Mizoram seeks Rs 10 cr from Centre for relief to displaced people from Manipur

Aizawl/Imphal: Mizoram government has sought Rs 10 crore from the Centre to provide relief to the 10,700 people, sheltered in the state after being displaced due to the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3.

Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana on Monday said that while seeking the central assistance of Rs 10 crore to provide relief and shelter to the displaced people from Manipur, state Chief Minister Zoramthanga wrote two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 16 and May 23.

"The Union government has not yet responded to the Chief Minister's request," Lalchamliana, who also holds the Disaster Management and Rehabilitation portfolio, told the media.

The tiny northeastern state has been providing shelter to 34,278 refugees from Chin state of Myanmar as well as 773 refugees from Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of southeast Bangladesh.

The Myanmarese, including women and children, are sheltered in different districts of Mizoram after the military junta seized power in the neighbouring country in February 2021.

The Bangladeshi citizens took shelter in Mizoram since early this year after the Army of that country allegedly unleashed atrocities on the tribals. Both the Bangladeshi tribals and Myanmarese as well as displaced people from Manipur share ethnic similarity and ties with Mizos.

The Mizoram government on a number of occasions urged the Prime Minister and all other concerned to treat the Myanmar nationals as refugees and provide financial assistance for the food and relief for the Myanmarese, but the Centre remained 'non-committal', said the minister.

The mountainous Mizoram shares a 510-km and 318 km unfenced porous borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh respectively.