Aizawl: When the Mizoram Legislative Assembly adopted the Forest Conservation Amendment Act (FCAA) 2023 in August, it ignited a wave of outrage among Mizoram’s youth on social media.
Online platforms buzzed with criticism, posts from Mizoram Click, a social media news platform, highlighting the Centre for Environment and Social Justice’s (CESJ) response were shared over 300 times and drew more than 1,500 comments. Reports of a planned protest rally, carried by Mizoram’s largest daily Vanglaini, drew similar traction, with over 1,500 readers voicing their support and anger in the comments. Meanwhile, heated debates between party representatives over the Act garnered more than one lakh views on YouTube.
Yet, when the day of the rally arrived on September 11, the energy of online activism struggled to translate into an on-ground movement. Protestors were called to gather at 12:30 pm, conveniently timed for the lunch break of working youth. But instead of a sea of young voices, Vanapa Hall saw a sparse turnout. Barely 10 to 15 young faces, mostly from Mizoram University, were visible among the 300-odd demonstrators. The rest were representatives of opposition parties and NGOs, most of them in their 40s, 50s, and 60s.
The gap between online noise and offline action was hard to ignore. Even speakers from the dais took note. A CESJ representative in his twenties asked the crowd: “Where are our youth? Why are only parents gathered here today? They can attend movie premieres and other events, but when it comes to issues like this, where are they?”
EastMojo spoke with some of the few students who did attend. H. Lalnunziri, a student from Pachhunga University College, admitted that the lack of awareness was a major factor, “We do not have enough knowledge about this Act, there is a dearth of awareness and a lack of information on the Act as a whole. If more people knew about it, then more would have come.”
Another, Lalrinfela Royte, a Political Science student at Mizoram University, reflected on the poor mobilization efforts: “We are not good at mobilising the youth. The youth should have been used as the spearheaders, they should be the ones in the media, they should be the focus. There should be more encouragement and motivation towards them.”
Others highlighted a climate of caution. A research scholar from Mizoram University’s English Department, who attended despite advice not to, said fear played a big role: “The youth are afraid it would hamper their chances at jobs if they show up on social media opposing what the government does. We are seeking government jobs, and there is so much unemployment, so they are afraid.”
Notably absent was the state’s apex student body, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), whose presence might have bolstered the movement.
Despite the lukewarm turnout, organisers are not disheartened. Ruatfela Nu, one of the spearheaders of the protest, told EastMojo that this was only the beginning: “We will hold another protest, just focused on the youth.”
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