MNF stages 10-hour shutdown in Mizoram to protest Forest Act extension

The Mizo National Front (MNF), Mizoram’s main opposition party, staged a 10-hour statewide shutdown on Wednesday to protest the state government’s decision to adopt the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 (FCAA).

The shutdown, which began at 6 a.m., was observed across the state except in the Mamit district, where bypolls are scheduled for November 11. Shops, offices, schools, banks, and government institutions remained closed as the protest paralysed normal life in most areas.

Streets in Aizawl and other towns wore a deserted look, with only emergency vehicles seen on the roads. The People’s Conference Party and the Joint Civil Society Mizoram (JCSM), a coalition of several organisations, extended support to the protest, which drew significant participation from the public.

MNF president and former Chief Minister Zoramthanga said his party has consistently opposed the FCAA extension in Mizoram, calling it “dangerous” for the state. “The FCAA allows the Centre to take control of almost the entire land in the name of national security and strategic projects. The law exempts a 100 km area from international borders. We will withdraw the resolution adopting the Act when the MNF returns to power,” Zoramthanga said.

He alleged that the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government, led by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, had “blindly supported” the Act despite its potential implications for Mizoram’s land and forest rights.

Zoramthanga also claimed that the new law violates Article 371(G) of the Constitution, which provides special protection to Mizoram in matters of land, religion, and social practices.

The FCAA, passed by Parliament in August 2023, allows the Union government to clear forest land within 100 km of international borders for “strategic and national security projects” without prior clearance. Mizoram, bordered by Bangladesh and Myanmar, falls entirely within this zone.

The MNF’s shutdown comes two months after the state assembly, in its monsoon session, adopted a resolution opposing the Act — a move the ZPM government reversed earlier this year by approving its implementation.

As the protest concluded peacefully, MNF leaders vowed to continue their agitation until the Centre rolls back the Act’s extension to Mizoram, asserting that it undermines the rights and autonomy of the state’s indigenous communities.