Zoram People's Movement govt prioritises reforms, Mizoram faces brunt of Manipur violence, refugee influx

Aizawl: A series of administrative reforms, the passage of a record 46 Bills in the assembly within the first year of the ZPM dispensation and strong opposition to the central government's decision to fence the Myanmar border and scrap the free movement regime took centre stage in Mizoram in 2024.

The ripple effect of the ethnic violence in neighbouring Manipur and the boundary dispute with Assam remained a matter of concern for the Christian-majority Mizoram.

The northeastern state continued to bear the brunt of refugee influx from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur due to crises in the neighbouring countries and the state.

Soon after the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) assumed charge in December 2023, Chief Minister Lalduhoma decided to deal with an illegal and decades-long practice of hiring proxies by government employees with an iron fist.

"In June, the government identified over 3,600 employees, who hired proxies on their behalf to work at their places of posting. The government directed them to be present at their places of posting and warned them of action if they violated the order," an official said.

A performance revision exercise, announced by the chief minister, also sparked reactions among government employees.

"The CM had recently announced that in a bid to improve service quality and productivity, the performance of government employees is being reviewed and the administration would take steps to release those who are no longer worth employing and not fit to continue, through voluntary retirement," the official said.

Lalduhoma claimed that his government has brought "significant administrative and moral reforms in just a year" in office by introducing several changes in the system.

He said that the ZPM government "legislated 46 laws within one year to bring reforms in several sectors".

The decision of the Centre to fence the India-Myanmar border received stiff opposition from the Mizoram government and civil society organisations since the beginning of the year.

Mizoram shares a 510-km-long international border with Myanmar.

In February, the state assembly adopted a resolution opposing the plan to fence the India-Myanmar border and scrap the free movement regime (FMR) with the neighbouring country.

Thousands of people held massive rallies in the Mizoram-Myanmar border villages in May, protesting the Centre's decision to fence the international boundary and lift the FMR with the neighbouring country.

The relationship between Mizoram and Manipur deteriorated with Lalduhoma and Rajya Sabha member K Vanlalvena advocating the imposition of the President's rule in the neighbouring state to curb the conflict.

Both of them came in for a lot of flak from the Manipur government for their comments.

Vanlalvena had said that new administrative units should be created separately for the warring Meitei community and Kuki-Zo people to bring a lasting solution to the conflict as the divide between the two communities is very 'deep'.

Several political parties, including the ruling ZPM, came out with strong condemnation when a Mizo woman was allegedly raped and killed by miscreants at Zairawn village in Manipur's Jiribam district on November 7 as well as when 10 Hmar-Mizo people were gunned down by security forces in Jakuradhor area in the same district on November 11.

The security forces claimed that they were militants.

The border dispute with neighbouring Assam continued to be a pressing concern but a series of talks and a slew of decisions in these meetings to resolve the issue were a silver lining.

During the fourth round of talks held in Aizawl on August 9, delegations of both states agreed to promote and maintain peace along the inter-state border in efforts to resolve the long pending boundary dispute.

The delegations had decided that administrative authorities of concerned border districts of both states would organise joint cultural and sports festivals commencing before March 31 next year to improve relations.

Both sides had also reaffirmed their commitment to continue with a zero-tolerance policy towards the transportation of smuggled areca nuts from neighbouring countries.

Mizoram continued to face the influx of refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur due to crises in the neighbouring countries and the state.

The northeastern state now hosts 42,000 refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh and internally displaced people from Manipur.

However, more than 500 Myanmar soldiers, who fled to Mizoram after their camps were overrun and captured by ethnic armed organisations, were repatriated to their country in January.

In electoral politics, the ruling ZPM won the lone Lok Sabha seat in June but lost the Sinlung Hills Council (SHC) polls in November to the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF).

The SHC polls were the first civic body polls after the ZPM won the state assembly elections by securing 27 out of 40 seats in November 2023.

Mizoram experienced a devastating monsoon this year, leading to the destruction of over 3,000 properties, including churches and schools.

At least 34 people were killed in several places within the state capital region due to landslides triggered by heavy rain as a fall out of cyclone Remal in May.