“We Can’t Fight Myanmar, India, And Bangladesh Simultaneously, We Cannot Afford To Have 3 Enemies Bigger Than Us”, Says Mizoram CM Lalduhoma At Baptist Church Event In USA
On 4 September 2024, Mizoram’s Chief Minister PU Lalduhoma delivered a “seemingly” powerful speech in Indianapolis, USA, advocating for the unity of the Chin-Kuki-Zo people—ethnic communities spread across India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. His remarks called for these tribes to unite under a shared cultural and religious identity, transcending the national borders currently dividing them.
Lalduhoma’s message, urging “one leadership to achieve our destiny of nationhood,” emphasized their vision of a single homeland for the Chin-Kuki-Zo people. This notion has raised concerns about a possible separatist movement with far-reaching implications for regional stability.
Lalduhoma’s address centered on the idea that these communities were “unjustly divided” across three countries and must come together to reclaim their “destiny of nationhood.”
https://twitter.com/VladAdiReturns/status/1853007644694339793
But recently, another video surfaced where he seems to be calling India as an enemy. Here are transcripts of the Q&A session conducted after his speech.
When asked about what steps illegal refugees from Burma need to take to officially live as migrants in India – he replied, “Good question. India is not a signatory to the refugee protocol. Officially there cannot be a refugee in India. So, we call them displaced people. That’s why we cannot give the status as well as the advantages of being a refugee, but at the same time they are being given the same status, and same treatment in kind and all ways everything is given today.”
He was then asked how medical doctors among the refugees practice legally in Mizoram, he replied, “Even the children are going to school and colleges and there is no differentiation between them. That should be applied to doctors also, there is no harm in giving them practice, even though I think some of our organizations here, they are in coordination with Victoria are opening and running clinics in Aizawl is rendering medical help and assistance. So, if they have a qualification, I don’t think there is any harm.”
When asked what plans the government has to initiate communication with the concerned authorities of Bangladesh government to address the ongoing unrest situation to stop all violence, he replied, “This Bong people are brothers and sisters. They keep on coming to India, seeking shelter, and the BSF people who are on duty in the border in India, they push them back. Last time when I met the PM and HM, I told him that I cannot push them back. the PM insisted that I push them back, I said, sir from the bottom of my heart there is one thing I cannot do, please don’t pressurize me. He asked me to meet the HM, I met the HM, and we agreed that once they reached the soil of our country, they should not be pushed back. That arrangement has been made when the refugees coming from Bangladesh, particularly the Bong community, they don’t face problems any longer.”
In the next question, he was asked about Chin Kuki Mizo coming together under India, and how peace can be brought along with Chin brotherhood in Manipur especially when there is a political change in Bangladesh, in such a case how a united brotherhood can be achieved. He replied, “It’s just like a two-way traffic. As far as we are concerned, we shall never ever accept the division of our people into 3 countries. This will never be acceptable. The boundaries are imposed boundaries by the British government. In that committee, we are never represented, we are never consulted. Therefore, it is an imposed boundary and will never accept it. We will never accept construction of a border fencing between us.”
He further added, “It all depends on whether we are prepared, whether we are willing to be under a single administrative unit within India, that you will decide. This is one part. So far as ZORO was concerned (ZORO – Zo Reunification Organisation), ZORO’s main policy was to reunify within India. We cannot fight Myanmar, we cannot fight India, we cannot fight Bangladesh simultaneously at the same time. We cannot afford to have 3 enemies which are bigger than us. So that is one thing we have to do on our part.”
https://twitter.com/AbhijitChavda/status/1854501553035677748
He added, “The second thing is what is the opinion of India. For that, I am nobody to make, to say a statement on behalf of the government of India. There are things, if I accept you, you accept me, if I don’t accept you, you don’t accept me. That is diplomacy. So, it all depends on us. That is why I am here, to talk about unity within India means something. I won’t talk much beyond that. Keep guessing what the next is.”
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
