Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh emphasised that safeguarding India’s unity is the responsibility of all citizens, asserting that the country’s sovereignty is inviolable. His comments were in response to recent remarks by Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma during a visit to the United States, where he reportedly supported the unification of the Zo people, even if it meant “transcending national borders.”
The Zo people include various groups with shared cultural and linguistic traits who reside in the Northeast, Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts, and Myanmar’s Chin State. In response to a reporter’s question about Lalduhoma’s comments, Singh said, “I don’t want to react or comment on him. As a proud Indian, as the Chief Minister of Manipur, and as a nationalist, no one can touch India’s integrity and Manipur’s integrity.” He underlined that India is a “big country” and expressed his pride in being Indian, underscoring his commitment to preserving the country’s unity.
Singh further stressed that maintaining India’s unity is a collective responsibility, indicating that any attempt to challenge it would be met with a firm response. “My stand is very clear – to maintain the unity and integrity of India. Keeping India strong is our duty, and anyone who challenges it will be given a befitting reply,” Singh stated after attending a function in Imphal.
During his address to the Zo diaspora in the US, Lalduhoma, according to the Mizoram government’s Directorate of Information and Public Relations, spoke about unity among the Zo people, urging a shared vision of nationhood. He expressed, “We are one people – brothers and sisters – and we cannot afford to be divided or apart from one another. I want us to have the conviction and confidence that one day, through the strength of God, who made us a nation, we will rise together under one leadership to achieve our destiny of nationhood.”
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Lalduhoma’s statements included reflections on the boundaries dividing Mizoram from Myanmar, noting that the demarcation, imposed during British rule, was made without consulting the Mizo people. He stated, “While a country may have borders, a true nation transcends such limitations. We have been unjustly divided, forced to exist under three different governments in three different countries, and this is something we can never accept.”
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