India, July 17 -- The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha has begun well without much disturbance with even first-timers getting an opportunity to make their maiden speeches. While the 16th Lok Sabha saw a divided and fractured Opposition, the current one has so far seen only feeble voices with no effort to speak unitedly. This could be because the Opposition is yet to recover from the blow it has received in the elections.

While any democracy needs a stable government, it also needs a credible and strong Opposition. Its main role is to question the government of the day and hold it accountable to the public. It is the Opposition that puts rein on the power of the government of the day and checks it. It is indeed a well-established fact ...