Member of Parliament Derek O’Brien spoke on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address today in Rajya Sabha

TRANSCRIPT OF THE SPEECH

Sir, some dreams come true in India.

In 1935, that time there was a small village called Mirati. The father was a freedom fighter, the mother was freedom fighter and a son was born. The son went on to go to college and after that became a professor, got out of the small village, came to the city and became a journalist, then a social worker. That was in 1935.

And today, some dreams do come true because that boy from Birbhum is now the Rashtrapati ji of our country who delivered the speech for which I stand here to thank him.

Yes, Sir, in all this negativity, if you look carefully, you can find some bit of positivity. Sir, I told you the first story of positivity using nouns, verbs and adjectives. Now I will attempt a second story of positivity using only nouns. One example, Sir. Azad, Singh, Singh, Anthony, Sharma, Mayawati, Yadav, Yadav, Yechury, Pawar, O’Brien, Tirkey, Krishnan, Goud, Naidu, Modi, Jaitley. It is a beautiful diversity Sir, you go through any row in Parliament. This is the diversity which is India. This is the diversity of our everyday lives. This is the diversity which you will find in our villages, in our communities, and sometimes we have the chance to celebrate that diversity.

Sir, 5482 words made up the President’s speech. How I wish it were 5486 words, Sir. I was looking for four words, Sir. ‘Diversity’ wasn’t there. ‘Communal harmony’ wasn’t there. ‘Tolerance’ wasn’t there.

I would like to restrict my observation today, paragraph by paragraph, on some of the points that were raised in that speech and I will restrict myself to that. But before that … we heard another speech today at the other House, so, one is a little confused because in the other House, as in that speech, we were told that Parliament must run. We must debate, deliberate and legislate. Very good. The Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha said that. But what did the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha say? And I quote what the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha said in 2012: “Debate is intended to be used merely to put a lid on parliamentary accountability.” The Opposition’s right to disrupt is a legitimate tactics for the Opposition to expose the government. Who is right – the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha or the Leader of the House in Lok Sabha?

The second one, which is also very confusing, is the productivity of the Parliament. So let’s look at the productivity of the Parliament. Let’s look at the hard numbers. From independence, the most unproductive Parliament was the 15th Lok Sabha. Who was in the Opposition? Who did the disrupting? Sir, look at those numbers. 60% of Lok Sabha time, 66% of Rajya Sabha time only. We have to ask these questions, Sir, rather than trying to pass the buck, because the House belongs to the Opposition. And if you look at the last 20 months, look at these figures Sir. The most productive session, 123%, in Parliament. Who wants to take the laurels for this? I believe the Opposition should take the laurels for cooperating.

Sir, now let me get to paragraph by paragraph. Let’s start with paragraph 3: ‘Garibon ki unnati.’ Sir, I heard a speech earlier today in Parliament. That gentleman quoted three generations of one family. But I will quote him. This is what he said last year: “Yeh aap ki bifalta ka smarak hai. Azaadi kay saath saal baad aap logo ko gadhdhay khodnay ke liye bhejna pada.” What was he commenting on? He was commenting on MNREGA. Today, the tune was a little different but, basically, this was a hatched job on MNREGA. MNREGA funds have been stopped not only to my State. Now everybody is making a big noise about it, Rs 38,000 crore. If you look back to 2010, Rs 40,000 crore was on MNREGA, Sir. These are the hard numbers.

Sir, the Speaker who proposed this motion threw a lot of numbers at me. India’s GDP grew at 7.3%. I am not so happy, because in my State, Bengal, we are growing at 12.5%. The lowest inflation in India is in Bengal, 3%. So many figures I can share with you, but these are hard numbers. This is not what we will do, this is what we have done.

The situation, Sir, is so bad that today, a ‘king of good times’ can disappear from this country. He will get a golden handshake of Rs 550 crore and yet, public sector banks have written off in the last two years, Rs 1 lakh 14 thousand crore. Net bad assets of government banks are 1/3rd of their net worth. What is going on, Sir? And of course, in my State, the previous government left us with a burden of Rs 2.5 crore. What did we do? Sit down and fuss about it? No, we worked to increase our taxes, and our tax collection has improved by 200%, Sir, in the last four years.

