Non-Mizos being persecuted, says minority association
Silchar, Aug. 11 : A Guwahati-based body of religious minority youths and students has sent memoranda to Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and his Mizoram counterpart Lalthanhawla, protesting against the alleged “harassment as well as persecution” of non-Mizo workers in Mizoram by some NGOs.
The working president of the North-east Minority Students’ Association, Enam Ullah, told reporters here last night that at least two youth and students’ fronts of the state had begun campaigns against non-Mizo labourers and workers, mainly those engaged by the Mizo contractors in the booming construction projects, by checking the validity of the inner-line passes, obtained by the non-Mizos while travelling down to Aizawl.
The inner-line passes, issued by the Mizoram government liaison offices in different cities of the country to non-Mizo traders and tourists, are in conformity to the East Bengal Frontier Regulation Act, enacted in 1873, to protect the Mizos against any possible change of their demographic profile.
The association identified two organisations in Mizoram — the Young Mizo Association, the largest non-government body of youths, and Mizo Zirlai Pawl — as the masterminds behind this campaign against non-Mizos in the state.
Ullah and association general secretary Abbas Ali alleged that, at present, the non-Mizos being employed in the building industry were being targeted by these organisations.
Police sources in Aizawl, however, said there were no reports of any non-Mizo leaving the state in the wake of this alleged campaign.
Both the association leaders warned the Mizoram government that their outfits would be forced to take a tough stand if such campaigns against non-Mizos continued.
They made it clear that they would put up a blockade for an indefinite period on the key areas along NH 54, the main road link for the land-locked state from this town.
Speaking over the phone today, Lalhmingthanga, additional home secretary of the state government, said the home department was not aware of such campaigns against non-Mizo labourers by the NGOs of the state.