NPF MLAs stay away without giving any formal leave application
Winter session of the 10th Manipur legislative Assembly session begins today but without the presence of 4 Naga Peoples’ front MLAs who had tender resignation on September 4, this year in protest against the passing of the 4 ILPS related Bills on August 31, during the last Assembly session. Assembly source said that the four MLAs L Dikho (48- Mao A/C); Samuel Risom (44-Ukhrul A/C); ST Victor Nunghlung (41-Chandel A/C) and Dr V Alexander Pao (47-Karong A/C) did not give any formal leave application to the Speaker’s office. Congress MLA E Dwijamani also did not attend the session but he had applied leave application to the Speaker of the house and the speaker of the house Th. Lokeshwar took the approval of the house to grant his leave of absence.
Source said that the resignations letter submitted to the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly has not been accepted till today and thus they still enjoy their monthly salary as well as other benefits that an MLA enjoyed.
It may be mentioned that of the four NPF MLAs, three were present on the Assembly session when the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (2nd Amendment) Bill was passed by the state assembly session of August 31. A Resolution was also adopted to safeguard the territorial integrity of the state while appreciating the peace talk between the NSCN-IM and the Government of India on that day. Surprisingly none of the MPF MLAs present on the day had raised any objection to the passing of the 3 Bills which they now term as anti tribal Bills. It was the mass protest at Churachandpur and the simultaneous supports from other Hill based civil society bodies that the four NPF MLAs submitted their resignation letter. Content of the resignation letters submitted to the assembly had not detailed on the reason for their resignation but speaking to media persons the four NPF MLAs had categorically stated that the Okram Ibobi Singh led Congress government is anti tribal and Anti Naga.
