The opposition seems to have drifted into years of irrelevance by reducing its role to noisy theatrics in Parliament. That drift has sidelined it from the lives of citizens who struggle with daily realities. It is time the opposition realizes that relevance will only return when it steps outside the legislature and acts where people actually live and suffer. Only by engaging with everyday concerns ~ safe crossings, clean cities and air, jobs with dignity, schools where daughters feel secure, and roads that serve rather than punish ~ can it prove that it matters. Citizens want an administration that serves rather than dictates. These are not luxuries but basic expectations.

Yet people have stopped complaining, not because problems have disappeared, but because they have lost faith that anyone will listen. That silence is itself a warning: democracy weakens when citizens resign themselves to chaos. The opposition can reclaim that faith by consistently questioning failures, demanding accountability for the nightmares people endure, and demonstrating through action that it is a performer, not just a critic. Every breath in our cities today is a slow poison. As of February 2026, air quality in major metros remains “unhealthy,” with average PM2.5 concentrations nearly eleven times higher than the WHO guideline.

Cities like Jhargram and Kharagpur have recorded AQI levels above 400, classified as “hazardous,” while Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata hover around 160-170, choking millions of residents. This is not inconvenience ~ it is mass asphyxiation in slow motion. At the same time, unemployment has climbed to 5 per cent in January 2026, with urban joblessness at 7 per cent and female unemployment in cities nearing 10 per cent. Behind the headline growth figures lies a harsher reality: corporate investment has stagnated for over a decade, IT hiring has slowed under AI disruption, and millions are trapped in unstable gig work. We risk becoming a nation of delivery boys and gig workers while China builds factories at scale. China today produces nearly 30 per cent of the world’s manufactured goods, while we barely cross 3 per cent.

This crisis is compounded by looming tariff wars and global trade realignments. Without a robust industrial base, tariff shocks can cripple exports and inflate domestic costs. The only sustainable response is to build manufacturing capacity that rivals global competitors, and this requires urgent investment in affordable, skill-oriented education ~ training workers not just for low end assembly but for high value manufacturing, technology integration, and innovation. It is here that the opposition can play an effective role ~ by championing skill development programmes across the country, engaging NGOs to push vocational training in neglected regions, and demonstrating through action that jobs are created not by slogans but by sustained effort.

Even in the much-touted domain of artificial intelligence, India risks falling behind. With just Rs 1,000 crore allocated in the 2026 budget, India’s AI dream is a slogan, not a strategy. Compare this with the United States, which has committed over $30 billion to AI research and innovation, or China, which invests more than $15 billion annually in AI ecosystems. While global competitors invest billions, India risks being a spectator in the next IT oriented industrial revolution. These failures ~ polluted air, joblessness, tariff vulnerability, and underfunded innovation ~ are not isolated. They are symptoms of a governance culture where accountability is absent and silence is normalized. And here lies the tragedy: the opposition, meant to be the conscience of democracy, has allowed itself to slide into irrelevance. India’s democracy today feels weakened not only by authoritarian impulses but by the absence of a credible opposition.

Electoral rolls are under dispute, with leaders in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu warning of mass deletions. Institutions too show strain: bureaucrats reduced to KPI managers, the judiciary stretched to balance majoritarian excess. International observers now describe India as a “flawed democracy” or even an “electoral autocracy,” pointing to episodes like the five-month detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk as evidence of shrinking space for dissent. In this landscape, the opposition should be indispensable and vocally meaningful. Yet it is neither heard by the public nor willing to address issues that demand performance in public interest. No ruling party welcomes scrutiny, but the greater tragedy is that the opposition itself has failed to unite, inspire, and educate citizens. Alliances like the INDIA bloc have collapsed under the weight of seat sharing disputes.

For years, no single opposition party had met the 10 per cent seat requirement to hold the Leader of Opposition post, weakening representation in key parliamentary committees. The opposition remains digitally disconnected, relying on rallies and walkouts while neglecting the platforms where India’s youth actually live and debate. Citizens, meanwhile, are lulled into passivity. Generations of fatalism and belief in luck have weakened civic questioning. Free ration schemes, subsidies, and religious overtones distract from seeking accountability. Historical narratives of thousand years of exploitation are invoked to confuse the average voter. In this environment, the opposition must reflect for relevance. If it reduces itself to heckling, it becomes complicit in irrelevance.

