Aizawl: Mizoram government has sent armed police troops to thwart possible communal violence in the poll-bound Borapansury-II town under Chakma autonomous district council (CADC) in southern Mizoram.
Chakma organisations have threatened to boycott by-election to the Borapansury-II MDC (member of district council) seat slated for tomorrow, in protest against allocation of land to the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo Students’ Association) within Borapansury-II.
Different Chakma organisations, under the leadership of Young Chakma Association (YCA), during a public meeting on Saturday, demanded removal a signboard erected by MZP on the allocated land on or before today, failing which they would boycott the bypoll.
The state food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department had given its portion of land in Borapansury-II to the MZP for construction of Zofate Chawlhbuk (a rest house for the Mizos), which has flared up communal tension between Chakmas and Mizos.
The MZP has since long back alleged Chakma infiltration in the area from Bangladesh and has felt a strong need to construct a rest house in the Chakma-dominated area to assert ownership of Mizoram territory.
Home minister R Lalzirliana last evening failed to persuade the MZP leaders to remove the signboard even for a while. Hundreds of MZP activists have started camping in the area to make sure that the signboard is not removed.
The MZP alleged that Chakma pollution in southern Mizoram has abnormally increased during the last few years. “The rapid population of Chakmas, which is against natural population growth, indicates nothing but large-scale influx of Chakma foreigners from Bangladesh,” MZP president Lalhmachhuana said.
The alleged Chakma foreigners’ infiltration is said to be much higher in Lunglei district than the Chakma autonomous district council, both bordering Bangladesh. “We will take steps to drive out Chakma foreigners from Mizoram. We will pursue the matter with the Prime Minister office, as we have high hopes on Narendra Modi who had promised to drive out Bangladeshi migrants from the Northeast,” the student leader said. (UNI)
