My thoughts

  ¢¹ Need to promote mature Mizo-Non Mizo Relationships (1 May 2001)

  ¢¹ Commendable Initiative for Social Harmony (3 May2001)

Need to promote mature Mizo-Non Mizo Relationships   1 May2001

  The results of State-level public examinations for Class X (High School Leaving Certificate Examination ) were declared on 30 April 2001. Among the 11411 candidates who wrote the Class X examination, a Non Mizo stood first.

The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) a political organization for Mizo students expressed its unhappiness that a Non Mizo student should have topped the list in a state of Mizos (Mizoram).

It even suspected that the results were rigged as some Non Mizo persons were involved in the process of examination answer-script evaluation and publication of results.

Such incidents indicate that communal prejudices do exist in pluralistic societies. When such prejudices are exploited politically they cause much harm to community peace and development.

In Mizoram where the majority of the citizens are Mizos and it being claimed that all Mizos are Christians (Mizoram is the state with the highest percentage of Christian population in India) the challenge becomes all the more urgent to cultivate responsible mature Mizo-Non Mizo relationships in society. 

  Commendable Initiative for Social Harmony  3 May2001

Assam Rifles (The oldest central government army outfit in Mizoram) and Central Young Mizo Association (the leading social organization in Mizoram) are jointly organizing a "Civic Action Programme on Peace" in Aizawl on May 4, 2001. This event includes a 'Peace Run', cultural programme, a free medical camp, friendly sporting competitions, and career guidance to Mizo youth on joining the national defense forces. The purpose of this civic action programme is to promote better understanding and warmer ties between the Mizos and the army which comprises a majority of Non Mizos from different parts of India. Such peace initiatives are indeed laudable in pluralistic India.