Mizo CM met NGOCC on FMR, border fencing

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Saturday reiterated his belief that Mizoram sector will be left out even if the central government undertakes fencing of 1,643-km-long Indo-Myanmar border even asthe powerful NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC) decided to go ahead with the protest against proposed border fencing and lifting of Free Movement Regime (FMR). The NGOCC led by its chairman Lalhmachhuana, president of the central committee of Young Mizo Association, met Lalduhoma at the chief minister’s office when the issues of Indo-Myanmar border fencing and scrapping of FMR were discussed.

“The state government is opposed to erect of fence along the Mizoram-Myanmar border and also wants the FMR to stay. The present international border is demarcated by the colonial British government under the policy of divide and rule, so, an imposed border. The brothers are divided in order to ensure that we will never be a large nation. Our undying dream is to reunite under a single administrative unit,” the Chief Minister said. Narrating about his recent Delhi visit, he said that he met both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, as well as other central leaders apprising them of the stance of the state government and the people. He said that while he could not say anything about fencing of Manipur-Myanmar border fencing, he categorically told the central leaders that Mizoram does not want fencing of Mizoram-Myanmar border.

“In view of the responses I received in Delhi, I feel that we have nothing to worry,” Lalduhoma told the NGOCC leaders. Lalhmachhuana, in turn, informed the Chief Minister about the plans of the NGOCC to organise a public gathering in Aizawl in protest against the proposed scrapping of FMR and Mizoram-Myanmar border fencing. Lalhmachhuana said that they have been coordinating with civil societies of Nagalandby sending delegation to Nagaland and that they had written to the centre and the state government about their stance on the issues. EOM