Guwahati
A Mizoram students’ body has condemned the alleged attempt by the Manipur government to grab the land of ethnic Zo people.
parts of Manipur, especially chhurchandpur The district, dominated by Kuki-Zomi communities, is burning after an eviction drive to clear protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries and wetlands of “illegal” settlers.
The campaign by the BJP government led by Nongthombam Biren Singh is seen as targeting the Kuki-Zomi communities, which are similar to the Mizo people of Mizoram. Together they are called Zo people.
In a statement on Sunday, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) condemned the Manipur government’s crackdown against ethnic Zo people, saying there was an “attempt to evict” them so that “tribal land could be converted into reserve forest, protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries and wetlands”.
The MZP also objected to the Manipur government demanding Inner-Line Permit (ILP) from people from Mizoram entering Manipur. Reminding the Manipur chief minister that Mizoram never demands ILP from the Manipuri people, he said that forcing the people of Jod to get ILP could lead to discord between the governments of Manipur and Mizoram.
An ILP is a temporary travel document issued to Indian citizens to visit a protected area. The ILP system is applicable in four states in the Northeast – Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
“MZP has been and will continue to promote unity among ethnic Zo people as it seeks to preserve the brotherhood/sisterhood of the community. Despite this, the Manipur government is trying to drive out our brothers and sisters, who are from the Northeast, from their own villages, and we are unable to accept this,” said the MZP.
Asking Manipur government to stop victimizing Zo people, MZP warned that it will not be responsible if anything happens to Manipuri people in Mizoram.
The Manipur government’s campaign is reportedly linked to the belief that a large section of the Kuki-Zomi people have entered the country illegally from Myanmar.