Aizawl, Oct. 9 (IANS): Various Chakma tribals’ organisations on Wednesday criticised the Mizoram government and Chief Minister Zoramthanga for an alleged ‘false campaign against the Chakmas and mistreatment to the students in the state’.
Despite efforts by IANS, the Mizoram government did not respond to the allegations of the Chakma bodies.
The Chakma students seeking the intervention of the Centre had held rallies in Guwahati last week to protest against the reported ‘torture of Chakma students at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in Mizoram’.
The All India Chakma Students’ Union (AICSU) and the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) in separate press statements “condemned the anti-Chakma statement of Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga”.
“Zoramthanga in an interview to a New Delhi based magazine said, I want the NRC (National Register of Citizens) because Bangladeshi infiltrators are here in the form of Chakmas,” the statements said.
The AICSU in its release said that 10 major Chakma NGOs in a resolution said : “Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga’s statement calling the Chakmas as ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ is racist and outrageous and we condemn the same in the strongest terms.”
“Such an outburst from the Chief Minister will only end up emboldening the fringe elements to violate the fundamental human rights of the Chakma minorities who are already being targeted as alleged Bangladeshi foreigners. The statement of the Chief Minister has put the lives and liberties of the Chakmas at serious risk and repression will increase in coming days.”
The Chakma NGOs have appealed to Chief Minister Zoramthanga to take measures to build inter-community trust and work towards building an inclusive and tolerant society by respecting the human rights of the ethnic minorities living in the state.
The AICSU said that at least 34 Chakma students including nine girls ran away from the JNV at Serchhip in Mizoram on October 3 after students of another community brutally thrashed one Nolin Bikash Chakma at the JNV located at Thenzawl in Serchhip district on September 26.
