House should take responsibility : Joy
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 09 2015 :
Referring to the death of a student and injuries inflicted on many others in the course of a popular demand for introduction of a Bill which can effectively protect indigenous people of Manipur, former Opposition Member and veteran politician O Joy has asserted that the State Assembly should take responsibility for the incident for it took place when the House is in session.
Speaking to media persons at his Kakwa residence today, Joy condoled the demise of a student of Ananda Singh Hr Sec School in addition to conveying his solidarity to all the students who sustained injuries in police crackdown.
Joy remarked that yesterday's incident would go down in the history of Manipur and people would remember it for many years to come.
Police personnel who acted without restraint in the name of dispersing the agitating students should be punished according to law, he said.
The present wave of agitation was invited by the MRVTMW Bill passed by the Assembly earlier this year.
None of the Members raised any objection when the MRVTMW Bill was tabled at the House as they did not study its provisions in advance.
None of them suggested about referring the Bill to the select committee of the House or share it with the public in order to solicit their opinion, Joy alleged.
Any Bill should be studied clause by clause and if there is any objectionable or inappropriate word/term, it should be amended through written missive or verbal communication.
This is the general procedure of enacting a legislation, he asserted.
A House session should reflect public issues, grievances as well as common aspirations.
It was a tragedy that none of the Members bothered to raise the issue of protection of indigenous people at the House until there was violent protest and fatality.
At the same time, the Government did not think it necessary to present a suo moto statement in spite of the growing voices of grievances.
It appears that the Government either disregarded or neglected the mass movement .
It's time to ponder on a possible solution otherwise the situation may go out of control, Joy cautioned.