Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Monday urged refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and internally displaced people from Manipur taking shelter in the state to mingle with the local people (host) and respect their laws, social practices, and religious traditions.
Addressing the celebration of ‘Remna Ni’, the anniversary of the signing of the historic ‘Mizoram accord’ in Aizawl, Lalduhoma said that the asylum seekers from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and those displaced by ethnic conflict in Manipur, should not keep aloof themselves from the hosts but mingle with them.
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Stressing the need for peaceful co-existence between the refugees and the locals, he said that the refugees and displaced people should also learn to respect and abide by local laws, ethos, social customs, and religious practices.
On the other hand, the locals should not discriminate but show kindness to the refugees, he said.
According to the chief minister, Mizoram is constantly hosting about 40,000 refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and internally displaced people from Manipur.
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Lalduhoma said, “It is very unfortunate that, according to recent remarks by Home Minister K. Sapdanga, refugees reportedly committed over 50 per cent of the crimes in the state in recent times. However, people should not entirely blame all law-abiding individuals for the actions of a few miscreants.”
“The refugees should respect local laws, customs, and traditions. I urge them to live peacefully like the locals and develop a sense of ownership during their stay in Mizoram,” he added.
He said that the refugees should not establish separate churches for themselves but become members of local churches in their respective areas where they live.
He also urged them to mingle with the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the largest philanthropic organisation in the state, and take part in community services and other social services.
Lalduhoma had last week said that his government is contemplating confiscating Myanmar government-issued identity cards of a section of refugees, who repeatedly cross the international border and often violate India’s laws.
Earlier on Friday, Sapdanga said that the crime rate is on the rise, and more than 50 per cent of criminal cases in the state in recent times were linked to people who came from outside and took refuge in the state.
More than 30,000 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and Internally Displaced People from Manipur are currently taking shelter in the northeastern state, according to officials.
The Myanmar nationals fled to Mizoram following a military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021, while the asylum seekers from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts came to the state after a military offensive against an ethnic insurgent group in 2022.
A large number of Kuki people from Manipur have taken shelter in Mizoram after ethnic violence broke out with Meiteis in May 2023.