So, one is ‘talk’ and the other is ‘do.’

Sir, now I will talk about in Paragraph 12: ‘Kisaano ke samriddhi.’ The BJP speaker here said, trust the poor. Yes, you may trust the poor. But the question, Sir, they need to ask themselves, does the poor trust them? If you say you trust the poor, if you say you trust the kisano, what happened to the Land Bill? We have been asking from day 1, please withdraw the Land Acquisition Bill. We are the most consistent. We voted against the UPA Bill, we will vote against this Bill. Why don’t you withdraw that Bill? What’s the delay for?

Sir, this Government is good at coining names. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare – nice name. I am quoting a BJP MP from Lok Sabha: “All farmer suicides are not because of hunger and unemployment. There is a fashion trend going on.” Sir, this Budget speech we will be debating for 12 hours, Sir, in these 12 hours, 12 farmers will die in India. Sir, you have allocated Rs 36,000 crore for 70 crore farmers. Do a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation, it makes for Rs 1.40 per farmer per day.

Sir, Paragraph 18 spoke about a second Green Revolution. Good. India’s agri-GDP grew at 1.1% but I am smiling more in Bengal, because in Bengal we grew at at 5.5%. You are talking about doubling farmers’ incomes, not by 2019, but by five-six years from now, that is, 2022. Very interesting time. By that time, where you will be, we don’t know. Actually we know. But, look at the example, Sir. In 2010-11, farmers’ income in Bengal was on an average Rs 91,000 per family. Four years ago. Sir, that figure is up by 76%. In 2014-15, the average farm family income was Rs 1,60,000. We have done this, we have absorbed the cost of cultivation. We have introduced mechanisation and this is including the farm labour cost, Sir, which has doubled during this period. These are realities. I am not faffing around, that’s why I am absolutely sticking to the paragraphs.

Paragraph 21 speaks of ‘yuvaon ka rozgar.’ Everyone has mentioned this. You have done Skill India, Make in India, Swachh Bharat and all the fancy names. Here’s my one question. How many jobs have you created? Instead of empowering the youth, you are putting the youth into jails. That’s the bottom line, Sir.

Sir, Paragraph 24 spoke about MSME. Excellent. Check these figures. Which State is number 1 in bank loans for MSME?

Sir, come to paragraph 40. It talks about cooperative federalism. What cooperative federalism are we talking about? Sir, how many projects have been stopped?

This is the new spin the BJP is gives – 32% devolution has gone to 42% devolution. Sir, what is the spin? How many Centrally-funded schemes have you stopped? What’s the number? How have you changed the percentages? Let me just give you one example.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. If a State spent Rs 3,000 crore last year on roads, the Central government would have compensated them with Rs 3,000 crore. But after this Budget, the State will have to spend Rs 1,200 crore and the Centre will spend Rs 1,800 crore, Sir. So what, in effect, is happening, if you summarise, give with one hand and from the States, take with two hands, Sir. So this is cooperative federalism! We are beseeching the Government to stop cooperative federalism, instead, let’s make that operative federalism, Sir.

Sir, paragraph 79 of this speech – ‘Sabka saath sabka vikas.’ Sir, we celebrated Constitution Day, we all had big speeches given on Dr Ambedkar. And then what happened? We all know in Hyderabad – and my party was one of the first parties (it’s not about being first or seventh or eighth), everybody was there in Hyderabad – we were there to stand by this boy. We met the family, we met the mother, we did all we can. But Rohith will not come back, he’s gone.

Sir, I don’t normally like to quote European kings, but this one was so perfect. King George III said, Sir, “Everyone who does not agree with me is a traitor.” This is what we are seeing today. (video signal disturbance)

The BJP, for a long time, in the last 20 months, when they look at India, Sir, I think they look at themselves, Sir. When you look at Congress, they look at India through a rearview mirror. Sir, we are a little different, but I’ll come to that later.

