MZP issues stern warning to Manipur Body in Mizoram; MNF responds to Silchar-based Meetei Group’s threat

The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) general headquarters on Thursday issued a stern warning to the members of the All Mizoram Manipuri Association (AMMA), asking them to take up the “cause of the affliction faced by Kuki-Zo people in Manipur” with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

MZP President Lalnunmawia Pautu, during a meeting held between the members of AMMA and MZP general headquarters on Thursday, requested the association to initiate peace talks at a higher level.

The MZP president took a threatening stand against the association’s members in the meeting, saying, “While you are living peacefully in Mizoram, we find it hard to turn a blind eye to our brethren who are afflicted in Manipur. If you do not take initiatives to improve the situation, the worst may also happen to you.”

He added, “If you do not want to face what the Zo people in Manipur are facing, take quick action to resolve the issue.”

The meeting was attended by AMMA president Wahengbam Gopeshore and six other members.

The AMMA vice president also commented on the threats made by the All Assam Manipuri Youth Association (AAMYA), saying, “One thing I want to make clear is that it is a one-man type association and it is not big. AAMYA people don’t think twice before making a statement about what the people of Mizoram will think and what the effect will be. We had requested them beforehand to not take any steps, saying it will hurt sentiments of both the communities. They even burnt the effigy of the chief minister but they are just trying to raise a communal feeling, so we requested them but they don’t listen to reason.”

Meanwhile, the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) has responded to the Silchar-based All Assam Manipuri Youth's Association (AAMYA), advising them to refer to Article 3 of the Constitution before opposing the idea of a separate administration for the hill tribal community in Manipur.

MNF General Secretary for Information and Publicity V L Krosshnehzova said that the statement of the AAMYA condemning the MNF support to ‘separate administration" in the neighboring state comes too late.

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“The MNF, even when our present Chief Minister Zoramthanga was studying in DM College in Imphal, had already strived for unification of contagious areas of Mizoram, inhabited by Zo-ethnic community, into a single administration,” Krosshnehzova said.

The AAMYA in Cachar district threatened to launch ‘some serious moves’ if the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) does not withdraw its support to the separate administration in Manipur for the minority Kuki-Zo community.

In a press statement issued from the AAMYA headquarters in Silchar, the AAMYA threatened that the MNF should withdraw their support to separate administration in Manipur by June 14.

“Or else, the AAMYA will be bound to launch some serious moves very soon that will make the whole of Mizoram to study its topography seriously like never before,” the press statement said.

The MNF general secretary said that unification of all the Zo ethnic communities into a single administrative unit also featured in the peace talks between the central government and the erstwhile underground MNF.

The issue of Zo-unification was also mentioned in the memorandum of settlement signed between the central government and the MNF, he said, adding that the centre recognized the possibility of the unification as written in paragraph 11 of the peace accord — “The question of Unification of Mizo inhabited areas of other States to form one administrative unit was raised by the MNF delegation. It was pointed out to them, on behalf of the Government of India, 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.”

The MNF leader said that a number of states like Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telengana have been carved out from states in accordance with the article 3 of the Constitution which gives provision for amalgamation of two states or parts of states.

He added, “The MNF party is very clear on the issue when supporting a separate administration for our kindred brothers in Manipur and the fact that demographic division has already been in place when the ethnic clashes took place and when the majority Meitei community supported by the Manipur government launched genocidal war against the ‘Kuki-Zo' community.