Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has called for harmonious coexistence between refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, internally displaced individuals from Manipur, and the local population.
Speaking at a government program on Monday, he urged refugees to integrate with their host communities while respecting local laws, customs, and religious traditions.
Approximately 40,000 refugees and displaced people are currently sheltering in Mizoram, according to Lalduhoma.
He emphasised that while locals should extend kindness and avoid discrimination, refugees must actively engage with their hosts and participate in community life.
The refugees include Myanmar nationals who fled the military coup of February 2021, asylum seekers from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts displaced by a military offensive in 2022, and Kuki people from Manipur who arrived after ethnic clashes with the Meitei community in May 2023.
“Peaceful coexistence is essential,” Lalduhoma stated. He also addressed concerns about rising crime rates linked to some refugees.
“It is disheartening that refugees have been reportedly involved in over 50% of crimes in the state recently. However, it is unfair to generalize based on the actions of a few,” he said, quoting Home Minister K Sapdanga.
The chief minister highlighted plans to confiscate Myanmar government-issued identity cards from some refugees who repeatedly cross the border and violate Indian laws.
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He also discouraged refugees from forming separate churches, suggesting instead that they integrate into local congregations and join the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the state’s largest philanthropic organisation.
Lalduhoma’s address coincided with the celebration of Remna Ni, marking the signing of the historic Mizoram Accord on June 30, 1986.
This agreement ended two decades of insurgency led by the Mizo National Front (MNF), which later transitioned into a political party.
Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on February 20, 1987.
