Speeches in Parliament Vol. (IV)-84

I must say that one paragraph on the foreign policy is rather inadequate. It however seems a somewhat responsible statement. I am glad that they have said that they stand by all the commitments made to the other governments. At the same time, they also supported our non-alignment policy because non-alignment policy is not a party policy. Non-alignment policy has been evolved in the course of the last 30 years by exchange of views in this House and debate outside and it is now the policy of the nation. Our foreign policy is not a party policy, it is national policy and I hope we continue with that without nay break. A person like shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is in charge of the policy and because he was a member of this House and has been in politics for a long time, I am sure he will provide that leadership and see that the foreign policy of India succeeds and makes India a stronger India in the comity of nations.

I would like to say one word about the economic aspect. Yesterday I found the Finance Minister and many other Members were trying to say that India has lost economically this way or that way. This is not going to help India as a nation and I would therefore request you to forget the Congress, as now, you have defeated it. Why is that the Congress is constantly on your mind? Forgot about it and think about yourself first. I am giving a word of advice on the basis of experience. See to your responsibility because India’s problems are complex problems, difficult problems.

Merely abusing the Congress is not going to help you. Therefore, concentrate on what you can do. Merely underestimating Congress or underestimating the policy of the Congress is not good. You have to take India from where it is to the forward positions. If you are to do that, you must be conscious of the strength of India and you must also be aware of the weakness of India. I’m cannot say that all is vague, everything it lost. Then you don’t know India. Certainly there are many basic stands in the foreign policy area. Regarding science and technology, for example, we have certainly got many assets to our credit. Are you going to underestimate them? Are you going to create an image of India as if, it is nothing? Please, therefore, forget us for the time being, and think at least about India, if at all you want to rule this country.

I will express some views on one paragraph that the Government have included in the Address. That was about the Constitution-making where they have advocated the theory of balance. This is the very old theory of balance, balance between people and parliament and judiciary and individuals and people all sorts of balance of power theory. I will certainly like to make my party’s position very clear on some of the aspects. Though we have accepted the-results as a rejection of the Forty-second Constitutional Amendment Bill, I would like to make that clear, we basically stand for the paramountcy of Parliament. If you want to underestimate it, you do that. But we stand by that principle of Parliament’s paramountcy. At the same time I would like to say that if there are any other aspects and if you come with any specific formulations, we will certainly consider them.