Zoramthanga calls Mizoram Peace Accord India's most successful, accuses ZPM of weakening Article 371G

Mizo National Front (MNF) president and former Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday described the 1986 Mizoram Peace Accord as India's "most successful" peace agreement and accused the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government of undermining the constitutional safeguards secured through the historic pact.

Addressing a function at Thingsultliah in Saitual district to mark the 40th anniversary of the peace accord, popularly observed as Remna Ni (Peace Day), Zoramthanga paid tribute to churches, civil society organisations, political parties and the people of Mizoram for their collective role in achieving lasting peace.

"The peace accord we are commemorating today between the MNF and the Government of India has proven, over time, to be one of the most successful peace agreements. As time goes on, its significance and value will only become more evident," the former insurgent leader-turned-politician said.

He said the Mizoram Peace Accord has become a model for conflict resolution and continues to attract attention from neighbouring regions seeking durable peace. He urged the people to safeguard what he termed a time-tested agreement that has ensured stability in the state for four decades.

Highlighting the significance of Article 371G of the Constitution, Zoramthanga said the provision was secured through the sacrifices and perseverance of the Mizo people and serves as a constitutional shield protecting Mizoram's identity, customs and special rights.

"Article 371G was earned through the sacrifices, bloodshed, suffering and perseverance of countless Mizo patriots. It serves as a constitutional safeguard protecting the Mizo people," he said.

He noted that under Article 371G, parliamentary laws relating to protected subjects cannot be implemented in Mizoram without the approval of the state assembly, giving the state significant constitutional autonomy.

The former chief minister, however, alleged that the ZPM government failed to invoke Article 371G while accepting the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, claiming the move effectively weakened Mizoram's constitutional protections.

"The ZPM government's decision to accept the FCAA 2023 without exercising the protections available under Article 371G amounts to surrendering the authority of the Mizos in Mizoram to the Central government. It is detrimental to Mizoram, the Mizo people and future generations," he alleged.

Zoramthanga further claimed that the present government had compromised the constitutional safeguards secured through the peace accord and asserted that the MNF would restore those protections if returned to power.

The Mizoram Peace Accord, signed on June 30, 1986, between the Government of India and the then-underground Mizo National Front, ended two decades of insurgency and paved the way for Mizoram's statehood in 1987.