A few weeks ago, in the northern Assam town of Tezpur, a small group gathered in the elegant drawing room of the Goswamis, a prominent doctor couple, sipping drinks and listening to a long-time politician recount one of his favorite anecdotes in the Assam Assembly.
The politician spoke of how a mischief-making MLA had got another opposition member, who was quite easy to sway, to challenge the then leader of the opposition, Dulal Baruah, in the House on a point of order. An outraged Baruah thundered at his backbencher to shut up, but the instigator was not done yet. "Press on a point of order," he hissed at his wavering colleague.
"Point of order!" yelled the member, now defiant, but once again stumped when the Speaker asked him, quite legitimately, "On what grounds?"
He fumbled, but then his friend whispered again, "Say, bad grammar."