annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Mizoram
Zarkawt (Aizawl). The Mizo woman was
also working there. The Mizo Zirlai Pawl
(MZP) or Mizo Students Federation and
the Mizo Students Union clamped ‘non-
Mizo curfew’ in the state capital and
warned non-tribals from venturing out on
the streets. Altogether 10 boys were
arrested for the attacks. 24 ACHR was
informed that five of the injured were in
critical condition and one was certain to
lose his eye. Among the victim included a
12-year-old boy. 25 At least 300 non-Mizos
fled from Mizoram. 26
VII. The status of minorities
The key minority groups, Lai (Pawi),
Mara (Lakher) and Chakma communities
of Mizoram have been demanding
upgradation of their existing three
autonomous district councils. Chairman of
the Lai, Mara and Chakma UT Demand
Committee, Mr Hmunhre alleged that out
of the total of 1,200 employees in the
Mizoram Secretariat, there were only five
Lai and three Mara employees, while there
was no representation from the Chakma
tribe. Similarly, in Mizoram Civil Service
and Mizoram Police Service, the
combined representation of these tribes
was only 13.61 per cent and 4.83 per cent
respectively. He alleged that ethnic
minorities continued to be effected by the
declaration of Mizo as the Official
Language, thus making it virtually
impossible for candidates from the no-
Mizo speaking minority tribes to seek
appointments in government
departments. 27
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VII. Internally Displaced Persons
About 400 families who had lost their
lands and means of livelihood have been
virtually left high and dry without any
compensation for the Tuirial and Tuivai
hydel projects. 28 According to the
agreements signed by state government,
the state would receive only 12 per cent
free power from each of the projects while
the government would acquire all the
necessary lands and hand it over to the
North-East Electric Power Corporation
(NEEPCO). 29
On 12 August 2003, NEEPCO signed
an agreement with the Mizoram
government and local Turial
Compensation Claimant Association to
pay Rs. 8,04,90,627 as compensation to
the affected villagers. 50 per cent of the
amount was released on 10 September
2003 and the NEEPCO had agreed to pay
the rest before 31 March 2004. But it had
not done so due to the objection from the
Ministry of Power of the government of
India. The angry villagers stopped the
work of the project on 8 June 2004 to
express their anguish against the
unwillingness of the NEEPCO to honour
its agreements. 30
VIII. Conditions of women
Although Mizoram government has
reportedly completed codification of
customary laws, women continued to
suffer from injustices awarded by the
Village Defence Party, the Joint Action
Committee and the Village Council Court
established under various customary laws