Mizoram's Plea: Preserving Cross-Border Ties Amid Fencing Plans

Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and Zo Reunification Organisation (ZORO) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider fencing the Indo-Myanmar border. They assert it would disrupt cultural and economic ties among indigenous communities. They propose community-sensitive approaches for border security, stressing cultural and familial connections predating current boundaries.

Mizoram's leading student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), alongside the Zo Reunification Organisation (ZORO), appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the government's proposal to fence the Indo-Myanmar border. They argued that such fencing could sever vital cultural and economic links among indigenous communities living on both sides of the border.

In a joint memorandum submitted through Governor Vijay Kumar Singh, the groups highlighted the deep-rooted ethnic ties, emphasizing that Mizo communities share customs, language, and family bonds that transcend borders established during the colonial and post-colonial eras. They also cautioned against potential economic hardships as local economies heavily rely on traditional trade and agriculture.

The organisations acknowledged the central government's duty to safeguard borders but urged for alternative security arrangements that respect indigenous social systems. They referenced the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and constitutional safeguards under Article 371-G as frameworks supporting their cause.

(With inputs from agencies.)