Aizwal, April 28 (EMN): The All India Chakma Social Forum (AICSF) in a letter today urged Chief Minister of Mizoram Shri Lal Thanhawla to address the issue of racial discrimination against the ethnic minorities in the state with top priority.
Lal Thanhawla recently spoke against acts of racial discrimination against the people from North East including himself in mainland India and described racial discrimination as “the worst thing in this country”.
The AICSF stated that International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) ratified by India defines racial discrimination as “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin”.“The Mizoram Government enacted laws such as the Mizoram (Selection of candidates for higher technical course) Sixth Amendment Rules, 2015 and the Mizoram (Selection of candidates for higher technical courses) Rules, 2016 to divide the Scheduled Tribes of Mizoram into “Zo-ethnic people” (Category I) and “non-Zo-ethnic people” (Category II) and reserved 100% of the higher technical education seats for Zo-ethnic people. This is nothing but an act of racial discrimination as defined by the United Nations against non-Zo ethnic Scheduled Tribes in Mizoram like Chakma, Dimasa, Garo, Hajong, Hmar, Khasi and Jaintia, Kuki Tribes, Bru/Riang, Mara, Man, Mikir, Nagas, Lai and Synteng tribes.” – stated Paritosh Chakma, Secretary General of AICSF.
“If Lalthanhawla really believes that racial discrimination is “the worst thing in this country”, the State Government of Mizoram must repeal racist acts like Mizoram (Selection of Candidates for Higher Technical Courses) Rules, 2016 that racially discriminates against non-Zo ethnic groups.” – further stated Chakma.
AICSF stated that it will raise the issue of racial discrimination against non-Zo ethnic people of Mizoram with the UN Special Rapporteur against Racial Discrimination Mutuma Ruteere and the UN Secretary General António Guterres.
