''I want that the Centre's ongoing programme is not disrupted or stalled,'' Mr Sangliana told reporters here this morning, hours before he flew back to Delhi after a weeklong visit to the state.
State Home Minister R Lalzirliana on Saturday announced the fourth phase of Bru repatriation, scheduled to begin from Tuesday, was called off to put pressure on the Union Home Ministry to rehabilitate the 80 displaced Mizo families in Tripura, as per a memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram by civil societies and political parties of the state.
Asked for his comment on the Brus demand for at least two MLA constituencies, Mr Sangliana said, ''If the Constitution allows, let them have even five MLAs.'' He also justified the Brus demand to be resettled in large numbers, saying, ''If they are grouped into large numbers, it would be good for their development. There are no threats in Brus being settled in large groups.'' During the last week, the NCM vice-chairman toured areas inhabited by minorities and discussed their situation of representatives of the minority communities like Chakma, Bru, Lai, Mara and Hmar. This was his second visit to Mizoram as the vice-chairman of the NCM.
He observed that there is no serious oppression against minorities in Mizoram while not ruling out lack of adequate attention to them.
''I have seen no serious minority oppression in Mizoram. However, I feel that adequate attention has not been given to them in terms of development,'' Mr Sangliana pointed out. He said the state government and the people of Mizoram should ensure that the minorities get their rightful opportunities in education and other development programmes. Mr Sangliana found that the minorities, particularly the Chakmas and the Brus, who inhabited southern, and western parts of Mizoram respective are very backward in education and economic sectors.
Saying that state minority commission is yet to be set up in Mizoram, the NCM vice-chairman urged the state government to set up the commission at the earliest possible time to ensure faster development of the minorities. ''The minority commission may have a Christian as chairman and representatives of minorities as members,'' he suggested.
He was happy that the state government had formed a committee to identify cremation ground in Aizawl for Hindu and other communities.
On the alleged Chakma infiltration, he found the allegations not genuine. He said, ''We have received a lot of complaints about Chakma infiltration. But there were no supportive evidences,'' and suggested that the NGOs keep vigil and garner evidences to support their allegations.
Mr Sangliana also endorsed the long-standing demand for OBC status by Gorkha community in Mizoram, which has been strongly opposed by social organisations in Mizoram.
''The Gorkhas have been living peacefully with the majority Mizos for more than 100 years. Due to their deprivation of OBC status, the Gorkhas remain backward educationally and economically. Educated Gorkha youths longed to become engineers and doctors but could not fulfill their dreams because they dont have reservation as minorities,'' he said.
Saying that the Gorkhas are one the most peace-loving and law-abiding communities and that there is no threat of infiltration from outside, the NCM saw no reason for the Mizos to fear demographic invasion due to granting OBC status to the Gorkhas.
In reply to the journalists, Mr Sangliana said he was aware of the accusations of some minorities like Chakma and Brus against majority Mizos to the National Human Rights Commission.
''When I met the Bru representatives a few days back, I told them to withdraw their accusations against the Mizos and to try to maintain communal harmony with the majority Mizos,'' Mr Sangliana said.
Touching upon the issue of the displacement of Chakma families by the ongoing Indo-Bangladesh border fencing, Sangliana exhorted that the government looks into the plight of the displaced Chakma families.
