Winston Churchill had famously said “never let a good crisis go to waste”. As if taking a cue from the wise man’s eternal quote, the battle-hardened Mizoram Chief Minister, Zoramthanga, has deftly used the crisis in neighbouring Manipur to not only send a message to the minority Kukis, but also win sympathy and support of the Mizo people of his state who will vote to elect a new government in a few months.
Mizos, Kukis, Zomis, Hmars, Chins (Myanmar) and Chin-Kukis (Bangladesh) are ethnic cousins belonging to the Zo community. They share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. Nearly 150 people have been killed and over 50,000 others rendered homeless by the violence in Manipur. According to latest official figures, 12,584 displaced tribals are taking shelter in Mizoram.
Passions are running high among tribals of the northeastern states over violence against their kin in Manipur. The wily Zoramthanga has moved in to use the opportunity to launch his own campaign in Mizoram. He is also using the opportunity to raise the demand of unification of all Zo areas of Northeast.
After walking along with protestors in his state capital in a solidarity march for Kuki-Zo tribals earlier this week, Zoramthanga said, “The wound is deep and it is very difficult to heal this with a painkiller. It needs a thorough investigation.” He also said it was up to the Centre and Manipur chief minister Biren Singh to decide if the latter should step down.
As a former insurgent leader-turned-politician, Zoramthanga knows the implications of an ethnic strife too well. He, therefore, lost no time to wade into the troubled waters. He stood by the Kuki-Zo tribals all along as the violence flared up. So, when the strip-parade video involving two Vaiphei women went viral, he minced no words in condemning it despite being an ally of BJP. “Many lives have been lost. There is bloodshed all over. With no iota of doubt, those victims are my kin, my own blood. Should we remain silent in this situation? I don’t think so!” he said.
For him, the issue involving his fellow Zo tribals is bigger than coalition politics. His party, Mizo National Front, is a component of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). But that did not stop him from going hammer and tongs against the Manipur CM. “Though we are with NDA, we do not subscribe to its policies and objectives,” he announced.
Zoramthanga has mounted pressure on the Central and Manipur governments for an early cessation of violence and a political solution. The two MPs from his state, both from MNF, have expressed their desire to quit NDA. K Vanlalvena (Rajya Sabha) and C Lalrosanga (Lok Sabha) said they were waiting for the party leadership’s nod.
For the record, regional parties in the Northeast are known to change coalition equations overnight. It is a culture here that they like to align and merge themselves with the party in power at the Centre. Ideologies do not work. One reason for such partnership is to ensure the free flow of funds from Delhi. Zoramthanga (79) is a three-time CM. He was second in command to Laldenga, the pioneering leader who was the MNF chief during the Mizo secession movement.
Zoramthanga joined the movement in its early days in 1966 and moved to the jungle. Laldenga engaged him as his secretary and he held the post for seven years. In 1979, he became MNF vice chief. After Mizoram attained statehood, he was appointed as a minister in the interim government in 1987.
In 1990, when Laldenga died, Zoramthanga was entrusted with the task of heading MNF. The party has won the state polls in 1998, 2003 and 2018 with Zoramthanga taking over as the CM. Manipur has been ethnically divided in the wake of the violence. Kukis cannot enter the Imphal valley and similarly, the Meiteis cannot leave the Imphal valley as arterial highways pass through Kuki villages in the hills.
With no immediate rapprochement between the two warring communities in sight, the Kukis are now demanding a separate administration. It has brought the dream of unification of all Zo areas in the limelight with the Mizos fully backing it.
Zoramthanga said the unification of Mizo-inhabited areas of other states to form one administrative unit was one of the main objectives of the MNF’s founding leaders. “An MNF delegation had raised the issue of merger with the Centre. It was pointed out to them (delegation) on behalf of the Centre that Article 3 prescribes the procedure in this regard but the government cannot make any commitment,” he said.