MIZOS Demand NRC To Identify Illegal Migrants In The Border State

CONGRESS , which is trying its best to retain power in Mizoram  after the coming assembly elections ,is facing a piquant situation after a NGO has publicly  demanded  NRC to safeguard the indigenous  populace  in the Christian dominated  North-eastern state  having  borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar . As Congress is vociferously opposing implementation of NRC in Assam by the state government as per the Assam Accord of 1984, BJP is confident of forming government in the state with a population of an estimated 11 lakh. India’s oldest political party is at a loss as to how to deal with the emotive issue after  taking a tough stand  against NRC in Parliament and outside along with  TMC and other anti-BJP  groupings .The rural population makes up 48.49 percent of the total population of the state, while the urban population is 51.51 percent.  About 95 per cent of the state’s population is classified as Scheduled Tribes . Buddhists account for around 8 per cent of the population making them the largest minority community as per official statistics. An official spokesman told journalists at the state capital Aizal that a delegation of the Young Mizo Association has called on Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan and pleaded for implementation of NRC on the lines of the one being introduced in Assam to identify the illegal immigrants. He  said the YMA leaders have asked Rajasekharan to take steps to strengthen the security along the Mizoram’s international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar  to curb the influx of illegal foreigners from the neighbouring countries. Mizoram has an unfenced international border of 510 kilometres with Myanmar and 318 kilometres with Bangladesh. The Border Security Force has been guarding the Bangladesh border and Assam Rifles troopers are posted along the Myanmar frontiers. The YMA, which was formed in 1935, claims to have 800 branches in several north-eastern states besides Mizoram. Earlier, some civil societies and students’ associations of Mizoram petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that all illegal immigrants including Chakmas, who are Buddhists from the Chittagong in Bangladesh, are detected and deported. Incidentally, the last legislative assembly elections for 40 seats in Mizoram were held on 25 November 2013. Results were declared on 9 December. The main contest was between incumbent the Indian National Congress and the Mizo National Front led Mizoram Democratic Alliance. But political scenario has undergone a sea -change since 2013 as BJP has emerged as the main contender for power in the state in league with some local groupings.