Dissent, Fragmentation & Hope

In an age where dissent is delegitimised and opposition defanged, Making of the Parliamentary Opposition in India by Rupak Kumar boldly reimagines opposition as democracy's conscience, critic, and compass

- AZHER AHMAD DAR & MALEEHA

In a country like India, where opposition has become inconsequential, it is important to revisit the history of opposition to draw valuable lessons. Even more important is locating the current role of the opposition, redefining it, and brainstorming how it could be strengthened. It essentially is a mechanism for exacting accountability; it holds the executive to account and acts as a political alternative. In the constituent assembly, Ambedkar had called opposition "a condition precedent for the successful working of democracy." It acts as a veto on the decisions of the ruling party, thereby preventing anything that might go haywire. However, the current oppositional crisis merits asking several questions, including why it is in crisis, how it could be reinvigorated, and redefining its role, with new challenges having emerged.

Amidst the crisis, Making of the Parliamentary Opposition in India is a meaningful intervention that has tried to redefine how we view the opposition. In an era increasingly defined by the crisis of liberal democratic institutions and the erosion of dissent, Rupak Kumar's