Voters want proof of relevance through deeds, not noise. There are good initiatives in the country ~ missions in space, clean energy projects, welfare schemes ~ that deserve support. Opposition legitimacy will grow not by dismissing them as wasteful, but by demonstrating through action that it can do better. Criticism alone alienates voters; action builds trust. The opposition must go beyond rhetoric and prove its relevance by engaging with citizens, initiating welfare projects, offering policy alternatives, and demonstrating ethical leadership. It must educate and motivate citizens, not just criticize. It must awaken voters to their rights, expose truths of governance, and build trust through humility and clean politics. The criminalization of politics remains a severe challenge. When half the lawmakers face criminal charges, democracy itself stands trial.

Opposition has to demonstrate it is clean, or it too will be guilty of betrayal. It must also resist the lure of freebies culture. As Infosys founder N.R. Narayan Murthy has emphasized, luring voters with pre-election giveaways does little to eradicate poverty. Sustainable jobs, skill-oriented education, and entrepreneurship are the real pathways to development. Fragmentation remains the opposition’s greatest weakness. The proliferation of parties ~ 744 contested in 2024 compared to just 53 in 1952 ~ has diluted impact. Many fail to secure even a single victory, contributing little to national development. The failure to integrate regional parties into strong national entities has further weakened the institution. Leadership crises compound the problem.

Opposition parties lack charismatic leaders who can inspire the masses, rally support, and effectively challenge the ruling party on issues that affect the populace. Their role is not about occupying a position; it requires vision, strategy, and resonance with public aspirations. Citizens have grown silent not because their problems have vanished, but because they have come to expect nothing will change. Fatalism has replaced questioning, and resignation has become routine. Crossings in cities like Greater Noida remain death traps ~ traffic police idle, rash drivers racing through neglected roads ~ while people pray for safety that never arrives. This quiet acceptance of chaos is itself a warning: democracy weakens when citizens stop demanding better.

It is precisely here that the opposition must establish relevance ~ by turning these lived nightmares into political priorities, demanding accountability for civic failures, and proving through visible action that it stands with the public. Empowering women and marginalized groups through vocational training and self-employment can strengthen grassroots support and prove that opposition is more than rhetoric. When citizens witness real improvements ~ safer crossings, disciplined traffic, cleaner streets, accessible healthcare, and a humane quality of life ~ they will begin to see the opposition not as mere critics, but as performers who matter.

It is time for the opposition to prove that it is a viable choice if entrusted with power, not just a tally of seats in Parliament. Citizens will only trust it when they see performance, not presence. Opposition is not a luxury ~ it is democracy’s oxygen. Without it, India will choke not just on polluted air, but on silence. India needs an opposition that does more than critique ~ one that can transform challenges into opportunities and inspire confidence in the democratic process.

(The writer is a retired Air Commodore, VSM, of the Indian Air Force)

The Sixteenth Finance Commission’s (SFC) recommendations have recently been accepted by the Government of India, and the reports of the Commission were tabled in Parliament on the day of the budget by the Union Finance Minister.

Sometimes a nation’s moral temperature is not taken in Parliament or courtrooms, but on a crowded street, in front of a small shop, during an ordinary quarrel that suddenly becomes a test of conscience.

Indian Railways triples expenditure on safety to over Rs 1.17 lakh crore in last 10 years

The Indian Railways has tripled expenditure on safety over the last decade, from Rs 39,200 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,17,693 crore in 2025-26, prioritising passenger safety amid modernisation, the Parliament was informed on Friday.

You might be interested in

US, Israel attack Iran LIVE: Khamenei killed, top commanders wiped out; IDF strikes 30+ targets

US, Israel attack Iran LIVE: Khamenei killed, top commanders wiped out; IDF strikes 30+ targets

Khamenei killed in US-Israel offensive; Iran declares 40 days of mourning as region teeters on brink

Khamenei killed in US-Israel offensive; Iran declares 40 days of mourning as region teeters on brink

West Asia airspace shuts amid Iran-Israel escalation; Indian airports suspend Gulf flights

West Asia airspace shuts amid Iran-Israel escalation; Indian airports suspend Gulf flights

© The Statesman