Mizoram students’ outfit condemn BJP govt for Manipur violence

GUWAHATI: Mizoram’s apex students’ organisation Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on Sunday said it was closely monitoring the Manipur situation and slammed N Biren Singh’s BJP government for its alleged attempt to evict the Zo people from their lands.

The bout of violence in the Kuki-majority hill district of Churachandpur started on Thursday evening with the torching of the venue of a scheduled programme of Singh. The violence subsided on Sunday.

“The origin of these problems is the Manipur government’s attempt to evict ethnic Zo people from their various settlements so that their lands can be taken and declared reserved forest, protected forest, wildlife sanctuaries and wetlands,” the MZP said in a statement.

The Mizos and the Kukis belong to greater Zo community and they share the same ancestry.

The Mizo students’ body said the Manipur CM’s initiatives were inimical to the unity of Northeast.

“The MZP will continue to promote unity among ethnic Zo people because it wants to preserve the brother/sisterhood of the community. Despite this, the Manipur government is attempting to expel our brothers and sisters, who are people of the Northeast, from their own villages. We are unable to accept this,” the MZP said.

It demanded that the Manipur government immediately stop the “initiatives” stating they could be detrimental to the ethnic Zo people.

“While Inner Line Permit (ILP) is required for non-Mizoram residents (to enter Mizoram), we never demand it or create problems for Manipuri (Meitei) people whom we treat without discrimination,” the MZP said.

It warned that demanding ILPs from those entering Manipur from Mizoram could lead to discord between the two state governments.

“We demand that the Manipur government stops demanding ILP from our ethnic brethren. If the Manipur government continues to take action that is not safe for ethnic Zo people, we will not be responsible for anything that happens to Manipuri (Meitei) people in Mizoram,” the MZP cautioned.

ILP is an official document issued to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. It has been implemented in Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

A sense of insecurity and apprehension gripped the Kukis in Manipur in the wake of an eviction drive and a survey of “reserve forests, protected forests, wetlands and wildlife” carried out by the state government.