Manipur: Thadou Students' Association condemns Mizo Zirlai Pawl's attack on CM Biren Singh

Thadou Students' Association (TSA) on May 1 condemned Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) for criticizing N Biren Singh's BJP administration for allegedly attempting to remove the Zo people from their lands.

In an official statement, the students' body said that they are displeased with the MZP-GHQ press release in which the BJP government in the state of Manipur led by Biren Singh is arbitrarily denounced.

''The State Government is evicting native tribe people from their homes, but it is not being done with malice. The state government works to preserve and protect wetlands, protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries, and reserved forests in accordance with the laws, regulations, and act,'' the statement added. 

The Students' Association further said that since 2017, Biren Singh has been holding the position of Chief Minister, and no new or fresh declaration of reserved and protected forests has been issued.

Commenting on the Inner Line Permission (ILP) in the states of Manipur and Mizoram, it said, ''It is the duty of both state governments to enforce the entry permission in their respective states. The ILP cannot be implemented or eased on the basis of friends, family, or other relationships since it safeguards the indigenous population in each state.''

''It should be noted that the construction of the Mizo Heritage Museum in Churachandpur and the Mizo Ethnic Hut (Zawbuk) at Sangai Ethnic Park, Moirang for the Mizo Tribe by the Manipur government, led by Biren Singh, is a prime illustration of the Chief Minister serving the interests of the people. It would be wrong as MZP-GHQ believed incorrectly that the Manipur government wanted to evict its Zo family members,'' the statement read further.

It further said that the Zo-fate spread across three countries: India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh and similarly, the Thadous also spread in these three countries as well as in all the northeastern states of India, including Mizoram. 

''Likewise, the Meitei are also spreading in these three countries and the north. eastern states, including Assam, etc. Moreover, TSA is one of the Hnampual organizations within the MZP-GHQ. Therefore, in light of the above, the claim that "....we will not be responsible for anything that happens to Manipuri (Meitei) in Mizoram..." shall be retracted because it contains derogatory remarks about a particular ethnic group, which is very unworthy of the MZP-GHQ,'' it added. 

The TSA-GHQ appreciated the MZP-GHQ for keeping a careful eye on the condition of the Zo-fate in Manipur and hence exhorts them to keep working harder in the days to come for the society.

Also read: Mizoram students' body condemns Manipur government's actions against ethnic Zo people