Mizoram: Chakma District’s CEM resigns over last month’s violence

An official at Raj Bhavan said the resignation letter had not yet reached Governor Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma's office by 5 pm.

The bandh last month was called to protest against the alleged wrongful recruitment of government employees by the Chakma Autonomous District authorities. (Source: Adam Halliday/Indian Express) The Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Mizoram’s Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) resigned on Monday after a meeting of local Congress leaders discussed the August 4 violence at Chawngte/Kamlanagar that led to the death of a student and the ransacking of a dozen elected leaders’ houses and more than 20 vehicles.


Buddhalila Chakma submitted his resignation to Congress leader and former CEM Kali Kumar Tonchongya around 10.30 am, sources said, adding Chakma’s letter has been dispatched to Aizawl, more than 330 kms away.

An official at Raj Bhavan said the resignation letter had not yet reached Governor Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma’s office by 5 pm.

Buddhalila Chakma could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Chakma’s resignation comes almost seven weeks after violence broke out at the autonomous district’s headquarters over the alleged wrongful recruitment of more than 100 “relatives” of politicians as government officers and staff by the district authorities.

Students had called a bandh in the town over the appointments, but leaders had been detained by police before the bandh was in place. Several hundred protesters surrounded the police station where the leaders were kept and pelted stones before police opened fire to disperse them.

A 20-year-old student died in the firing, which led the mob to turn on the residences of the CADC’s elected members. At least a dozen homes were ransacked and more than 20 vehicles were destroyed.
The National Human Rights Commission had earlier called for an explanation from the Mizoram government over the student’s death.

In a text message, Chakma said, “I have resigned willingly from the post of CEM today. The reason is – I want to give chance to my colleagues to try their lucks and show & proof their talents.”
He did not respond to a specific query if he was attacked over the violence.

READ MORE - Mizoram: Chakma District’s CEM resigns over last month’s violence

MNF observes Martyr's Day

The Mizo National Front (MNF) party today observed 'Martyr's Day' remembering those who laid down their lives during their 20 years struggle when the party was underground.

In a function held at the Assam Rifles ground here, former Lok Sabha member and treasurer of the party Vanlalzawma said the late MNF founder Laldenga signed the Mizo Peace Accord with the Centre so that the Mizos and Mizoram survived.

Vanlalzawma said the Mizo National Army (MNA) members who laid down their lives for attainment of freedom for the Mizos, would be respected by generations to come.

MNF president Zoramthanga attended the Martyr's Day function in Mizoram-Assam border Kolasib district, while senior vice-president Tawnluia attended the function in south Mizoram's Lunglei town.

The MNF launched armed campaign on March 1, 1966 for sovereignty and signed the Peace Accord with the Indian Union in 1986.

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Culture Cops Take Marry-a-Mizo Pledge

