Mizoram: Zoramthanga vows MNF will return in 2028 to defend Mizo rights

Guwahati: Former Mizoram Chief Minister and Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga on October 6 pledged that his party would return to power in the 2028 Assembly elections to "defend the interests of the Mizos and Mizoram."

He launched a scathing attack on the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government for adopting the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act (FCAA), 2023, a move he said endangers indigenous land rights.

Addressing party workers at the MNF office in Aizawl, Zoramthanga accused the ZPM administration of betraying the people by supporting the central legislation.

He said the MNF "firmly opposes" the Act's extension to Mizoram and vowed to resist its implementation.

Zoramthanga criticised the FCAA for allowing the central government to execute strategic linear projects, such as roads, railways, and other infrastructure, within 100 kilometres of international borders without requiring prior forest clearance.

He warned that this provision poses a serious threat to the ancestral lands of the Mizo people.

He reminded attendees that the MNF-led government, during his tenure, had passed a resolution in the Mizoram Assembly rejecting the FCAA.

In contrast, he said, the current ZPM government "surrendered" by endorsing it.

“The MNF will return to power to protect Mizo rights, and we will continue to oppose the FCAA without compromise,” he declared.

Zoramthanga also argued that the amended Act violates Article 371G of the Constitution, which provides special safeguards to Mizoram.

He emphasised that no Parliamentary law affecting land ownership, land use, or resources can apply to the state without the Assembly’s approval.

The ZPM-led Assembly, under Chief Minister Lalduhoma, adopted a resolution to implement the FCAA on August 27, after Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Lalthansanga introduced the motion.

The decision has since provoked strong backlash from opposition parties, student bodies, and civil society groups, all of whom are demanding its immediate withdrawal, citing threats to autonomy, constitutional safeguards, and the land rights of indigenous communities.