Mizo House speaker Lalbiakzama releases Zo Indigenous Id Card

Mizoram state assembly speaker Lalbiakzama on Wednesday inaugurated the ‘Zo Indigenous Identity Card’ prepared by the Zo Reunification Organisation (ZoRO) in Aizawl expressing the hope that it will help in protecting the rights of the ‘Zo indigenous peoples’. Lalbiakzama said the United Nations gives high importance to indigenous people and has accepted ‘Zo tribes’ as indigenous people under UN Declarations on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007. He said that the ‘Zo people’ had suffered considerably due to the ‘divide and rule’ policy of the British colonial government “Which divided us into India, Burma and East Pakistan (Bangladesh) while also divided in three states in India – Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and Tripura.”

Though divided into 3 countries and states, the brotherhood and link of the Zo people continues which demands that all of them help each other, he said, adding that as compared to other indigenous peoples, Zo indigenous people are still small in number and should strive more for unity. In the identity card logos of UN and ZORO are printed at the top while under ‘ZO INDIGENOUS’ – ‘Affiliated with United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) No-1236524 Dated 21 May 2004’. The Identity card numbers are classified as – IPI (Indigenous Peoples of India), IPM (Myanmar) and IPB (Bangladesh. Under the name and identification of the bearer of the card – ‘This card certifies Indigenous Identity in accordance with United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous People’s 2007(UNDRIP)’ is printed.

ZORO general secretary L. Ramdinliana Renthlei said preparation of the identity card will be officially informed to the governments of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh as well as the UN. “The copy of information given to the government of India will be endorsed to the state governments of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura,” Renthlei said. He said that the identity card will transcend all the boundaries of the globe and identify all the ‘Zo peoples’ across the world while it also signifies that the Zo peoples are acknowledge by the UN as Indigenous Peoples Organisation (IPO).