GUWAHATI:Her mixed parentage prevented Mary from fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor. In Mizoram, where Christians form the majority, the children of mixed parentage are not viewed as Mizos by the locals.
Mary, whose father is Bengali and mother a Mizo, could not appear for the medical entrance test, because of the mixed parentage. Mizoram does not have any medical or engineering college. A certain number of seats are reserved for the locals in institutes outside the state. But the children of mixed parentage literally have no scope of getting admission there.
“A bright student, yet Mary could not sit for the test. She went to Bangalore where she did a course in management and is now working for a private firm there,” a relative of Mary told The Sunday Standard.
In the state, a strong sentiment is brewing against inter-caste marriage to protect and preserve the indigenous Mizo cultures, traditions and identity. Adding to the woes, recently the influential Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), which is the state’s apex students’ body, made Mizo students across the state take a pledge that they would marry only Mizos. The MZP says it received positive response from students, Mizo groups and organisations besides political parties.
As part of the movement launched on September 2, students in the schools and colleges of the state took a pledge in writing that they would not marry a non-Mizo. The MZP says the students will take a similar oath every year on September 2, and that there will also be awareness campaigns on the issue.
“Our aim is to create awareness among young Mizos against inter-caste marriage since it is a threat to Mizo cultures, business, society and security,” says MZP president Lalhmachhuana.
According to India’s 2011 Census, Mizoram has a population of little over 10 lakh. The MZP says the number of inter-caste marriages is not huge, but as the Mizos have a very small population, the need of the hour is to stop the inter-caste marriages.
The land in most tribal areas in the Northeast is protected. The MZP says protecting land is another reason behind the movement. It alleges that the non-tribals are grabbing land through their local wives.
“As per Article 371 G of the Constitution, non-tribals cannot purchase land in Mizoram. But inter-caste marriages let huge amount of the land go to non-tribals through the names of their local wives. As per the rules of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, outsiders are required to obtain Inner Line Permit (ILP) for a period of at least two years to do business in Mizoram. As ILPs of such term are rarely issued, the non-tribals are using the names of their local spouses to do business here,” Lalhmachhuana points out.
Recently, Manipur witnessed violent protests after the state Assembly had passed a bill proposing land rights to non-tribals in tribal areas. The Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP), which is the apex women’s body in Mizoram, is among the groups backing this movement. “They (MZP) are trying to protect the pure form of Mizo cultures and traditions as far as possible. What they want to promote is that Mizos should not marry outsiders to have their indigenous cultures and traditions maintained. That’s the reason,” says MHIP vice president Dr Thanpuii.
“We support the campaign but an individual is an individual. We cannot control the person. So, let the children lead their lives the way they want,” she says.
But she admits that inter-caste marriage invariably creates a lot of hassles, not just for the couple but for their children as well. “If a Mizo girl marries an outsider, the family will be faced with a lot of problems. Their children will be denied first category treatment. They will also face difficulties in getting seats in the educational institutes etc. So, when there is an inter-caste marriage, the pure sense of the Mizo way of living and Mizo cultures and traditions get disturbed,” Thanpuii adds.
The Congress is among the parties throwing its weight behind the MZP. The Congress says inter-caste marriages have to be stopped to protect the interests of the Mizos. “We have a very small society and a very small population. Our economy is also weak. The local traders don’t have enough capital to compete with outsiders. So, we have to protect ourselves,” says Congress leader and former MZP president James Thanghmingmawia.
Asked if the movement, launched by MZP, could stop the inter-caste marriages, Thanghmingmawia says: “If someone marries an outsider, no action will be taken against him or her. It is only a campaign urging young Mizos to make a commitment.”
The MZP holds sway across Mizoram and therefore, its appeal to young Mizos is likely to have some impact.

READ MORE - Culture Cops Take Marry-a-Mizo Pledge

Man injured in bear attack

A bear attacked a man in Mizoram's Saiha district seriously injuring him, a police officer said.

Chuanmawia was attacked by the bear near river Tuipanglui and suffered serious injuries on face besides fracture of right arm on Saturday evening, the officer said.

The badly bruised man was later taken to the Primary Health Centre in Tuipang by the locals and then shifted to the District Hospital in Saiha.

Doctors in the District Hospital said that the bear-attack victim was now in stable condition.

Villagers said that bears and wild boars were roaming in the forests near Tuipang and had destroyed the cultivation in many places during the past one month.

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Mizoram drive to stop tranpsort of illicit drugs

Permits of vehicles which are seized for transporting illicit drugs would now be cancelled in Mizoram, an official statement today said.

The state Transport department in a statement said that the order was issued following a meeting between Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and leaders of the central committee of Young Mizo Association (YMA).

YMA leaders had requested Lal Thanhawla to take a tough stand against not only drug traffickers and pushers, but also the transporters.

The chief minister had in turn promised more stringent punishment would be meted out to vehicle owners and drivers involved in drug trafficking.

Transport department officials said majority of drugs in the state, including heroin and methamphetamine, are smuggled in from Myanmar via Zokhawthar along the international border in Champhai district.

