C. Lalremruata
Director
Zo Indigenous Forum
Director
Zo Indigenous Forum
During her first official visits to India on 23rd March 2009, the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navi Pillay delivered an historic speech at the seminar of National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi urging the Government of India to show global leadership in the fight against caste-based discrimination. Also Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strongly condemned the practice of untouchability associated with caste-based discrimination and compared it with apartheid, stating that, This is an area where India can not only address its own challenges nationally, but show leadership in combating caste-based discrimination globally.
But India did it again, there is a racial, political and social discrimination against the Zo Indigenous people.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has recently (26.7.2010) released an advertisement for the recruitment of Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (Constable/General Duty). In this advertisement there are 850 vacant posts and 130 post have been reserved for Schedule Caste (SC), 83 for Schedule Tribe (ST), 178 for Other Backward Class (OBC) and 459 for General.
In this advertisement all the states and Union Territories are alloted their respective quota, but Mizoram tate have nothing. In this advertisement they have not made Mizoram as NIL or something. They have simply excluded this state.
The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo Students Association) the close ally of Zo Indigenous Forum have taken this as a serious issue and they have met the State Governor - representative of India in Mizoram state and also sent a letter to the President of India on 19th August 2010. After the signing of The Memorandum of Understanding between Mizo National Front and Union of India in 30th of June 1986, Mizoram became one of the most peaceful state in India and has no insurgent groups. There is serious unemployment problem in the state large number of youth have joined armed forces, having a good chance of joining and employment. The Ministry of Home affairs however, did not give us a quota while all the other states and union territories are alloted.
Also, UCO Bank has recently also advertises the recruitment of 1,000 clerks across Indian. Mizoram has been a quota of two (2) posts, but the post have been reserved only for the OBC eventhough there are no OBC in the state.
Last year the Chief Minister of the state while attanding the Singapore Water Week stated that not only he faced racial discrimination but also Lalhmingliana the lone Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram. Last November the MP claimed he had faced racist and discriminatory attitudes at many places in the country even after being elected to Parliament for two terms. India also used jet fighters to bombard to the civilian people of Aizawl, Mizoram on 5th March 1966.
If India includes Mizoram as one of its state and part of the country, why has it it discriminated Mizoram in the recruitment, Mizos have also faced discrimination when they go to the cities of India. Why we have faced such discrimination from the people also even from the government- I believe that because India does not believe Mizoram as one of its states or does not care about the development and the welfare of the Mizo people because we are Tribal/indigenous people.