More voices raised in Mizoram against Manipur violence

The youth wing of the Mizo National Front or MNYF on Wednesday passed resolutions condemning the new laws, expressing happiness that the various tribes of Manipur have “united” against the laws and warning the Mizo people will not stay silent if the Congress government in Manipur continues it’s “policy of demographically overwhelming” the tribals of the state.

The Mizo Zirlai Pawl, Mizoram’s largest student body, on Thursday meanwhile offered it’s condolences for those who died because of the violence and appealed to all ethnic Zo tribes to remain united while stating the student body “will not flee” if it needs to be involved in subsequent developments.

The Paite Student Welfare Association, headquartered in Aizawl, also condemend the police action against the mob at Churachandpur and said, “If Meiteis and Zofa (children of Zo) are to continue living together it will be very unsafe. It anyway looks like we will not live together for long.”

The Zo Re-unification Organisation or ZORO, whose stated aim is to bring all ethnic Zo tribes under a single administration, also condemned the laws passed by the Manipur Assembly as being designed “to deny indigenous people their rights” and said they conflict with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Mizoram People’s Conference or MPC, a political party, meanwhile expressed solidarity for pro-ILP movements in Meghalaya and Manipur and demanded punishment for those responsible for the burning down of legislators’ houses in Churachandpur.

Two main political parties in Mizoram, the ruling Congress and the main opposition Mizo National Front, had also earlier condemned the violence. While the Congress had said the government and the tribal bodies opposing the new laws should discuss these afresh and reach an amicable solution, the MNF had demanded the Centre and Manipur must investigate the deaths from police firing.