- Ezrela Dalidia Fanai, NET Correspondent, Mizoram
The Vice President of India – M Venkaiah Naidu praised the northeastern state of Mizoram for its exemplary role in conducting peaceful electoral processes, gracious behaviour of legislators in the state Legislative Assembly, and continuing inclusive development efforts over the last five decades.
Speaking on the landmark – Memorandum of Settlement between the Government of India, Mizoram Government, and the Mizo National Front (MNF) in 1986 which ended more than two decades of unrest and strife, Naidu stated “Mizoram has demonstrated the power of dialogue and peaceful settlement of disputes so essential in a democracy. The signing of the historic this Peace Accord has served as an example upon which similar peace agreements have become a reality in other parts of the North Eastern region”.
The Vice President also praised Mizoram’s efficient response to the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as the extraordinary improvement of the northeastern state in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, which has risen from 21st to 12th position.
Meanwhile, this event was followed by meeting several groups and associations of the Civil Societies in Mizoram as well as Pro-Vice Chancellor of Miozram University in the evening at Raj Bhavan.
According to DIPR report, civil Societies elaborated to the Vice President about humanitarian assistance provided to more than 30,000 Myanmar refugees who were taking refuge in Mizoram, and forwarding financial and material support towards host villages and towns in Mizoram, thereby expediting the peaceful resolution of Mizoram-Assam Border Issues, leniency on FRCA for NGOs and religious establishments, and the relocation of the Assam Rifles from the heart of Aizawl City to the outskirt, deletion of the Bru voters from Mizoram as per the agreement of the Bru’s permanent settlement in Tripura, the inclusion of the Mizo Language in 8th Schedule of the Constitution and other important issues.
MZU officials have formally requested that the MZU Southern Campus in Lunglei be built sooner rather than later. They also proposed building a multi-specialty hospital similar to AIIMS in Mizoram, as well as a College of Physical Education and Star Colleges in Champhai and Mamit.
Meanwhile, Rebeca Biswakarma, a medical student in Ukraine who recently returned to Mizoram safely, also met the Hon’ble Vice President. During an interactive session, Rebeca and her parents expressed their thanks to the Indian government for its unwavering support in ensuring her safe return to India following the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
