Aizawl, Oct 19 In a bizarre development in poll-bound Mizoram, powerful student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on Thursday announced to organise protest rallies on Friday against the state Congress’ decision to field a Mizo woman who got married to a non-Mizo person.
The MZP, also known as Mizo Student’ Association, had appealed to all political parties not to nominate any Mizo woman who got married to a non-Mizo person, maintaining that it would ensure that such a candidate is not elected in the November 7 Assembly polls.
MZP President H. Lalthianghlima on Thursday said that they would organise protest rallies on Friday against Congress candidate Meriam L. Hrangchal, who was nominated to contest from the Lunglei South assembly seat.
“We are committed to preserving Mizo culture and identity besides the customary law,” he said.
Hrangchal is married to a Gorkha and had been under attack from the influential student organisation.
The Congress would field two women candidates, the other one being former minister of state Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu.
Hrangchal is the daughter of former Deputy Chief Minister Lalhmingthanga, a prominent politician, who died recently. Her husband, though a Gorkha, has a Mizo name – Dipen Zoliana, and is also a Christian and a church elder of the Baptist Church of Mizoram.
Congress leaders said that Hrangchal’s husband and his relatives have been descendants of the Gorkhas and have been residing in Mizoram before 1950 and are bona fide residents of Mizoram.
Unless the Election Commission rejects her nomination during scrutiny on the ground that Hrangchal married a non-tribal and and a non-Mizo she cannot contest the polls, she would be contesting from Lunglei South assembly seat, the Congress leaders maintained.
