Tensions are high in Sairang following the alleged assault of a local Mizo by non-local railway construction workers on Saturday. In response, the Sairang Village Council, along with the Young Mizo Association (YMA), Mizoram Upa Pawl (MUP), Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP), and Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), held a joint meeting and decided to restrict the movement of non-locals in the area.
The assault, captured in a video showing the local man with his hands tied behind his back while allegedly being beaten, has sparked outrage. The Mizo Zirlai Pawl General Headquarters, the apex student body in Mizoram, has demanded a public apology from the railway company employing the workers involved.
“We find it hard to understand why they would assault a local,” said the MZP in a statement. “After assessing the situation on-site, we have decided that the company which employs the non-locals who assaulted the man from Sairang should render a public apology.”
The Sairang joint committee expressed regret over certain actions by locals, including theft and other offenses, which have negatively affected the railway construction project. However, they condemned the assault, describing it as an insult to the local community.
“This shows contempt towards Sairang and indicates that they look down on Mizoram,” the joint statement read. The meeting resolved that the non-locals involved in the incident should have contacted law enforcement instead of taking matters into their own hands by harassing and assaulting the Mizo resident.
As a result, the Sairang Village Council and local organizations have imposed a temporary movement ban on all non-locals in the area from September 10 to 11. Additionally, non-local-owned shops in Sairang have been ordered to close during this period.
The situation has escalated partly due to long-standing issues surrounding the Bairabi-Sairang railway project. The project has faced delays due to the theft of essential construction materials, a matter previously raised by NF Railways General Manager, Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, with Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma.
Shrivastava reported that steel parts, bolts, and bearings had been stolen, further delaying the project. Several First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed regarding the thefts, although Sairang police clarified that these cases do not directly implicate the railway construction workers.
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