Peace is not paying for Mizoram, its Chief Minister Lalduhoma told the Centre on Sunday (March 16, 2025).
After attending a meeting of the Chief Ministers of the northeast with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Guwahati, he said Mizoram was denied security-related expenditures (SRE) unlike the other States as it was the country’s most peaceful.
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“So, being the most peaceful State in the country means you become a loser. So, peace doesn’t pay. Peace doesn’t have dividends,” he said, requesting the Home Ministry to give a peace bonus if it could not extend the SRE to Mizoram to convey to the country that peace pays.
The meeting of the Chief Ministers — Manipur, under the President’s Rule, was represented by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla — focused on the implementation of three new criminal laws in the northeastern States. The laws are Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
Internet connection
Mr. Lalduhoma said the main problem Mizoram was facing regarding the implementation of these new criminal laws was that of the Internet connection.
“The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology must come up with a scheme so that our problem is over. This perennial issue can be solved immediately,” he said.
He also underscored the issue of some 41,000 displaced people from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur sheltered in Mizoram.
“We have to feed them, shelter them, and educate their children. With the little resources that we have, it is quite a burden on the State’s shoulders. So, we need continuous support from the Centre,” the Chief Minister said.
He emphasised Mizoram’s long international boundary with Myanmar and Bangladesh. “We need to have more immigration checkpoints. We have a high rate of vacancy in the police department, resulting in poor performance. At the same time, there is a shortage of vehicles, there is a shortage of funds,” he said.
These could have been addressed if Mizoram received SRE like most States facing security or law-and-order issues, he indicated.
International boundaries
His Sikkim counterpart, Prem Singh Tamang also highlighted the challenges of implementing the new criminal laws because of the State’s international boundaries with China, Bhutan, and Nepal.
“Given Sikkim’s strategic location, we are working on bolstering border surveillance to prevent security threats apart from enhancing the intelligence infrastructure and equipping the police with cutting-edge technology to strengthen national security,” he said.
During the meeting, Mr. Shah released a booklet titled ‘New Criminal Laws: Standard Operating Procedures and Rules’ compiled by Assam’s Criminal Investigation Department.
The Chief Secretaries and the Directors General of Police of the eight northeastern States were present at the meeting along with some key Central officials.
