Wednesday, June 25, 2014

MZP constructs Zofate Chawlhbuk along Indo-Bangla border

Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo students' federation members today constructed the 'Zofate Chawlhbuk' or 'Mizo Inn' at southern Mizoram's Borapansury village on the Indo-Bangladesh border.

State Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zorammawia said no untoward incident was reported from the area where the Chakma community is concentrated.

The MZP constructed the Zofate Chawlhbuk as a token of protest against alleged uncontrolled illegal influx of Chakmas from neighbouring Bangladesh.

MZP leaders said there were only 198 Chakmas in Mizoram in the 1911 Census and the population of the community has grown to around one lakh now.

"The population growth of the Chakma community in Mizoram is extremely abnormal indicating massive illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the situation has become a demographic nightmare for the native Mizo people," the student leaders said.

They attributed displacement of Chakma community by construction of Kaptai Dam in the Chittagong Hill Tracts by the erstwhile East Pakistan government and also creation of a separate Chakma Autonomous District Council in the state by the Centre for the unchecked inflow of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

The Zofate Chawlhbuk was constructed at the land allotted to the MZP by the state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department in Borapansury in Lawngtlai district.

All NGOs and political parties of the Chakma community had protested the construction and had even boycotted the bye-election to the Borapansury seat in the Chakma Autonomous District Council this month.