The Cut Motion
It was a cool breezy evening on the 27th April, 2010 when all my family members were home early to have some quality family time on the occasion of my birthday that around 5pm that I called everyone to round up at the Television to watch perhaps the not so likely events on air. It was the Live broadcast of Lok Sabha in session on the “Cut motion”. Which was featured almost on all the news channels in the country.
Little did I realise that my family too was unaware of what this fuzz was all about until my brother asked me a very simple and basic question, “What is cut motion?” which even took me by surprise that my mother second the question. It was only later that I discovered that most of my friends too where unaware of the tension in the air, in Delhi on that day, as the UPA tried to survive a cut motion on the Finance Bill in Parliament.
So here I thought of giving a brief insight on “Cut Motion” in common man’s terms.
What is a cut motion?
For all practical purposes, Cut motion is a veto power given to the members of the Lok Sabha to oppose a demand in the financial bill discussed by the government. This can turn into an effective tool to test the strength of the government. If a cut motion is adopted by the House and the government does not have the numbers, it is obliged to resign.
A motion may be moved to reduce the amount of a demand in any of the following ways:-
(a) Disapproval of Policy Cut: That the amount of the demand be reduced to Re.1/-' representing disapproval of the policy underlying the demand. A member giving notice of such a motion shall indicate in precise terms the particulars of the policy which he proposes to discuss. The discussion shall be confined to the specific point or points mentioned in the notice and it shall be open to members to advocate an alternative policy;
(b) Economy Cut: That the amount of the demand be reduced by a specified amount' representing the economy that can be effected. Such specified amount may be either a lump sum reduction in the demand or omission or reduction of an item in the demand. The notice shall indicate briefly and precisely the particular matter on which discussion is sought to be raised and speeches shall be confined to the discussion as to how economy can be effected
(c) Token Cut: That the amount of the demand be reduced by a token cut, say of Rs.100/- in order to ventilate a specific grievance which is within the sphere of the responsibility of the Government of India. The discussion thereon shall be confined to the particular grievance specified in the motion.
Tuesday's cut motion being moved to seek reduction in excise and customs duties on fuel prices.
The rule of the admitting a cut motion is available on the Parliament of India website: (http://parliamentofindia.nic.in) hence I wouldn’t be discussing it here, as it just complicates things for the people who don’t understand it.
Why was it so important all of sudden?
In a show of strength where a win for the government was assured, the division in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday was still a landmark. UPA-2 passed its first major test with a 289-201 scoreline. It thus demonstrated that it had enough support in the House to take on any challengers.
The outcome underscored the government's ability to poach support from the opposition's column, dealing a blow to the efforts for opposition unity on the strength of revived anti-Congressism, and helped abate doubts about the government's stability.
The "UP parties" turned out to be the main props for the government. If it was Samajwadi Party in the 2008 trust vote on the India-US nuclear deal, this time, BSP's 21 members provided the comfort factor as the government defeated two cut motions moved by BJP and Left when demands related to the Budget were guillotined on Tuesday evening. SP along with RJD helped indirectly by not participating in voting.
What’s the Big Catch?
Rahul Gandhi shouting filmy dialogues against Mayawati in UP, his mother sharing candies with the same Mayawati to stay afloat in power, a nation reeling and stooping more and more under inflation, increasing poverty, IPL scam, phone tapping. It’s all a part of our dance of democracy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, All’s well that ends well! 27 April indeed was not just a lucky and happy day for me because it was my birthday but even to Mr. Prime Minister, as he survived the cut motion and to all Indians who survived from having all of sudden re-election if the government had fall down.
