From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: In a rare occasion ,both the Houses of Parliament stood by the side of fear stricken people of North East who are still fleeing in droves from different parts of the country but mainly from the big cities even though Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh sending a strong message to the mischief mongers.
In the Lok Sabha memebrs rose as one to console the people from the northeast who are fleeing parts of the country driven by rumours of impending attacks on them and demanded strong action against those creating fear psychosis.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Mrs Sushma Swaraj stressed on the need to rise above party lines and send a clear message that people from the northeast have the freedom to live, work and study wherever they wish in the country.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a statement described as “reprehensible” the growing sense of insecurity among people from the North East living in other parts of the country and promised that his government is committed to take all steps to control the situation.
Dr Singh condemned all such incidents during a debate in the Lok Sabha on the violence in Kokrajhar, as also in Mumbai and other parts of the country against people from the NE.
All the three Union Ministers from the region – Mr Pawan Singh Ghatowar, (DoNER), Mr Vincent Pala( Water Resources and Minority Affairs) and Ms Agatha Sangma (Rural Dvelopment) along with the M.Ps urged the Centre to immediately intervene and ensure security to the vulnerable and victims.
All of them were scheduled to meet the Prime Minister but could not do so since he had left for Mumbai.
The Union Minister, Mr Pala accompanied by DoNER Mr Ghatowar and other Congress M.Ps had met Mr Sonia Gandhi on Thursday demanding protection to the fear stricken people from the North East. Cutting across party lines North East M.Ps Forum led by Rajya Sabha M.P. Mr Thomas Sangma spoke in one voice in Parliament against the circumstances leading to such huge exodus from different parts of the country.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha discussed in details mass exodus of the North East people from various places including Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, CPM, BJP and JD(U) had given a notice for an adjournment motion for the suspension of question hour over the mass exodus.
The Lok Sabha Speaker rejected the adjournment motion on the mass exodus but gave the go-ahead for a brief discussion on the issue. The Question Hour was suspended in the Rajya Sabha for a discussion on the issue.
“The House expresses its serious concern at the feeling of persecution of our brothers and sisters of the northeastern states, who are leaving various cities and returning to the northeast,” a resolution passed in the Upper House said.
“…The mischief mongers and anti-national elements behind the electronic campaign to create panic should be urgently investigated by the authorities,” the resolution read out by chairman Hamid Ansari said.