Aizawl: Mizoram’s apex student organization, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the state governor, expressing deep concerns and staunch opposition to the recent decision by the Government of India to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Indo-Myanmar border.
The memorandum, handed over to the secretary of the governor in the absence of the governor on Monday afternoon, outlined the MZP’s worries about the impact of the decision on the unity of Zo people residing in both India and Myanmar.
MZP President H Lalthianghlima conveyed to the media that their organization is committed to opposing the termination of the free movement regime. The memorandum strongly emphasised the historical significance of the FMR, which allowed Zo people to participate in various cultural, religious, and social activities, despite administrative divisions and international boundaries.
Expressing their shock at the decision, the MZP highlighted that the Free Movement Regime facilitated participation in funeral rites, marriage ceremonies, visits to patients, religious meetings, and local sports tournaments. They argued that terminating the FMR infringes upon the fundamental rights of Zo people, as recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007 (UNDRIP), to which India is a signatory.
Quoting Article 36 of the UNDRIP, the MZP underscored the right of indigenous peoples, separated by international borders, to maintain contacts for various purposes, including cultural, political, economic, and social.
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The memorandum appealed to the Indian government to reconsider its decision, suggesting that alternative measures could be explored to address concerns such as drug trafficking and smuggling without resorting to actions that divide indigenous communities.
In their plea for reconsideration, the MZP officials highlighted the need to preserve the cultural and social fabric of the Zo people across the India-Myanmar border.
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