Political parties and civil society groups in the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) on Monday staged a protest to condemn the alleged negative comment made by the Mizoram government on the proposed amendment to the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution with regards to three autonomous district councils in southern Mizoram.
The protest was held at Kamalanagar or Chawngte town in Lawngtlai district, the headquarters of the CADC.
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Those protesting against the comments include Chakma District Congress Committee, National People’s Party and Chakma civil society organizations.
A joint statement issued by the participating parties and NGOs claimed that about a thousand people participated in the protest.
Mizoram’s lone BJP legislator Dr. BD Chakma, Chakma District Congress Committee vice president Laxmi Bikash Chakma, Chakma district NPP president Doymoy Daveng Chakma and Central Mizoram Chakma Students’ Union (MCSU) general secretary Santosh Chakma addressed the gathering and vehemently condemned the comments made by the Mizoram government headed by chief minister Zoramthanga on the proposed amendment, it said.
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The protesters also demanded the government to take back its alleged negative comment at the earliest.
A copy of the state government’s comments was burnt as a mark of protest, the statement said.
Several slogans were shouted and placards were held by the protesters displaying strong messages like “Government of Mizoram Shame, Shame”, “Zoramthanga Hosh Mein Aao”, “We demand more powers to 3 ADCs of Mizoram and We Demand Article 280” among others.
Similar protests were also held at Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) headquarters in Siaha and Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) headquarters in Lawngtlai, sources said.
Among others, the protesters demanded the amendment of Article 275(1) and Article 280 for separate allocation of fund for the three ADCs, additional power or creation of paragraph 3C by giving more subjects to the three ADCs, amendment of paragraph 20 for change of nomenclatures of the ADCs into Autonomous Territorial Councils and upholding the governor’s discretionary power under paragraph 20BB.
The three ADCs- MADC, CADC and LADC were created in 1972 for the welfare of the Mara, Mara and Lai people in the southern part of the state.