Aizawl: Congress ignores diktat, names Chakma nominees in W Tuipui & Tuichawng

AIZAWL: Ignoring the NGO Coordination Committee's diktat, the ruling Congress has named Chakma candidates in West Tuipui and Tuichawng assembly seats - both dominated by the Chakmas.
According to the list released by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Mukul Wasnik in Delhi on Wednesday night, former minister and sitting Congress legislator Nihar Kanti Chakma would contest from West Tuipui in Lunglei district while former chief executive member of Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) Amit Kumar Chakma would contest from Tuichawng constituency within the CADC area in Lawngtlai district.
Nihar Kani would lock horns with Mizo National Front (MNF) nominee Robert Hmingthansanga (38), an advocate. The MNF is yet to name its nominee for the Tuichang seat.
Political parties were reluctant to name nominees in Tuichawng and West Tuipui due to the diktat of the NGO Coordination Committee, an umbrella organisation of major civil societies. The committee had urged all political parties in Mizoram not to nominate any candidate belonging to Chakma tribe as the civil society regarded majority of the Chakmas residing in areas adjoining Bangladesh as foreigners. It also maintained that the CADC was created unconstitutionally without consulting the people of Mizoram in 1972 and had become a safe haven for illegal immigrants from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh since then.
With the announcement of candidates in the Chakma-dominated area by the ruling party, MNF and BJP are likely to follow suit soon.
The AICC also announced the names of candidates in the two Mara-dominated seats of Palak and Siaha. While speaker Hiphei would contest from Palak, his home turf, former minister S Hiato would contest polls from Siaha. The MNF has fielded M Chakhu against Hiphei in Palak and sitting legislator K Beichhua against Hiato in Siaha.
On the other hand, chairman of NGO Coordination Committee and president of the central committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), Vanlalruata, said they would soon convene a meeting on the fielding of Chakma candidates by the ruling Congress and to deliberate on the future course of action. "We cannot force them to field a candidate belonging to the Mizo community or prevent them from fielding candidates belonging to Chakma tribe. We can only appeal to political parties," added Vanlalruata. He, however, said the decision of Congress is detrimental to the interests of Mizos.
He expressed fear that the decision of the ruling party would encourage other political parties to field Chakma candidates.