ZODIN SANGA
AIZAWL, July 13: All major civil societies, students’ organisations and political parties in Mizoram today submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister expressing their wish to integrate the Zo people inhabited areas in neighbouring Manipur with Mizoram if the Naga inhabited areas are to be amalgamated to Nagalim.
The memorandum urged the Centre not to finalise Naga Framework Agreement without solving the political problems of the Mizos living in the hill areas of Manipur. The memorandum was signed by presidents of Young Mizo Association, Mizoram Upa Pawl (senior citizens’ association), Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (apex women body), Zo Re-unification Organisation, and all political parties – the ruling Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee, Mizo National Front, Bharatiya Janata Party, Zoram Nationalist Party, Mizo People’s Conference – and two apex students’ bodies – Mizo Zirlai Pawl and Mizo Students’ Union.
“We strongly demand that for a sustainable solution to the strife-torn corner of North East India, a political solution in the form of separate administration for the Zo people (Chin-Kuki-Mizo/Zomi) in the present Manipur at the same status as that of the Nagas be made outside the ambit of the Manipur Government, and a process be initiated for fulfillment of the desire of the Zo people in Manipur to be integrated under the same administration with their Zo brothers of present Mizoram,” the memorandum said. “Government of India must ensure that no ancestral Zo territory be left behind under Manipur Government to be further subjugated and marginalised by the valley-dwelling and dominant Meitei community,” the memorandum said.
The memorandum also recalled the Mizo Accord of 1986 signed between Government of India, Government of Mizoram and Mizo National Front which stated that in regard to the question of unification of Zo people “inhabiting areas of other States to form one administrative unit ” raised by MNF delegation, the Accord stated that, “Article 3 of the Constitution of India describes the procedure in this regard but that the Government cannot make any commitment in this respect.” “Given the above, we truly believe that until and unless proper Constitutional Protections by way of Separate Administration of the Zo ancestral territories specifically and exclusively for the indigenous Zo tribes of Manipur are put in place and implemented without any interference from Manipur Government, the highly volatile and destructive state of relationship and existence between Zo people and Meiteis is set to get worse by the day,” it said.
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