Aizawl: Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla today stressed the need for cultural integration of all the Mizos divided by the colonial British divisive rule.
Addressing thousands of ethnic Mizos who gathered at the Muolhoi Public ground in Haflong at Zofest, 2014, North Cachar district of Assam, Lal Thanhawla said that Mizos suffered a lot due to the division of the ethnic Mizos by the British rulers into three countries and different states in India.
“Whenever people asked me the population of the Mizos, I used to tell them that Mizos are there in Myanmar as also in Bangladesh and Mizoram’s neighbouring states,” he said.
Zofest 2014, the cultural festival of the Mizos was organised by the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or the Mizo students association at Haflong and attended by more than a thousand delegates from Mizoram, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Tripura, Manipur and Assam.
The Zofest, scheduled to began yesterday faced hiccups due to objections by the Manipur-based Hmar People’s Convention – Democrats militants.
The HPC (D) militants were peeved by the invitation of Lal Thanhawla to grace the function as chief guest as the militant group and the Mizoram government has been at loggerhead due to the peace talks between the two parties fizzling out in 2013.
The Zofest would be concluded tomorrow, MZP President Lalhmachhuana said.
