Mizoram Home Minister K. Sapdanga on Thursday highlighted the urgent need for a concrete policy to manage the ongoing influx of Zo ethnic tribes and non-Zo refugees fleeing Bangladesh’s hill tracts into the state.
Speaking at a seminar organized on the Chittagong Accord and the marginalisation of tribals, the Home Minister explained that indigenous communities are being displaced by the increasing settlement of mainland Muslims in their native areas.
He said this demographic shift has forced groups like the Zo tribes, Chakmas, and Brus to seek safety across the border in Mizoram.
While local churches, NGOs, and political parties have actively provided humanitarian aid, the Home Minister stressed that the state government must now seriously evaluate how to manage and accommodate these diverse groups without compromising state security.
The seminar, attended by student bodies, politicians, and journalists, also featured an address by the Chief Minister’s Adviser (Political), Lalmuanpuia Punte, who underscored the importance of understanding the geopolitical root causes of the refugee crisis.
The keynote address was delivered by Mizoram University’s Dr. Lalrinnunga Hmar.
