Aizawl: Members of the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) youth wing on Saturday staged a demonstration outside the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in Aizawl, seeking an apology from Chief Minister Lalduhoma over his recent remarks on the Mizoram Peace Accord and Inner Line Permit (ILP) regulations.
The protesters had planned to greet the Chief Minister upon his return from Delhi with a Pawndum, a traditional Mizo shawl symbolising lamentation or grief, and black flags to express their disappointment over remarks they alleged undermined the constitutional safeguards of Mizoram and downplayed the historical and political significance of the 1986 peace agreement, Mizo National Youth Front (MNYF) vice-president Lalnunmawia Pautu said.
However, although the Chief Minister had already arrived in Aizawl, he did not come to his office, which is attached to his official residence, during the protest, Pautu said.
The protesters later dispersed in the afternoon after displaying a letter at the CMO urging the Chief Minister to issue a public apology and retract his statements before August 15, Pautu said.
Speaking at the protest site, MNYF president Gogo Lalremtluanga alleged that Lalduhoma’s recent statements had disappointed the people of Mizoram.
“Lalduhoma has been given the Chief Minister’s post by the people with the expectation that he would address their problems and aspirations. We are saddened by his statements that could mislead the younger generation,” he said.
“We are also saddened by the Chief Minister’s remarks on the ILP, which could cause concern among Mizo people over the constitutional safeguards provided by the permit system,” Lalremtluanga added.
During the demonstration, protesters wore Pawndum, commonly worn at funerals as a token of mourning, and carried black flags and posters to express their disappointment.
They also shouted slogans demanding Lalduhoma’s resignation, describing him as the “cowardest” Chief Minister Mizoram has had.
No untoward incidents were reported during the protest, police said.
During an address to students at Mizoram Law College, Lalduhoma had allegedly said that the commonly used term “Mizoram Accord” is technically inaccurate, as the agreement was signed between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and a political organisation, the MNF, rather than between the Government of India and the state of Mizoram.
He had also allegedly said that the continuation of the ILP ultimately rests with the Centre, which has the authority to revoke the system if it chooses, and cautioned that its implementation should be carried out with “reasonable restraint” towards outsiders.
The MNF, which is the main opposition party in Mizoram and a signatory to the 1986 Peace Accord, has demanded that the Chief Minister apologise and withdraw his statements before August 15.
The party also warned of appropriate action if Lalduhoma does not issue a public apology within the deadline.
The ILP is an official travel document issued to Indian citizens for entry into certain protected areas or states, including Mizoram.
It is based on the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, which was notified by the British government in 1873.
Its continuation to safeguard indigenous tribal communities was formally protected under the Mizo Accord of 1986.
Non-state residents, particularly non-tribal people, are required to obtain an ILP to enter Mizoram.