Aizawl: Mizoram’s apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), intensified its opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on Tuesday by setting fire to the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. The demonstration was held at the MZP General Headquarters office premises after a meeting.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024, notified on March 11, 2024, have been a source of continuous dissent, echoing the protests voiced by the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO). Following directives to burn copies of the CAA rules in every state, MZP adhered to the instructions on its premises, with the presence of North East Students’ Organisation Vice Chairman Ricky Lalbiakmawia and MZP officials.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, commenting on the notification, expressed, “The Modi government today notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation.”
This protest follows MZP’s participation in a Northeast-wide protest organized by NESO on August 17, 2022, against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. In a previous instance on December 16, 2019, MZP staged a sit-in demonstration in front of Vanapa Hall in Aizawl, registering their protest against the amended Citizenship Act.
During this earlier protest, participants demanded the resignation of Mizoram’s Lok Sabha representative, C. Lalrosanga, for supporting the citizenship bill. Protesters voiced slogans against the BJP government and the ruling MNF government, emphasizing Northeast unity.
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The CAA, passed by the parliament in 2016, has been met with widespread opposition across the nation. In 2019, powerful Mizoram NGOs, including the Young Mizo Association, boycotted Republic Day celebrations in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
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