GUWAHATI: Two MLAs from Assam, one of them being Sherman Ali Ahmed from the Congress party, were suspended for not heeding the Speaker's orders during a discussion about mistakes in education. Their concerns were about the 'Gunotsav' system of testing schools. Ahmed kept pressing his point, even when asked to stop, which got him removed. AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain was also asked to leave. They returned after a 10-minute break.
Ahmed based his argument on a newspaper story. He accused the Assam government, led by the BJP, of letting a guard pose as a school teacher in Mandia, in the Barpeta district. Not happy with how education was being managed, he demanded answers. Ranoj Pegu, Assam's Education Minister, responded, but Ahmed wasn't convinced.
Despite getting an answer, Ahmed didn't let up. He made more critiques and wanted to ask more. The Speaker, Biswajit Daimary, repeatedly asked Ahmed to be quiet. The Speaker explained it wasn't proper to ask more questions when the minister had already responded.
Ahmed wasn't deterred by the Speaker's instructions. He kept up his critique. Speaker Daimary suspended him because of this. AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain spoke up. He disagreed with the Speaker's decision. He pointed out that Ahmed was discussing a key issue. It was about the state's education setup. Speaker Daimary reproached Hussain for his protest. He went a step further and suspended him too.
The House Marshals had to step in. They escorted the blocked MLAs from the assembly. Once the formal session ended, a roughly 10-minute event, Ahmed and Hussain got a reprieve. They could go back to the House.
This episode throws light on a bitter reality. The Assam assembly is harboring disagreements and strain around the education system. Despite initial hurdles, the opposition MLAs did get chances to raise their points. The temporary suspensions indicate the difficult task. Ensuring discipline and sticking to parliamentary rules during intense debates is not easy.
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