Should the people of Manipur consider themselves lucky that the government has agreed to an assembly session which would have five sittings beginning on February 28 and concluding on March 5. As usual, there are no sittings on Saturday and Sunday. The last session of Manipur Legislative Assembly held on August 29, 2023 turned out to be a disappointment.
But then, it was held to avoid a constitutional crisis and not much because of public pressure for discussion on the ongoing clashes beginning May 3. The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) had decided on a single day session, albeit with a dissenting note from the opposition leader Okram Ibobi of Congress. As if on cue, the much-awaited assembly session was wrapped up in 11 minutes with the chief minister bulldozing any attempt to raise the ongoing crisis as an agenda with the opposition Congress MLAs shouting hoarse in protestation.
In recent times, short sessions of the assembly have somehow become a norm than an exception. Despite protests from the opposition, the proposal put forth by the state government in the Business Advisory Committee meeting always gets its way. Be it political compulsion or fear of being grilled by the opposition, nowadays the government always proposes short sessions. Even the all important Budget sessions have been reduced to only a few days, thereby prohibiting detailed discussions on the demand of different departments as many demands whether allied or not are clubbed together to get them passed.
For the opposition, assembly sessions are prime time in which they get the opportunity to raise questions and issues either related to their own constituencies or the state as a whole. It was also a time for show-casing their commitment to the constituents and of their oratory and debating skills. Impressing their constituents is most important for the legislators as it always comes into the picture during elections. Not only the opposition MLAs, but the MLAs sitting on the ruling or treasury bench also get the opportunity to highlight the issues of their constituencies.
Sadly, most of the ruling MLAs nowadays sit silently in the assembly hall without even asking or raising a question as if the chief minister and the ministers would take unkindly to such questioning. There was a time when the scenario was quite different. Examples may be made of the late O Tomba of Thongju constituency who was an Independent. He sits in the ruling bench, but whenever he gets the opportunity he raises questions left and right and always participates in every budget discussion. It was also a time when the opposition bench was populated by leaders full of fire and brimstone.
Their debating skills were legendary and they routinely threw the rule book to the ruling bench, most of the time getting the final word from Speakers who were also giants. Wording a question is also very important. Of course, there is always a chance for raising supplementary questions but it always gives a chance to the minister to delay the answer to a future date or a private audience in the Speaker’s chamber. So, the initial set of questions is very important as it would lead to the real answers they are seeking.
Coming back to the ensuing session, it is still too short. Manipur is still caught in a nightmare of hostilities between the Meiteis and the Kukis without a solution or return to normalcy in sight. The general public had been once again demanding a detailed discussion on the present turmoil and had raised certain issues.
Almost all the Kuki MLAs did not attend the last session on one excuse or the other. This time also, the uncertainty still plagues the atmosphere. However, the recent meeting of both Kuki and Naga MLAs at Guwahati could be a decisive factor on attendance of all the MLAs and it would certainly pave the way forward for return to normalcy. So far, there has been no diktats. Let us hope for the best.
