A tiny northeastern state, which the Tropic of Cancer cuts in half, was in celebration mode till recently, when armed clashes between anti-junta groups in Myanmar’s Chin State triggered a fresh influx of refugees and added a sombre spectre.
This week, the Mizoram chief minister, Lalduhoma, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and discussed the fallout of the ongoing conflict and its repercussions on his state. The clashes have forced over 4,000 civilians from Myanmar’s border villages to seek shelter in Mizoram’s Champhai district.
This is an unfortunate predicament for the picturesque state, nestled in blue hills, which has a myriad reasons to rejoice. For instance, in late June, Mizoram’s capital celebrated rail connectivity for the first time, with the completion of the 51.38-kilometre Bairabi-Sairang broad-gauge line. Not only is this route scenic but the tunnelled trail has been decorated with aesthetically pleasing murals to highlight Mizo cultural heritage.
The most spectacular feather in India’s fifth-smallest state is, however, the feat of emerging as the country’s first fully literate state with a literacy rate of 98.2%. Although this is not reflected in the remote areas, Mizoram University enjoys an A+ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, contributing significantly, along with other institutions of repute in the state, to the region’s academic landscape.
Two journalists from Mizoram, H.C. Vanlalruata and Isaac Zoramsanga, were part of a BBC team that won an Emmy award for a documentary on the civil war in Myanmar. On June 26, Lalduhoma wrote on X: “I congratulate HC Vanlalruata and Isaac Zoramsanga for their historic achievement as the first from Mizoram to be part of a team that won an International Emmy Award. Your dedication and courage in reporting ‘Myanmar’s Civil War’ make Mizoram proud.” The Mizo journalists provided vital on-ground support from Myanmar’s Chin State, with visits to rebel headquarters and a village bombed by junta forces.
When asked, Vanlalruata told me: “Mizoram hosts a little over 32,000 refugees from Myanmar, mainly from the adjoining Chin State. The influx began from March 2021, a month after the military coup of February 1. Nearly 5,000 additional refugees from Khawmawi and Rihkhawdar in Chin State entered Zokhawthar village in Champhai district as well as [from] Leilet, Singai, Selawn and Satawm villages in Chin State to Saikhumphai hamlet, Vaphai and Farkawn villages since July 5 (till July 10). The border is still tense, given the armed conflict between the Chin armed groups.”
On education in the border areas, he added, “Achievement of total literacy is a proud moment for Mizoram and the people. However, it does not reflect the real education scenario as Mizoram does not have people making it to the civil services in the UPSC and is still lagging behind the rest of the country in nationwide competitive exams like the NEET. We need to have a change in the education system; full literacy is good but insufficient.”
Significantly, in his address on June 30, the anniversary of Mizoram’s Peace Accord that was signed in 1986, Lalduhoma referred to a recent statement by the Union home minister, who said nearly 50% of crimes in Mizoram were committed by refugees. It is regrettable that the actions of a few tarnish the image of many law-abiding individuals, the chief minister said, appealing to all refugee communities to respect the laws of the land: “Let peace and harmony prevail in our society and in our neighbourhoods. Let us rekindle the spirit of communal harmony handed down to us by our ancestors.”
Mizoram’s peace was hard won. It must prevail, at all costs, balancing the prioritisation of humanitarian needs with logistical prerogatives.
