Mizoram people may be forced to fight for greater autonomy

AIZAWL, July 3 ? The people of Mizoram might have to fight for ?greater autonomy? in a non-violent manner if the BJP-led NDA government at Centre continues to dole out meagre financial grant to the State, opposition Congress leader and former Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla has said, reports PTI. ?We will be forced to wage a struggle for greater political and financial autonomy which will be fought without violent means,? Lal Thanhawla told party workers at a meeting in Sesang Tuesday. He also called upon people of the State to politically foil the BJP gameplan to pursue the Hindutva agenda which was detrimental to the secular policy of the Central government. The veteran leader, who had been the Chief Minister of the State from 1989 to 1993 and from 1993 to 1998, said Mizoram people would have to fight for greater financial autonomy as the BJP-led NDA government had given ?meagre Central assistance? to the State. Lal Thanhawla, who stressed on peaceful means to resolve any dispute, recalled how the 20-year old insurgency problem could be resolved following discussions between the erstwhile underground Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Centre which led to the signing of the Mizo Accord on June 30, 1986. Mizoram got statehood on February 20, 1987. MNF is the ruling party in the State with Zoramthanga being the Chief Minister since 1998. Tuesday?s function was organised on the occasion of fifth anniversary of building a ?Martyr?s Memorial Stone? by the youth wing of State PCC at Central Training Institute, Sesawng, 40 km from here.