The government has instructed police, transport, excise and narcotics departments' officials to keep watch on vehicles plying between Zokhawthar and Aizawl.

"There are 83 maxicabs plying between Zokhawthar and Aizawl carrying passengers, baggage and goods and a plethora of contraband haul were made from the vehicles plying in the route," the Transport officials said.

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Bru repatriation: Tripartite talks to discuss way forward

The meeting comes after the various government entities submitted a report about the zero response to the repatriation process from Bru tribals. The repatriation process of Bru tibals was to be completed by September.

Officials from Mizoram, Tripura and the Union Home Ministry are scheduled to meet on September 15 in New Delhi to discuss the way forward after tens of thousands of Bru tribals refused to return home despite a three-month long repatriation effort that concluded late last month.

The meeting comes after the various government entities submitted a report about the zero response to the repatriation process from Bru tribals, who live in six relief camps in Tripura, to the Social Justice bench of the Supreme Court.

As reported earlier, none of the 11,000-odd adult Brus with votes in Mizoram or their family members were willing to return home during the repatriation process after relief camp leaders publicly rejected the rehabilitation package offered by the MHA, which includes Rs 80,000 in cash, free rations for a year and finances to build houses with.

Brus fled Mizoram en-masse in 1997 following ethnic conflict. They have been confined to six relief camps by the Tripura government ever since, where they live on rations and without proper education and health facilities. They also do not have voting rights in Tripura.

READ MORE - Bru repatriation: Tripartite talks to discuss way forward

Trouble in Northeast: Mizoram CM asks PM Narendra Modi to stop Manipur bills

The controversy brewing in Manipur over inner line permit (ILP) issue after passage of three controversial bills by the state legislative assembly is threatening to snowball into major trouble and spread to other neighbouring states.

In an express letter, Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the central government does not give its consent to the three bills passed by the Manipur legislative assembly considering the volatile and sensitive nature that exists among the three communities viz. Meities, Nagas and the Kuki/ Mizo ethnic groups in Manipur.

Owing to sustained pressure by Meitei groups to introduce inner line permit (ILP) in Manipur, the state legislative assembly on August 31 had convened a special session to pass three bills, viz. Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, and Manipur Shop & Establishment (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015.

In the letter dated September 4, Lal Thanhawla said, "Considering the volatile and sensitive nature that exists among the three communities in Manipur, I would like to request you to ensure that the central government does not give its consent to the three bills passed by the Manipur legislative assembly as they are directly against the tribal people of the state."

In the heart of the controversy is the Protection of Manipur People Bill that describes "Manipur people" as those, whose names are in the National Register of Citizens, 1951, census report 1951 and in the village directory of 1951. This, indigenous communities of Nagas, Kukis and Mizos claim, could make them foreigners in their own land as a lot of communities were still in settling mode in 1951.

The situation, sources said, needs deft handling as it can threaten to push Nagas, Kukis and Mizos to claim their share of land or as Naga People's Front, whose four MLAs resigned against the bills, has warned "could throw a spanner in the Naga Peace Accord" besides "engulfing the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur in avoidable conflicts."

In all probability, the Centre is not going to give its assent to the controversial bills, said sources.

Controversial bill
In the heart of the controversy is the Protection of Manipur People Bill that describes "Manipur people" as those, whose names are in the National Register of Citizens, 1951, census report 1951 and in the village directory of 1951. This, indigenous communities of Nagas, Kukis and Mizos claim, could make them foreigners in their own land as a lot of communities were still in settling mode in 1951.

The situation, sources said, needs deft handling as it can threaten to push Nagas, Kukis and Mizos to claim their share of land or as Naga People's Front, whose four MLAs resigned against the bills, has warned "could throw a spanner in the Naga Peace Accord" besides "engulfing the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur in avoidable conflicts."