Sir, when we look at Bengal, we don’t look at it through a rearview mirror or a mirror. Sir, we look at it from the windshield of a cockpit. And what is that windshield of a cockpit telling us, Sir? Since the seconder of this Motion, he also lived in Bengal for a while, but he’s been away from Bengal for 20-22 years, so he has a nostalgic view, maybe. But these are the realities, Sir. The most scholarships for minorities – in Bengal, Aliah University set up – in Bengal, OBC reservation for 96% Muslims – given to Bengal, one out of five WBCS officers, on merit – from Bengal. So the gentleman who spoke, and seconded the Motion, is welcome to come to Bengal any time, Sir, he can come for Eid, he can come for Christmas; he can eat what he wants (we won’t peek into his fridge to see whether it’s A, B or C); and he can also come for Diwali, Sir (we won’t send him to a neighbouring country).

Sir, lot’s more is happening in Bengal, but I want to restrict my speech to the President’s speech. Kanyashree has happened, transgender principal has happened, everything is happening together, Sir. Let’s come to paragraph 31 to 35 on healthcare.

What is the situation today? We live in country where only one out of every four Indians is covered by health insurance. India has achieved barely two of its eight MDG goals of the UN. Three out of every 10 stunted children in the world are from India. And again, what will we do? Will do, have done, will do, have done. Sir, if this government talks about federalism, I beseech them, ask us how to do it, we will tell you how to do it. Bengal provides medicines and healthcare free of cost at all State hospitals. Ask us how to do it, we will tell you how to do it. Bengal is number one in this country in child immunisation. Ask us how to do it, we will tell you how to do it. Eighty-two fair-price diagnostic centres, 109 fair-price medicine shops – again I say, ask us how to do it, we will tell you how to do it.

Sir, let’s get to paragraph 65. Black money. Black money, and I quote, “started yielding results.” Of course they’ve started yielding results. But my point is, they are very bad results. As bad as the UPA’s. Two, look at these figures: 644 people in the whole country complied with that. Look at the UPA figures and look at the NDA figures: 670 prosecutions, NDA, 640, UPA. So where are we headed, Sir? Provident Fund: I don’t want to go into that, because we all know what happened. Roll back EPF. Because, bad enough that was a bad idea, and Sir, after that what happened? I mean, this is like a college committee – a clarification for a clarification for another clarification does not remain a clarification, Sir. It remains a comedy.

So these are the kinds of things, Sir, which are happening. Sir, I want to come to one of the most important and significant points – I want to speak today, Sir, about paragraph 57. The government is taking the benefits of Digital India to common citizens. Yes, there are one or two ideas – like the mobile app for the electrification of villages, very very good that that is happening. But what is most bothersome is, is it Digital India or is it Divisive India?

Sir, I made these three points which I have to repeat this year, which I made at the President’s Motion of Thanks address last year, Sir. This is how it works. Loudspeakers, rumour-mongering and technology – this is exactly what I said last year. Loudspeakers, we all know – pre-elections, this is how it’s done. Rumour-mongering, we all know. But now we are seeing how technology is being used – not only WhatsApp, but Modi-fied or modified (pardon the pun) videos. In fact, Sir, there is a story that the RSS has a uniqur medical school where they don’t tech you gynaecology or cardiology; they teach you video-doctorology. This is a fact, Sir. It’s a very serious issue, don’t take it light-heartedly. Maybe I’m being facetious, but I’ve been talking about this last year because this doesn’t happen. Technology has good uses, technology has bad uses. And if you want to divide this country, please do not use technology like this. Let us celebrate technology, Sir.

