Cong decries shortened session, demands Bill to protect indigenous people
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 18 2017: Congress party has termed it unreasonable that the second session of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly which would commence on July 20 has been shortened to August 4 after the MLAs were already notified that the same session would go on till August 16 .

Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, Congress spokesman Khumukcham Joykisan decried that modification of the Assembly session's schedule after it was already fixed by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) lacked justification .

He then appealed to the Government to refrain from making such modifications in future .

The Congress party is well prepared to raise different issues and people's aspirations during the State Assembly's budget session which would commence from July 20 .

The Government of India's renewed efforts to resolve the vexed issue of Naga insurgency are commendable .

Cong decries shortened session, demands Bill to protect indigenous people

To let people live in a secure and peaceful environment is one primary duty of any Government.

The people's apprehension and anxiety can be removed only when the details of the Framework Agreement signed between the Government of India and NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015 are divulged .

All the 60 MLAs of the State need to join hands and work collectively to elicit all the details of the secretive Framework Agreement and ensure that it does not create any ill-feelings among different communities living together in Manipur, Joykisan said .

The Government should listen to Congress party and pass a Bill which can protect indigenous people of Manipur from the onslaught of incessant influx rather than wait for a mass civil movement .

Congress party would certainly table a Bill which can protect indigenous people during the ensuing Assembly session, Joykisan informed .

He also expressed keen desire for both Opposition and ruling parties to work together for the people affected by the recent floods.

MLA N Loken remarked that shortening House session after a longer schedule has been already fixed is unprecedented in the history of Manipur.

It only shows that the Government says one thing and does another .

"In connection with the ensuing Assembly session, I went to the State Assembly to submit four questions yesterday but only two questions were accepted while the other two were given back on the pretext that the Assembly session has been shortened", Loken said .

Maintaining that modification of the Assembly session's schedule after it was already fixed by BAC was unreasonable, Loken charged that it amounted to violation of the Indian Constitution.

The incumbent Government which is yet to complete four months has been making tall promises to the people without thinking whether they would be able to execute them or not.

Expressing scepticism over the Government's many assurances, the Congress MLA said that he does not believe the Government would last its full term of five years .

It would not last long if the Government is good at only lip service, he continued .

Taking strong exception to the incumbent Government's repeated reference to the previous Government at every occasion, Loken said that most of the incumbent Ministers were with Congress party.

The forgot themselves when they went hypercritical against the previous Government, Loken remarked.

He then advised the incumbent Ministers to think twice before making any public statement.