House Committee set up to study...
Private member resolution bill on bandhs, blockades
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 23 2010: The State Assembly has set up a House Committee to see whether a special or designated court can be set up to try and punish bandh/blockade sponsors.

Opposition MLAs O Joy, Dr Ng Bijoy, Dr I Ibohalbi and RK Anand raised a private member resolution seeking enactment of laws so that bandh/blockade sponsors can be tried in a designated court and punish accordingly in addition to exacting compensation from them for the loss caused by the bandhs/blockades they imposed.

After deliberating the motion, the House unanimously agreed to set up a House committee specifically for examining feasibility and legality of the proposal, and subsequently the committee was set up.

A frequent scene in Manipur with a lone walking down a deserted road during a bandh and trucks lined up due to blockades

The seven-member committee has Law Minister Th Debendra, L Nandakumar, Dr Loken, Dr Kh Ratankumar, Radhabinod Koijam, O Joy and RK Anand as members.

The committee after examining the proposal of setting up designated court in consultation with the Advocate General and other relevant experts would file a report.

The same report should be submitted to the Government within two months.

Observing that bandhs and blockades have become too frequent in Manipur, O Joy urged upon the House to pass the private member resolution.

Following the highway blockade, prices of all essential commodities have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many families.

Those in the lowest income group have been facing a famine-like situation, Joy noted.

Quoting Government reports that the State incurred a loss of around Rs 5/6 crores in a day due to blockade on national highways, Joy observed that frequent bandhs and blockades have become a major cause of poverty of the people of Manipur.

Defiance of bandh/blockade also entails a serious threat perception which is nothing but violation of human rights.

Referring to the rulings of the Supreme Court and the Kerala High Court that bandhs/blockades are illegal, Joy lamented that there is no definite law to punish bandh/blockade sponsors even though they are said to be punishable under different sections of IPC and CrPC.

He went on to urge the Assembly to pass a resolution so that bandh/blockade which are instrumental for causing loss of tens of thousands of rupees besides threatening human rights are checked and their sponsors punished under law.

Taking part in the discussion, Chief Minister in-charge Th Debendra while observing that calling bandhs and blockades at the slightest pretext like a custom or tradition would lead to an alarming situation, hailed the private member resolution as timely and appropriate.

He, nevertheless, called upon the Members to deliberate the motion more minutely.

Opposition members Dr Ng Bijoy, Dr I Ibohalbi and RK Anand supported the private member resolution.

Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing remarked that there should be no such thing as indefinite bandh/blockade within a democratic country.

The House could have condemned all indefinite bandhs/blockades.

Later, Th Debendra proposed that the matter be examined by setting up a House Committee.

In keeping with the proposal of the Chief Minister in-charge, the House unanimously agreed to set up a seven-member House Committee.