Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 23:
MPs and MLAs from the Northeastern region today held a demonstration in front of Mahatma Gandhi�s statue in Parliament House Complex on the opening day of the monsoon session protesting the extension of NSCN (IM) ceasefire beyond Nagaland even as Lok Sabha MP Holkhomang Haokip and Rajya Sabha MP W Angou Singh submitted notices for an adjournment motion and call attention respectively.
The Manipur leaders raised slogans against the ceasefire and carried poster saying �we oppose extension of NSCN (IM) ceasefire� to other Northeastern States.
The demonstrators, led by Manipur Assembly Speaker S Dhananjoy, demanded immediate withdrawal of the ceasefire agreement.
Manipur MLAs have already threatened to resign from the State Assembly en-masse if their demand was not met by July 31.Members of the MPs and MLAs Forum, Manipur took part in the rally, MPs from other Northeastern States led by chairman of Northeast MPs Forum, PR Kyndiah also joined the dharna.
The adjournment motion is likely to be taken up on Wednesday while the call attention motion may be discussed by Rajya Sabha during this week.
This was one of the historic protests ever staged by members of a State Legislative Assembly before the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the inner gate of the Parliament, the Forum said in a release.
The Forum displayed various banners and shouted slogans.
They also shouted that �we have not come here to beg out territory.
The people of Manipur shall protect their territory at any cost.
By staging the dharna in a democratic way the members of the Forum highlighted the prevailing tense situation in Manipur and squarely blamed the Centre for the delay in the process of withdrawal of the ceasefire extension to Manipur.
The delay was the root cause for the tense situation in Manipur, they charged.
Stating that the ball is now in the court of the Centre the legislators warned that any delay in withdrawing the ceasefire from Manipur will worsen the situation and cause more casualties.