requires explicit avoidance of blame—and then issue clarifications? Was the report leaked to US media, and by who? What explains the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's directive to airlines to check fuel switches? Over 350 million Indians fly every year and they deserve clarity and accountability.
