Mizoram’s Opposition Unites in Protest Against FCAA Extension

The Mizo National Front (MNF), Mizoram’s principal opposition party, has initiated a protest against the recent extension of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act (FCAA), 2023. A 10-hour statewide shutdown, exempting Mamit district, is set for Wednesday as a demonstration of dissent.

Lallenmawia Jongte, MNF's media secretary, confirmed the protest's logistics, noting that all districts apart from Mamit will observe the strike due to an approaching bypoll. The shutdown will impact government and private institutions, commercial activities, and vehicular movement, though emergency services are not included.

The demonstration bolsters MNF's demand for the Zoram People's Movement government to revoke the adoption of FCAA. The law raises concerns over potential land control shifts from indigenous populations to the central government, a situation exacerbated by clauses allowing project exemptions in strategic areas near international borders.