Imphal, 21 August (MTNews): The Manipur cabinet’s recommendation for Governor Anusuiya Uikey to convene an assembly session from 21 August did not come to fruition on Monday due to the absence of an official notification from the Raj Bhavan, leading to a perplexing situation, PTI reported.
This comes in the wake of 10 Kuki Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), spanning various political affiliations, expressing their inability to attend the assembly session due to the ongoing violence in the northeastern state.
“For a normal assembly session, a notification has to be issued 15 days before the beginning of it. No such notification has so far been issued by the Governor’s office,” PTI quoted an official as saying.
Earlier this month, the state government had called for the session after a cabinet meeting. An official statement issued on 4 August stated, “The state cabinet has recommended to the Hon’ble Governor of Manipur for summoning the 4th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 21, 2023.”
“The last assembly session was adjourned sine die in March. It is a constitutional obligation that the next session must be held before September 2,” PTI reported another official as saying.
Meanwhile, PTI quoted Congress Legislature Party Leader O Ibobi Singh on Sunday saying that “no assembly session has been convened even after the Manipur cabinet decided to hold it,” adding that it is “mandatory for the state assembly to hold a session every six months.”
Amidst these dynamics, it remains uncertain whether the Kuki MLAs will participate in the session. “Given the prevailing law and order situation, it will not be feasible for me to attend the upcoming session,” conveyed LM Khaute, BJP MLA for Churachandpur, a district deeply affected by the ongoing race riots, during an earlier telephonic interview with PTI.
In light of the persistent violence and unresolved demands from the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs for a separate administration, Khaute underscored the challenges in convening the session. Naga MLAs also expressed their reluctance to attend, asserting that Naga peace talks were hindered by the state government.
Responding to media inquiries, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had earlier assured that the assembly session would be held before September 2.
The state witnessed violent turmoil in early May following a “Tribal Solidarity March” held in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s pursuit of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Since then, over 160 casualties and hundreds of injuries have been reported in ethnic clashes within Manipur.
While Meiteis make up about 53 percent of Manipur’s population, predominantly residing in the Imphal Valley, tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 percent and mainly inhabit the hill districts.