Mizoram Govt To Bring Bill To Declare ‘Disturbed Areas’

Sinlung says: The Mizoram government looks to appease the Lushai Centric groups when it plans to declare the Hmar areas as "Disturbed".

The Mizo government should instead be looking at a bigger role on how to accommodate all Mizos no matter what their language affinity is. The way forward is "Greater Mizoram". The current Mizoram was not what MNF fought for. ADC is nothing compared to Greater Mizoram.

The Mizo government needs to be bringing together all Zohnathlak living in Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Burma under one territory and administration and use rebels like HPC-D to expand greater Mizoram. Instead the politicians of today just want to keep their chair and play with petty politics while this will fire will grow stronger.

All Zohnathlak under one home....Zohnathlak Unity

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By Adam Halliday

Aizawl, Apr 20 : A bill to declare Mizoram’s northern regions bordering Manipur a “disturbed area” will be introduced in the next Assembly session likely to be held in July, but the government will not invoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) there, Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana has said.

Lalzirliana hinted the government will move to declare Manipur-based militant group Hmar People’s Convention Democratic (HPCD) an “unlawful” organisation since parties of all hues have supported the move. The HPCD demands a tribal autonomous district for the Hmar tribe in the northern regions.

The Mizoram government accuses the group’s cadres, particularly of Zosangbera faction, of extorting money from locals, and more recently, for ambushing a convoy of MLAs and killing three policemen and injuring six others, two of them civilians.

The HPCD has also recently issued a press statement claiming responsibility for the attacks. The state’s home department has pushed for declaring the outfit an “unlawful” organisation and also for declaring the region they operate in as a “disturbed area”. But what Lalzirliana said Friday indicates the Congress, which occupies 34 out of 40 seats in the state legislature, is keen to push forward with the latter as well.

Opposition parties, as well as some NGOs, have voiced their hostility against the proposal for a “disturbed area” saying Mizoram’s residents suffered atrocities committed by the armed forces for two decades during the MNF insurgency. He said the “disturbed area” tag does not necessarily mean the Army or central paramilitary would have to be deployed in the region. “There will be no free hand given to police as under the AFSPA,” Lalzirliana said.