New Delhi: The Manipur government has issued a scathing rebuke of Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga’s comments regarding the Manipur political situation and his call for President’s Rule in the state.
“Mizoram CM reveals his democratic credentials by espousing imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur while opposing boundary fencing of the Indo-Myanmar international border. He also calls for reunification of the Zo people. He also talks about possibility of armed militias in Manipur pointing their guns at Delhi and need for disarming, and sincere negotiations with hill leaders,” the Manipur government said.
The Manipur government’s statement sharply criticises Zoramthanga for labelling Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh a “liability” for the state and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in an interview with Hindustan Times, accusing him of hypocrisy and highlighting his past transgressions against the anti-defection law.
“In 1986, he earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first ever MP in the country to be discharged under anti-defection law. Thirty-four years later in 2020, he also became the first MLA in the country to be disqualified on charge of breaching the same law,” it said.
The statement accuses Zoramthanga of harbouring a broader agenda, referencing a controversial speech he delivered in the US advocating for the creation of a “Christian nation” encompassing parts of Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India. The Manipur government alleges that this ambition forms part of a long-term strategy to establish a Kuki-Chin Christian nation across contiguous areas of these three countries. This strategy, according to the statement, is characterised by illegal immigration, land grabbing, displacement of Indigenous populations, and the creation of Kuki-Chin-dominated administrative regions.
“One may recall that the Mizoram Chief Minister had recently given a controversial speech in the US by calling for formation of a Christian nation by carving out areas from Bangladesh, Myanmar and India. In his words, ‘I want us to have the conviction and confidence that one day, through the strength of God, who made us a nation, we will rise together under one leadership to achieve our destiny of nationhood’,” the Manipur government said.
The Manipur government further links Zoramthanga’s calls for President’s Rule in Manipur to his opposition to fencing the Indo-Myanmar border. They argue that this border fencing is crucial for combating illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and maintaining national security. Zoramthanga’s questioning of border fencing, the statement asserts, is particularly troubling given that Mizoram has also struggled with similar issues stemming from illegal immigration and the associated problems.
“The Mizoram Government has been steadfast in opposing the efforts of the centre to fence its open borders with neighbouring Myanmar for the purpose of curbing illegal immigration, trafficking of arms and drugs, internal security and defence,” it added.
The Manipur government points to Mizoram’s own measures to regulate Myanmar nationals’ access to land, business, and official documentation (Aadhaar, voter registration, driving licenses) as evidence of the state’s awareness of the challenges of illegal immigration.
“India must be wary of the greater agenda of carving a Kuki-Chin Christian nation out of contiguous areas of Myanmar, India and Bangladesh, played out over decades of meticulous planning, through illegal immigration, land grabbing, displacement of original indigenous peoples, formation of Kuki-Chin dominated districts, establishment of Autonomous District Councils, upgradation of such Councils to Scheduled Areas, amalgamation of Kuki-Chin areas and finally nationhood. One must be wary of any attempt to push illegal Kuki-Chin immigrants from Mizoram to Manipur for land grabbing and creation of Greater Mizoram as part of this process,” the Manipur government said.
“In addition, the foreigners should also not enrol for Aadhaar, voter list or obtain driving license, amongst others. The Mizoram Chief Minister is engaging in double standards when he criticises the decision of the Manipur government to tackle the issue of illegal immigration similarly in Manipur as ‘anti-tribal’,” the Manipur government in the lengthy, four-page statement.
The statement concludes by emphasizing that the people of Manipur, like those of Mizoram, are equally affected by the pressures of illegal immigration on land, resources, and livelihoods. The Manipur government accuses Zoramthanga of employing double standards by criticizing Manipur’s measures to address illegal immigration while seemingly ignoring similar challenges within Mizoram.
