At 11 am on Tuesday, the city of Aizawl resembled a town where a curfew had been imposed. Only this time, the city had ‘shut down’ not because of a law and order situation but rather for a solidarity march to express solidarity with the violence-hit Kuki-Zo tribals in Manipur. A demonstration organised by the NGO Coordination Committee, a conglomerate of Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Mizo Students Union(MSU), Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) and Mizoram Upa Pawl(MUP) saw one of the biggest gatherings the state of Mizoram has seen, with around 50,000 citizens gathering in front of Raj Bhavan.
The solidarity march was also carried out in all state district capitals.
Ministers and MLAs, businessmen and students, daily labourers and vegetable vendors, government workers and even church office staff all left their desks and stands and kept aside their differences to show their unity in the cause put up by the NGOs.
The rally was started from two localities, Chanmari and Kulikawn with the crowds merging in front of Raj Bhavan. The crowds packed the streets for a stretch of almost three-four kilometres. At the program, speeches were heard from R Lalngheta, CYMA President and Ngurmawii Sailo, President of MHIP General Headquarters.
In his speech, the CYMA President put forth a strong question to the Prime Minister saying, “I want to question the Prime Minister of the country, why don’t you take steps to address the situation in Manipur, the Zohnahthlak people, a small populace are living in India under the aegis of the Central government. Our brethren in Manipur are suffering untold atrocities, their houses are burnt, their place of worship and burnt and desecrated. Our sisters are raped and their naked bodies paraded… they are being killed indiscriminately. Our suffering is much and we felt in the depth of our heart for them. Don’t you think that they are also Indian citizens to be protected by Indian laws? I urge you earnestly to protect the Zo hnahthlak (descendants) people in India. As many flowers bloom beautifully together in a flower garden, I sincerely request you to take a major step so that all the communities in India can bloom and prosper together like different flowers.”
Echoing his statement, the chairperson of the program, Lalnuntluanga, General Secretary, Central Young Mizo Association, said, “The recent viral videos of two Zo-Kuki women being paraded naked and brutally molested and gang raped by unruly Meitei mob not only indicates the failure of constitutional machinery in the state but also reveals that humanity has been severely torn to pieces in the state of Manipur. Today, we, the Mizo people have gathered here to show our support and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Manipur. We share your pain and sufferings we strongly condemn the inhumane violence rape, killing of innocent people, burning down of churches and demolition of houses. We ask the central government and the state of Manipur to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur.”
Ngurmawii Sailo, the President of the state’s biggest women-based organisation also spoke at the program saying, “This is what I have to say, we urge the citizens of India to stand in solidarity with the women in Manipur who despite the threat apparent and implied are standing firm in the ground for the sake of protecting their family, land and people and also to use our voice to condemn the atrocious and deplorable violence on women and to urge the political leaders and judicial to take matters into their hands swiftly and to bring about law and order in Manipur.”
In an interaction with media persons, Chief Minister Zoramthanga who was a participant in the demonstration and seated on the stage for the duration of the program spoke of the state’s initiatives on the ongoing violence in Manipur, “As far as our government is concerned we are trying our level best but we still, we feel that we have to do much more, however, we said that even doing the best is not enough. Certainly, we are all united irrespective of the parties, irrespective of organisation and irrespective of different communities, we all are united for this purpose.”
On questions about the party’s NDA alliance, he said, “So far we are a member of the NDA but it is issue-based.”
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Also present at the solidarity march was Lalremruat Tonsing from Lamka, Manipur. He spoke to East Mojo saying, “We are displaced persons, me and my friends, we can no longer go to colleges. We are here because we cannot ignore the call of our land. As college students, we should not be on the streets we should be learning…but we cannot do that as we all know the ethnic violence which is the program of the Manipur government under the leadership of Biren Singh has been taking place for 83 long days so we don’t know how to express our grief. Where is humanity we want to ask today, where is justice, the biggest democracy cannot serve justice to its people. We are filled with anger.”
On the eve of the march, YMA General Secretary Lalnuntluanga put out a statement making an appeal to the Meitei community in Aizawl and other parts of Mizoram not to worry but to maintain a sense of serenity in light of Tuesday’s Solidarity March.
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