New Delhi (TIP)- After 11 days of impasse in Parliament over the structure of the Manipur violence debate, signs of a thaw, though still weak, appeared on Thursday, Aug 3, with the Opposition and the government discussing a middle path to break the stalemate.
The formula proposed by INDIA alliance veterans at a meeting with Leader of Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi relates to their climbdown from the current insistence to discuss Manipur under Rule 267, which entails the suspension of entire business to debate a matter. Sources said the Opposition has offered to discuss Manipur under Rule 167, which covers issues of public interest and which has in the past been invoked to debate crucial yet controversial subjects. A key condition of the new formulation, however, is the agreement of both sides on the draft of the motion under Rule 167.
“The ball is now in the government’s court,” an Opposition source said, still insistent that PM Narendra Modi should reply to the Manipur debate. Sources cited past instances when Rule 167 was invoked to find a middle path. On May 6, 2002, the Rajya Sabha had discussed a motion moved by Congress MP Arjun Singh on violence in Gujarat. After Singh moved the mutually drafted motion, Leader of Opposition in RS Manmohan Singh spoke and was followed by then PM Atal Behari Vajpayee and then Home Minister LK Advani. “In the end Arjun Singh replied to the motion, which was unanimously adopted without the need for any voting,” an Opposition leader said.
On August 4, 2010, then Leader of Opposition in RS Arun Jaitley moved a motion under Rule 167, expressing concerns over inflation. Then Finance Minister P Chidambaram replied to it and it was adopted.
“INDIA parties have offered a middle path to the leader of the House to break the logjam and get a discussion on Manipur going in an uninterrupted manner in the Rajya Sabha. Hope the government agrees,” Congress chief whip in RS Jairam Ramesh said.
TMC’s Derek O’Brien said: “The Opposition does not stand on ego and Manipur needs healing.”
The Union ministers noted that for 11 days, RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar kept offering to start the debate under Rule 176, but the Opposition posed roadblocks.
On MHA request, Kuki mass burial put off
Hours before a planned mass burial of deceased Kuki-Zomi people who fell victim to the ethnic violence, the Manipur High Court today ordered that status quo be maintained at the proposed burial site in Churachandpur district. The ITLF, the apex tribal body, which organised the funeral services, said it was postponing it by seven days following requests from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The developments came amid fresh violence that left 17 persons injured in Bishnupur. Police sources said Army and RAF personnel fired tear gas shells in Kangvai and Phougakchao areas of Bishnupur to stop massive crowds from proceeding to the proposed mass burial site. The security forces cited violation of restrictions imposed on the gathering of more than five persons. The district magistrates of Imphal East and Imphal West withdrew curfew relaxations announced earlier and imposed day curfew as a precautionary measure throughout the Imphal valley, officials said. Source: TNS