Imphal: The special session of the Manipur assembly that was to begin on Monday to discuss the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state turned out to be a non-starter as governor Anusuiya Uikey’s mandatory notification convening the House at least a fortnight in advance was apparently never issued.
The session was scheduled to discuss the recent clashes between the Kuki and Naga communities in the state, which have left several people dead and displaced thousands. The government had said that the session would be an opportunity to find a solution to the conflict.
However, the notification for the session was not issued by the governor’s office, which is required under the constitution. This led to speculation that the government was not serious about holding the session.
The opposition parties have condemned the government’s decision to call off the session. They have accused the government of trying to suppress the voices of the people who are demanding a solution to the conflict.
The Kuki and Naga communities have been at loggerheads for decades over land and other issues. The clashes in recent weeks have been the worst in years.
The government has deployed security forces in the affected areas in an attempt to bring the situation under control. However, the violence has continued.
The failure to hold the special assembly session is a setback for the efforts to resolve the ethnic conflict in Manipur. It remains to be seen how the government will now address the issue.
The session was to be held for two days, from Monday to Tuesday. The assembly speaker, Y. Khemchand, had said that the session would be an opportunity for the government to present its side of the story and for the opposition to raise their concerns. The government had also said that it would invite representatives of the Kuki and Naga communities to the session. The failure to hold the session has disappointed many people in Manipur, who were hoping that it would be a step towards resolving the conflict.