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Monday, September 8, 2014

What darkness awaits for the Chakmas in Mizoram?

By Suman Chakma

  There is a saying, "Your Past Leads To Your Present, Your Present Leads To Your Future" which holds true and gives all the unforeseen answers for the current situation of Chakmas in Mizoram. The Chakmas have been facing discrimination since from time immemorial and are facing even more now. So, according to the author, the Chakmas will be facing extreme and acute situation in close future due to rapid advent of racial Mizo's atrocities and various nefarious schemes (by the Mizoram government). 

OK! Let me erased all, whichever and whatever happened before from the creation of self-rule for the Chakmas in the form of Chakma Autonomous District Council constituted on 29th April in 1972 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India within Mizoram state, which really hurt the Mizo community, for they wanted to make Mizoram as "Mizo Rome' till a moment before 'MZP Chawlbuk' issue at Borapansury were to begin, which was otherwise silent and remain within state boundary even though sometimes MCDF crosses that boundary so as to highlight the serious issues Chakmas are facing in Mizoram.

But, then this silence and peaceful process turn on to show-off from both the sides, which further ignites them as a challenge for both the communities.

How the Chakmas are always loosers and Mizos are winners?

Both the communities uses madia as their weapons, who releases statements blaming one against the other. A few of them are given below, which is attached as such published by the various sources.


Media coverage | on 3 June: Mizo Zirlai Pawl is illegal land grabber, say Chakmas

In Brief: 


On 23rd Aug 2013: MZP with large number of cadres visited Borapansury. One among many visits. MZP cadres forced local residents to remain locked inside their homes.
Physically assaulted a person and made him stand in Jesus Crucifix position under the hot sun for hours. The MZP not only humiliated the local Chakmas but also insulted Jesus Christ by forcefully repeating his crucified post.

11th March 2014: All India radio Aizawl announced about MZP's impending visit.

13th March 2014: Local residents submitted petition to the DC- Lawngtlai District for security citing reasons why they fear MZP's move and hence oppose.

2nd May 2014: MZP with 35 cadres visited the Borapansury. Put up illegal signboards at the encroached land (2500+ sqm) site. MZP cadres defecated in the open in spite of available toilets, to humiliate the local residents. Demanded forced labour whenever they come to construct MZP Chawlbuk at the encroached site. Ordered local people and VCPs to look after the signboards. Ate eatables from many shops without any payment. Demanded dog meat to be served when they come to visit next.

21st May 2014: Joint petition to CEM-CADC, governor, Home Minister, DC-Lawngtlai etc. for justice.

22nd May 2014: CEM of CADC clarified with a letter that No land has been allotted to MZP and shall not be allotted.

23rd May 2014: CEM-CADC wrote to DC-Lawngtlai to remove the illegal encroachment at Borapansury.

30th May 2014: Seeing no response from the State authority and left with no option the local people with the help of JAC (combining all NGOs, all political parties and Community elders) submitted a final appeal to the authority through the CEM-CADC to remove the encroachment within 2nd June 2014, else public decided to peacefully boycott the upcoming MDC bye-election at Borapansury-II on 4th June 2014 to make their issue heard by the State Govt.

31st May 2014: Instead of Govt authority to discuss the matter with local residents MZP cadres lead by its president Lalmachhuana arrived at Borapansury. Sought to meet the Joint Action Committee leaders, verbally threatened of bloodshed if they are not allowed to do whatever they like at the encroached land site, and accused every Chakma of being a foreigner. MZP cadres put up another sign board.

1st June 2014: MZP team visited Borapansury again and left Borapansury only after the MDC by-poll was boycotted peacefully sans any retaliation by the local Chakmas which was after warning, if the MZP do not remove their Chawlbuk from Borapansury. They are silent does not mean that they can't, but they want Mizoram to be peaceful, which is good for one and all of the Mizoramans.
All the above shenanigans operated by the MZPs at Borapansury led by its President, Lalmachhuana is a far wrong direction for the entire peoples of Mizoram towards peace and prosperity. In my opinion Lalmachhuana is not even qualified for the membership of MZP if the Organization truly aims that they are the strongest and more active organization towards safe guarding and making MIzoram a Peace, Prosperous and a Corrupt-free state. Read full article in Meri News and here.

