Itanagar, Sept 17: Unlike many states where Legislative Assemblies witness walk-outs, members rushing into the well or indulging in sharp exchanges contributing to a pandemonium, the one in Arunachal Pradesh has seen hardly any.
This is mostly because there has been no opposition party worth the name in the House ever since Arunachal Pradesh gained statehood in 1987. The 60-member House has members mostly belonging to the ruling party and Independents. There
are one or two political parties who have at most one or two MLAs.
Only in the 2004 Assembly election for the first time in
the history of the state there emerged a true Opposition party
- BJP- with nine members.
The party on the strength of its nine MLAs forced the
government to concede the Leader of the Opposition status to
its leader Kameng Dolo for the first time in the state`s history. But with all of them switching loyalty to the
Congress, the Assembly was back to its usual mode.
Though animated debates do take place during the
discussion in the Assembly, which meets just for two or at
most three days, on important bills, at the end of the day the
bills get passed without any hitch and bitterness.
For instance, the Bill on Compulsory Recording of
Marriage, a very sensitive one considering its potential to
cause resentment in a land of many tribes, especially in an
election year, was bitterly debated in the last 2-day session
that started from September 11, but passed unanimously within
a day of their introduction.
Bosiram Siram, a former BJP MLA, who joined the ruling
Congress said that he, along with other former BJP members, had staged a walk-out last year while they were in the opposition but they were peaceful.
``Our people live mostly in inaccessible areas and except
for Itanagar and Pasighat and some other towns, majority of the
people do not read newspapers. Most people want fast
development and pressure their representatives to go along
with the ruling party so that schemes are cleared without
hindrance,`` Siram said.
Speaker Setong Sena said members rise above party
affiliations and pass bills on consensus in public interest.
Issues are raised on the floor of the House, not on political
lines but keeping the utmost welfare of the people in mind.
Not that there is no dissension among political leaders
in this eastern most border state. A stalwart like Gegong
Apang, who ruled the state for 23 long years, was dethroned
last year by his cabinet colleague Dorjee Khandu who later
criticised Apang on the floor of the House levelling serious
charges for the latter`s alleged move to topple him and Apang
denied it immediately.
Ruling party members often put questions too embarrassing
for the government. There are 14 Independents and two
Arunachal Congress members supporting the Khandu Government
from outside at present.
They often criticise the ministers for not taking care in
construction of roads and their maintenance and not posting
teachers and doctors in their constituencies or for not
keeping their promises.
On many occasion movers of resolution withdraw or amend
them at the request of the Treasury Bench.
Another unique feature of the Arunachal Assembly is that
ministers throw lunch at the state guest house during recess
where all relish food with a community feeling exchanging
pleasantries and forgetting rivalries.
Bureau Report
