Thaindian News

Aizawl, July 17 (IANS) The Mizoram government would help in rehabilitation of surrendered terrorists rather than giving them financial support, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said here Friday.
“Not giving cash would show others that being an insurgent does not pay any dividends,” he said while speaking at the ‘homecoming’ ceremony of 64 Sinlung People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) cadre who have laid down their arms.

“The army would provide vocational training to the former militants so that they can join the mainstream and work honestly overground.”

Criticising the former government of the Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front (MNF), Lal Thanhawla said: “The previous government had instigated the SPLA members to go underground to disrupt the state assembly polls in December last year.”

In the assembly elections, the Congress had secured 32 seats in the 40-member house, defeating the MNF, which bagged only three seats.

This mountainous state of Mizoram, bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar, has enjoyed peace even as many parts of the northeast have been witnessing insurgency for long.

“While 624 terrorism-related incidents took place in six of the seven northeastern states this year, there is not a single militancy-linked incident reported in Mizoram,” a senior Mizoram police official said.

The central government had earlier provided Rs.1.80 billion to Mizoram in ‘peace bonus’ as an appreciation for maintaining peace in the state.

The state had witnessed a violent armed struggle for more than two decades until a peace accord was signed between former militant outfit MNF and the central government in 1986. Since then, Mizoram has been transformed into an ‘oasis of peace’.