AIZAWL: People from violence-hit Manipur continue to trickle into Mizoram as over 7,500 people have fled to the state in the wake of the recent ethnic violence in the neighbouring state, an official said.
As per the official record till 5 pm on Monday, altogether 7,527 internally displaced people belonging to the ethnic Zo or Mizo tribes have entered Mizoram and taken shelter at various villages in 8 districts of the state, the official said.
Kolasib district bordering Assam currently has the highest number of displaced people from Manipur at 2,685, followed by Aizawl district (2,386) and Saitual district (2,153), he said.
A total of 164 people have taken shelter in east Mizoram’s Champhai district, 36 in Khawzawl district, 27 in Serchhip district, 19 in Mamit district and 57 in Lunglei district, he said.
The displaced people are lodged at temporary relief camps, while many others were given shelter by their relatives, he added.
Meanwhile, Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga said that the unification of all ethnic Zo or MIzo tribes in India and bringing them under one administrative unit was one of the main objectives of the founders of the Mizo National Front (MNF).
Zoramthanga’s statement came close on the heels of the demand made by Kuki 10 MLAs and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) for separate administration of the hill areas from the Manipur government
In his address to party workers during a meeting at the party office on Friday, Zoramthanga had said that the question of unification of Mizo inhabited areas of Mizoram’s neihbouring states to form one administrative unit under the concept of Greater Mizoram was one of the demands of the Mizo National Front, and the issue was raised during the peace parleys with Indian Government.
The Centre then maintained that it could be done under article 3 of the Constitution of India, the MNF president had said.
He, however, said that Mizoram cannot directly interfere in the internal affairs of Manipur on the issue of ‘Greater Mizoram’ or the unification of Mizoram’s contiguous area in Manipur with the state.
“The initiatives should come from ‘our kindred brothers’ in Manipur as the issue of unification of Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Hmar-Zomo tribes should not be imposed,” Zoramthanga had.
Mizoram shares about 95-km long inter-state boundary with Manipur and the hill areas in Manipur contiguous to Mizoram are inhabited by Zo ethnic tribes, who share ethnic and cultural ties with the Mizos.
Mizoram BJP unit had also endorsed the demand for separate administration by Zo indigenous tribes of Manipur.