NEW DELHI, Aug 17: Parliament today expressed alarm at the fear psychosis that has gripped people from Northeast in some other parts of the country, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warning stern action against those behind the “most reprehensible” act of creating insecurity.
Both Houses of Parliament showed solidarity with the people of North East, with Rajya Sabha adopting a resolution demanding a thorough probe into the spread of rumours that have created panic.
Singh asserted that the government would do everything to control the situation and provide security to people of North East as he decried use of incidents of Assam and other areas as an excuse for fanning rumours and creating insecurity.
Speaking on the burning issue in both Houses, he said North East region was “very sensitive issue” and said those spreading rumours would be brought to book. He urged the people to maintain unity and integrity of the country.
His remarks came as Parliament, rising above party politics, spoke in unison against the panic created among people from North East in states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Both the Houses took up impromptu debate on the issue amid demands for suspension of Question Hour. While Question Hour was suspended in the Upper House, Kumar took up the issue without any suspension in the Lok Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha passed a resolution declaring that it was one with the people of North East and shared concern over the fleeing of people from different parts of the country.
In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Meira Kumar thanked all political parties in helping send an unmistakable signal of Lok Sabha’s solidarity with the people.
“We will do everything to provide them security,” Singh said, terming as “most reprehensible” the growing sense of insecurity among them.
“The North Eastern Region of our country is a very sensitive region, but one thing that I would like to say that whatever may have happened in Kokrajhar and other areas should not be used as an occasion to fan rumours to create an environment in other parts of our country that the people of the North East feel insecure,” said the Prime Minister, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha.
Cautioning that communal harmony as well as unity and integrity of the country was at stake, he said miscreants spreading rumours that have led to panic among people belonging to North East would be brought to book.
“We must curb all the elements which are out to create trouble on this sensitive issue,” he said, adding a message has to be sent out to all those who want to disturb peace.
“We should send a clear message that we will do everything to provide security to people from North East living in various parts of the country,” he said, amid assertion that they have “as much right” as anybody else to study and work in any part of the country.
Singh said his government would work with all “like- minded” people to bring the situation under control without any loss of time.
Singh urged the people to maintain unity and integrity of the country. The people are one and “we will do everything to provide them security,” he said, adding it was duty of everyone to create an atmosphere where rumour mongering will come to an end.
The government will create a feeling of security among people of North East in every part of the country, he said.
Singh said he was in touch with the Chief Ministers of various states who assured him that “we will do our utmost to ensure that our friends, our children and our citizens from the North East feel secure in any part and every part” of our country.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde hailed the message of unity given by Parliament with the people of North East and said both the Centre and the state governments had taken prompt action to check the spread of violence. However, rumour mongering was a major cause for the panic among them.(PTI)
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