However, here also the Chakmas remain as the loosers and Mizos as winners like other time.  MZP cadres constructed their Chawlbuk successfully on 25 June with the help of Mizoram state Polices.

Read related news: Mizo govt beefs up security in Chakma area. 

Media coverage | on 4 June: The Chakma community members did not cast a single vote during the bye-election to the member of the Chakma Autonomous District Council in the Boranpansury-II seat today after a boycott call by the NGOs and political parties. No ballot was cast in any of the three polling stations. The NGOs including the Young Chakma Association (YCA) and political parties boycotted the bypoll after the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or the Mizo Students Federation displayed a signboard in Borapansury-I village where the student body has proposed to construct 'Zofate Chawlbuk' or the 'Mizos Inn'. The Chakma community members protested the allotment of government land to the MZP inside the area of the CADC.

MZP signboard at Borapansury
MZP cadres on full swing 
Mizoram Police supporting MZP
Reports from the election authorities at Borapansury-II said that while all the official polling parties were in the polling stations, not a single election agent or voter turned up to exercise franchise.The bypoll in the Borapansury-II seat of the CADC was necessitated after the seat was vacated by the former Chief Executive Member of the CADC Dr B D Chakma who was elected to the Mizoram legislature in the 2013 state assembly polls and later became a minister of state. The same report also published in other popular dailies like The Hindu, The Shillong Times, Business Standard, New Karala and others. 
Constructed MZP Chawlbuk at Borapansury

Media coverage | on 17 June: The Chakmas have refused the allegation on abnormal growth of population alleged by the Mizos, which was published in several dailies. Some of them are Mizo News (Mizoram government ignoring Chakmas' plight), Seven Sisters Project (Mizoram: Chakmas refute allegation of unaccounted growth in the community), Kanga Online (Mizoram government ignoring Chakmas' plight - Mizo News), The Telegraph and The Mizoram Post (MCDF concerns with the apathy of the Mizoram govt and vengeance politics).

Media coverage | on 20 June: Reacting to the statement released by the Mizoram Chakma Development Forum (MCDF) on June 17 and published by several websites and newspapers which that blamed ZNP for intentionally misrepresenting facts about Chakma population and that accused Mizo Zirlai Pawl of illegally grabbing land at Boranpansury in Chakma Council area for the construction of Zofate Chawlhbuk, Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) said there is no question of illegal land grabbing by the student organisation. 

ZNP said Chakma bodies were misinterpretation Mizo sentiments on national paper and social media. The party alleged that Chakmas for several times had maliciously distorted the image of the Mizos by misrepresenting and misinterpreting the latter through social media in and outside Mizoram.

ZNP further warned Chakma boides that in case of any outbreak of violence and untoward incident over the construction of Zofate Chawlhbuk at Borapansury, it will be their sole responsibility. Mizo News (http://www.mizonews.net/mizoramnews/znp-slams-chakma-mizoram-chakma-development-forum/) on June 20.

Media coverage | on 26 and 27 July: All India Chakma Convention held in Silchar.

The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) has reiterated its demand for excluding Chakmas and three other communities from Category-I of State Technical Entrance Examination 2014.


MZP in its press release stated that they have urged the authority to withdraw within this month (August 2014) the inclusion of Chakma and three other communities in the Category-I of the State Technical Entrance Examination 2014.
MZP vows to take further action if their demand is not fulfilled.

Media coverage | on 30 August: ZNP Vice President K. Liantlinga while attacking at the ruling Congress said that the government are trying to protect the bangladeshi foreigners mentioning the Chakmas only for the purpose of vote bank politics. He even called the Chakmas low culture and marginalised section of the society, which was appered in The Mizoram Post (Want of Chakma votes necessitate Chakma protection: K. Liantlinga).

From the above few words commented by Liantlinga on the Chakmas, one can see, the Chakmas is surely to suffer even more if the minority party like ZNP and others were to come in power by any how, even though the Chakmas are suffering now.

Media coverage | on 1 September: The Chakmas (Chakma National Council of India (CNCI)) in its release declared that the Chakmas in Mizoram are the indigenous residents of western part of the
Media coverage | on 2 September: In response to the previous release by the Chakmas, Higher & Technical Minister R. Romsaid that the Chakmas are not the indigenous residents of Mizoram which was published in popular Mizo daily Vanglaini (H&TE Minister leh MZP-te'n STEE chungchang an sawiho) and (Chakma-te Mizoram mi dik takah an inngai)In this way either the Mizo NGOs or the government of Mizoram always allege the Chakmas, which is why the Chakmas always remain as the failure as every machineries of the government of Mizoram target the Chakmas.

