Re-unification of all ethnic Mizo inhabited areas will come only after ‘Greater Mizoram’ is achieved within Indian territory – CM

Speaking at the celebration of ‘Remna Ni’ or ‘Peace Day’, the 39th anniversary of the signing of the historic peace accord, organised by the MizoZirlai Pawl (MZP), on Friday, Lalduhoma appealed to all the ‘Zofate’ (ethnicMizos) living around Mizoram to maintain unity in their respective places.‘Remna Ni’ was celebrated on Friday across the state as the anniversary of the signing of Mizo peace accord falls on Sunday this year.“Today, all the areas inhabited by ‘Zofate’ are in turmoil resulting in over40,000 ethnic Mizos taking shelter in the peaceful state of Mizoram. It is yet to be seen whether the current situation in the areas surrounding Mizoram is destined by God to unify us so that we revive the knowledge that we all are of the same stock, sharing culture and traditional bonds as well as ancestry,” the Chief Minister said.

He appealed to the ethnic Mizos living in Myanmar and Manipur to try their best to unify as one entity and also not to meet him in the name of different groups in the future. He said that the priority should be the establishment of ‘Greater Mizoram’ in India without using any violent means.One of the demands of Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga During the 10-year-long peace talks with the centre was formation of ‘GreaterMizoram’ which is yet to be fulfilled till date, he added.

Reunification of ethnic Mizo inhabited areas in India, Burma (Myanmar) and East Pakistan(Bangladesh) has been a dream of all the pioneer politicians and the people in general among the Mizos since Mizoram was known as Lushai Hills. The MNF, when it was founded in 1961, had the creation of Greater Mizoram as well as unification of all the Mizo inhabited areas under a single administrative unit as one of its political goals.