Aizawl, July 9: Residents of Hnahthial in southern Mizoram are willing to die for a district status.

Talking to reporters here today, office-bearers of the Hnahthial District & District Headquarters Demand Committee said chief minister Zoramthanga had promised them district status but had failed to fulfil it. They said they would fight for their demand even if it meant dying for it.

The committee today sent a memorandum to Zoramthanga who is in Delhi. It also sent a fax to the Delimitation Commission, requesting it to ease its restriction on changing the boundaries of Assembly constituencies before elections scheduled to be held at the end of the year as a special consideration in their case.

“Though Zoramthanga’s campaign promise of district status for us has failed to materialise even in five years, we have not lost hope. We hope the chief minister will take up our case with the Commission,” committee vice-chairman Lalthuthlungliana said.

In 1998, the then chief minister Lalthanhawla had promised to elevate Hnahthial to a district. But he could not do so since it was election year.

Campaigning for Assembly polls that year, Zoramthanga had made similar promises but failed to fulfil them. In protest, Hnahthial residents took out a procession last year and threatened to boycott the village council elections. The government placated them with more promises but again failed to implement them. The residents blocked National Highway 54 in June and suffered severe casualties in clashes with police.

The government’s stand is that Hnahthial subdivision cannot be elevated to a district because of the objections of some villages that would be included in the new district. People of Hnahthial refute this claim, saying the objection was made by a minority.