On 6 September: Chakma Delegation Team led by BJP MP Shri Tarun Vijay submitted a memorandum to Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of state for Home against the proposed Head-counting census of the Chakmas in Mizoram. The same is available at Tarun Vijay, MP blog (Breaking News-Mizo Buddhists Chakmas meet Minister of State for Home ).

Media coverage | on 8 September: "Chakma census may ignite separatism," says Mizoram MLA T.T.Zothansanga, which also appeared in several dailies like Mizo NewsThe Mizoram Post (Chakma census may induce separatism: Parl Secy T.T. Zothansanga), The TNT Magazine and Vanglaini (Smart card driving licence siamna hawng John-a'n Chakma chhiarpui neih ṭha lo a ti).

Mizoram government is not in favour of conducting census on Chakma population in Mizoram. T.T. Zothansanga, Parliamentary Secretary yesterday said. 

"It is important to be careful while taking steps to safeguard the land and the nation (of the Mizos). Therefore, the plan to conduct census of Chakma population in Mizoram could rather be creating a step for them to pursue separatism". 

He was addressing the inauguration of SMART CARD based DL & RC in Kolasib.

As reported earlier, the Mizoram government has last month asked Central Mizo Association (CYMA) to put on halt their plan to conduct Chakma census, State Home Minister has told the YMA leaders that it acknowledge that their plan to conduct Chakma Census arises out of their love of the Mizo nation and to safeguard the same.

While lauding YMA for its genuine love for the "Mizo nation", he also told YMA leaders that it is necessary to take caution that conducting census out of sheer nationalism could result in disunity. The Home Minister further has stated it would be against the Constitution to conduct a census for one particular community within Mizoram, and therefore, asked YMA not to go ahead with their plan as of now.     

The Home Minister called on YMA leaders to cooperate with the government in properly maintaining village register which is meant for keeping record of genuine settlers of each village. He further suggested that a systematic plan be made such that this village register is tabled in the Legislative Session, adding, the same would be a good means of preventing illegal entry of outsiders. Concerned over an "abnormal increase" of Chakma population in southern Mizoram, the state's largest organisation Young Mizo Association has decided to conduct a census on Chakma population in the state to check Chakma infiltration.


Chakma issue topped the agenda of the YMA central executive committee meeting in Aizawl early last month. The meeting decided to collect Rs 5 each from all the YMA member in Mizoram to conduct the gigantic task.
This donation box was placed by MZP
in every outlet in Aizawl to construct
"Chawlbuk" at Borapansury.

"The census on Chakmas will be conducted soon in the Chakma Autonomous District Council areas in southern Mizoram and other parts of the state," said Lalbiakzuala, President of YMA central committee. "It (census) is necessary to study the rapid growth rate of Chakma population and further check Chakma influx from the neighbouring Bangladesh," he added.

The YMA meeting also has decided to put more pressure on its demand for removal of Mizoram minister of state Dr B D Chakma from the Cabinet. The YMA had earlier written to Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla to remove Chakma from his Cabinet for his (Chakma) for his participation in a poll boycott against allocation of land in Chakma autonomous District Council for construction of a Mizo guesthouse by Mizo students body's Mizo Zirlai Pawl.

Protesting the allocation of land to the MZP in Borapansury under CADC, various Chakma organisation had boycotted by-election to Borapansury-II seat on June 4 last, B D Chakma allegedly led the protest.


Later, the Chakma minister allegedly offended the YMA by participating at a Chakma national convention in Silchar recently where it was resolved that Chakma-inhabited areas in Mizoram be put under the Chakma Autonomous District Council.


Besides the YMA, Mizoram's apex students' militant body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) has raise the issue of Chakma "infiltration." The MZP alleged that Chakma population in southern Mizoram has abnormally increased during the last few years.

Conclusion: Though the CYMA put an halt in conducting census on Chakma population in Mizoram for as of now. But, it is the right time for the Chakmas to take necessary steps and to prove that the Chakmas are the indigenous residents of the western part of Mizoram, who knows what darkness awaits in the future.


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