READ MORE - Trouble in Northeast: Mizoram CM asks PM Narendra Modi to stop Manipur bills

Mizoram asks Centre to extend FSA deadline

AIZAWL, Sept 7 - Mizoram Government has asked Centre to extend the deadline for implementation of the Food Security Act by a month.

State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister John Rotluangliana today said the State Government would not be able to implement the Food Security Act by the October deadline and therefore asked for a month’s extension.

“We are not ready as many of the selection committees in the villages are yet to submit the list of selected families of beneficiaries under the Act,” he said.

Of the State’s population of 12 lakh, he said, only 7,06,000 people would be covered by the Act and the rest would be taken care of by the State Government under different schemes.

The Minister said the monsoon stock of foodstuff in the State was sufficient. However, some remote villages were facing shortage of foodstuff due to monsoon-related problems including road blockades due to landslides and floods.

READ MORE - Mizoram asks Centre to extend FSA deadline

Honest Mizo politicians, officers honoured

AIZAWL, Sept 8 - Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) today honoured and commemorated six Mizo politicians and officers who have been adjudged as free of corruption.

The student body had earlier conducted a poll among some civil employees and important student and NGO leaders to elect politicians and in-service officers who are considered free of corruption.

Three politicians, namely, H Liansailoa, Vice Chairman of Planning Board, Lt Col ZS Zuala(Rtd), Parliamentary Secretary (Home) and Vanlalzawma, MLA were adjudged corruption-free politicians.

Three civil officers – Lalmalsawma, IAS, Chief Secretary, Lalhmasaa Executive Engineer, PWD and K Lalthawmmawia, IAS, Director School Education department – have been nominated corruption-free officers.

READ MORE - Honest Mizo politicians, officers honoured

Mizoram’s power lifeline on shaky ground after landslip

Parts of the ground on which Mizoram’s most important power distribution point stands sunk a couple of feet that night, endangering equipment.
Aizawl, Sep 7 : A downpour was drenching the old building at 1.45am on August 28 when what seemed to be a tremor struck. Several glass panes on windows lining the western wall cracked and broke, as did parts of the concrete wall of the control room of the 132KV power sub-station at Zuangtui, on Aizawl’s eastern outskirts.

“Some of us immediately ran out,” says P C Liannghawra, 52, who was on night duty at the control room. But it wasn’t a tremor in the conventional sense.

Parts of the ground on which Mizoram’s most important power distribution point stands sunk a couple of feet that night, endangering equipment. The landslip has created a scenario where, in the worst case, three-fourths of the state would be plunged into darkness. And, no one can say for how long.

Along with the sub-station’s campus, an entire portion of the hillside that extends several kilometres towards a ravine on its east has sunk. B Rothangliana, a Zuangtui resident and community leader who works as a joint engineer at the sub-station, says, “The first priority is to shift the control room, which is this sub-station’s lifeline.”

C Lallawmsanga, an executive engineer with the state power and electricity department’s distribution wing, says, “This sub-station feeds all the power lines going east, south and west of Aizawl and supplies electricity to more than half the city… this is where we get all our power from.”

The landslip has caused much concern. Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma called a meeting of P&E engineers and the disaster management department officials Thursday. Friday, staff from sub-stations across the city gathered at the Zuangtui sub-station with shovels and waterproof sheets to cover points on the ground that have sunk. Officials admit it is a temporary measure.

Landslip had endangered the Zuangtui sub-station in 1993 too. On June 27 that year, the land sunk more than three feet, says Liannghawra. The ground may have moved since, but not noticeably till this year. Plans were drawn up some years ago to shift the sub-station, but funding for the Rs 22-crore project is trickling in.

The slow financial disbursement is worsened by the financial crunch the state is facing. So far, the government has been unable to table a proper budget, only using the vote-on-account route. This could have implications for the sub-station shifting project because the state needs to cough up a 10% matching share. Engineers doubt the project will meet the targeted completion date of March 2016.

READ MORE - Mizoram’s power lifeline on shaky ground after landslip