Opp raises a stink, Munda silent over Tata lease issue
RANCHI | Friday, March 25, 2011
VIJAY DEO JHA
RANCHI



The Opposition made best use of its vocal chords and ‘Bose Acoustics’ to grill Chief Minister Arjun Munda over ‘the Tata land lease issue,’ during the Budget session. Munda, however, had switched to safe mode - all ears but silent, not uttering even a word.

As the session started on Thursday, the Opposition led by JVM’s Pradeep Yadav and Congress’ KN Tripathi rushed to the well of the House. Demanding Munda’s statement over this issue the Opposition alleged that Munda in his previous regime as CM, in 2005, had unduly favoured the Tata to renew land lease. The CBI probe was quickly demanded and then entire Opposition rushed to the well with time tested sloganeering.

“Lok tantra ka hatyara hai, hai, down to the murderer of democracy.” The precious time allotted to the Question Hour and Zero Hour became the victim of din and uproar. Speaker CP Singh made repeated calls for calm to allow the normal functioning of House. None in the Opposition appeared interested to grill the government through ‘Question and Zero Hour’ when they had already got Tata stick to thrash Munda.

The treasury had no effective lieutenant today to give matching reply to the Opposition: Munda was not present in the House that time. A couple of shuddering marshals were meekly bracing-up to stop the House to turn in to a pitched battle ground, though. The House was adjourned twice, from 11 am to 12 AM and then 12 AM to 2 PM.
Opposition members used the occasion differently: political, academic and otherwise. Besides pillorying Munda, Yadav exhibited his command over gray and grave records of the so called dealing between the Tata and Munda over renewal of land lease. The Opposition charged Munda had exempted dues of an amount of Rs 5937 crore that the Tata owed to the government. Munda in turn secured contract from the Tata for the transport company allegedly owned by her wife Mira Munda.

Thick charges and earthy adjectives were flowing from the Opposition’s side in earthy vernacular. English was suddenly pressed into service in the whole turmoil. “ab English mekaun bol raha hai ji. Sab log anrezi thode na samjhega, now who has started speaking in English, not all will understand English,” one said.

Tripathi careened his head back towards quibblers with arch brow. In short: shut up you fool if do not know English, just listen me. He did not say this. He gestured it obviously. Tripathi read aloud a paragraph of the book ‘India in Turmoil’ authored by former Jharkhand Governor Ved Marwah who in his book had raised certain points related to Munda’s relation with the Tata. It was for the second time when Tripathi had quoted Marwah to trouble Munda — he had done it during Munda government’s Trust Vote on September 14 last year. A fulsome praise and more sloganeering, thereafter, Tripathi lumbered the trophy for his serious devotion towards book.
The first half of the show ended with the entire Opposition walking out of the House after successful disruption of the session. The second half of the session was the continuation of the first and started where it had left. Yadav was replaced by Samresh Singh of the JVM. And the Chief Minister had too come back to the House after backroom musing. A recharged Opposition again rushed to the well. Same chaos, same din and adjournment, finally. Munda with his silence, as irritated Opposition members into more clamours until their robust lungs gasped for breath. The Opposition boycotted the House with a firm resolution to disrupt the session over this issue on the final day of the session, Friday. Assembly’s Bose Sound system was in perfect sync with Opposition’s acoustics, only Munda chose not to hear this.