AIZAWL:
To protest against the transfer of Champhai deputy commissioner, Maria C T Zuali, who had gained huge public support for her crusade against cross-border smuggling of areca nuts, civil society groups of Champhai have chalked out a series of agitations, including boycott of the upcoming Republic Day celebrations.
On January 14, the day after the DC transfer order was issued, NGOs of the Indo-Myanmar border district, including Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo students’ association), called a joint meeting following which they sent a memorandum to the State government to revoke the transfer order latest by January 18.
After the government failed to revoke the order within the deadline, the NGOs’ Coordination Committee decided to launch district-wide protests starting from January 21.
The protest will begin with closures of shops and all business establishments on January 21, which will be followed by a peaceful procession on January 24. On January 25, all government offices will be asked to close and January 26 will see a total bandh, including boycott of Republic Day.
The Mizoram government, on January 13, transferred Mizoram Civil Service (MCS) officer Maria C T Zuali, whose bold action against illicit trade of areca nuts from Myanmar has received accolades from the public.
The transfer order came a day after a purported letter of transporters in Champhai district requesting her transfer went viral on social media. Truck owners/drivers in the district wanted her transferred; they held her responsible for “stoppage of border trade activities” on which their livelihood depended.
Acting on MHA’s order, Maria CT Zuali, had issued an order banning smuggling or import of illegal trade items from Southeast Asian countries through Champhai district.
A few days before Christmas, the district magistrate and her team had intercepted four trucks loaded with smuggled areca nuts near Kelkang village in Champhai district near the Myanmar border and allegedly burned 150 bags of dried areca nuts.
Following the incident, an Aizawl based areca nut transporter Lalhruaitluangi had registered a complaint with state police against Maria CT Zuali.
In her FIR, Lalhruaitluangi had alleged that the Champhai district magistrate along with other officials intercepted their trucks carrying areca nuts near Kelkang village on December 18.
The Champhai DC’s crackdown on rampant smuggling of areca nuts has gained huge support from the public with several organisations, including the State’s largest civil society Young Mizo Association, issuing statements in her support.
In this situation, her transfer and posting as additional secretary in food, civil supplies and consumer affairs and planning and programme implementation departments was viewed as an attempt to make way for smugglers.