If you don’t want to take our advice or anybody else’s advice, please take the former President, Kalam saab’s advice. For great men, religion is a way of making friends, but small people make religion a fighting tool. Sir, the bottom line is, when you haven’t delivered on jobs, when you haven’t delivered on farmers, when you haven’t delivered on manufacturing, when you haven’t delivered on your election promises, what do you do? You change the narrative. You’ve got one year to go for the UP elections, you’ve got one month to go for the Bengal elections and the Tamil Nadu elections, so you change the narrative, Sir. And it is unfortunate, it is really unfortunate, that in this debate on secularism, Sir, the debate is bookended, as someone put it so beautifully, on two unspeakable pogroms. Barkha Dutt put it very beautifully in her book – “a chessboard of comparative communalism.” Let me stick to these two pogroms – 2002, Gujarat, 1984, Delhi. Sir, and it is these two political parties – one of whom is involved in 1984, the other, 2002. And all of us sitting in the middle, who are much more responsible in our behavior and in the way we govern.

Who stalled GST? Who stalled The Prevention of Corruption Bill? The Real Estate Bill? All of these? So between one and two, they stall, they stall, and all of us in the middle sometimes are painted as the villains, Sir.

Sir, in paragraph 10, the President quoted Dr Ambedkar. I will quote Dr Ambedkar, what he told the then President of India in 1952. And I want my friends from this side to please listen to Dr Ambedkar, and I want my friends from Congress to also listen to Dr Ambedkar.

“No hungry man is going to be sympathetic to a critic who is going to tell him, ‘My dear fellow, although I am in power, although I am in authority, although I possess all the legal power at my command, please do not expect me to do a miracle because I have inherited a past which is inglorious.’ ”

So don’t blame the past, let’s move on from there.

Paragraph 21. Youth is the future of our country. If we are saying youth is the future of our country, then my friends in the government, why are you stifling the youth, why are you stifling intellectual freedom? I come from a State, as you do, which knows what stifling education and stifling intellectual freedom is all about. We know this, the party decided who would teach, the party decided what you would learn, the party decided how you would think, the party decided which comrade would be the VC, the party also decided how to make a blue sky red – with blood.

For 34 years, this has happened, but now let me quote Pandit Nehru. I know everyone will listen to pundit Nehru but I want this party to listen most to Pandit Nehru, the Congress Party. Let me read this quote for everybody, but Manmohan Singh Ji is here and other senior Congress leaders are here.

‘’The Communist Party’s unfortunate association with violence encourages a certain evil tendency in human beings.”

Political violence, rajnoitik hinsa, rajniti ka hingsa. The A-Z of political violence, the lexicon of political violence, I can tell you:

A – Ananda Margi Massacre, 1982: 17 Ananda Margis were killed in Kolkata
B – Bantala, 1990: 3 health officers were coming back from an immunisation programme, and we all know what happened
C – Chhoto Angaria, 2001: 11 Trinamool workers killed
D – Dhantala, 2003: 6 women

I can carry on till Z.

M – Marichjhapi in the Sundarbans, 1979
N – Netai
N – Nandigram: Don’t remember Nadigram? 14 farmers killed, 100 missing

The truth hurts, the truth hurts, the truth hurts. Now somebody has a new-found love (between the Congress and the CPI(M)). I like that analogy of fair and lovely. I thought that was quite funny actually, and it was a nice way to make the black money, white money, so I thought the new-found love could also be a new nice personal care, we call it ‘Close-up.’

This is what Dr Ambedkar said and I promise you that this is my last. After this I will conclude: “As regards the labour movement carried on by the Communist Party, there is no possibility of me joining them. I am a confirmed enemy of the Communist, who exploit labour.” Yes, I am a confirmed enemy of the Communist Party, and I will remain so, I will remain so, I will remain so, I will remain so. In spite of what everyone else will do, we will remain.

For six days and seven nights, the citizens of ancient Rome watched helplessly as their city burned. The great fire of 64 AD consumed the entire city. Of the million people, half a million lost their lives, 10 districts of that city were burned down, only four survived. There were rumours that the king himself had actually set the fire and there were also rumours that he did this because he wanted to build a new city according to his plan. But the most interesting tale about this fire was that the king during that great fire played the fiddle while his city burned. I stand here to thank the President for his speech, and will India’s Neros stand up?