The Mizoram government has summoned a meeting with leaders of Sinlung Hills Council (SHC) to deliberate on the feasibility of introducing Hmar language as a medium of instruction up to primary school level in Hmar dominated SHC area, an official said on Monday.
The decision follows a court order promulgated on September 4, 2017, which directed the Mizoram government to implement the peace accord signed between the state government and the erstwhile Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) on July 27, 1994.
The official said that the meeting to be chaired by education minister Lalchhandama Ralte will be held on September 7 and will be attended by top officials of the school education department.
Two leaders from SHC, Lalvenhima Hmar, who is currently taking charge as Chief Executive Member (CEM) and Executive Member (In charge of education) Ricky Lalremsanga are likely to attend the meeting to be held at education minister’s office chamber at 1 pm, sources in SHC said.
Clause 5.1 of the 1994 peace accord states that “With a view to satisfying the desires and aspiration of Hmar community in Mizoram, the state government will initiate measures for use of Hmar language as a medium of instruction up to Primary level and recognition of the Hmar language as one of the major languages of the state of Mizoram.
Following a failure on the part of the Mizoram government to implement the peace accord, a Hmar body- Sinlung Hills Accord Implementation Demand Committee (SHAIDC) based in SHC headquarter Sakawrdai had filed a writ petition at Guwahati High Court, Aizawl bench on 25 May, 2016 asking the government to implement the HPC peace accord.
On September 4, 2017, the high court had issued a judgment order directing the state government to implement clause 5.1 and 5.3 of the peace accord within one month of the issuance of the order.
However, the government had delayed the implementation and sought extension stating that clause 5.3 has been more or less fully implemented while it was studying the feasibility of the implementation of clause 5.1.
Clause 5.3 of the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) said that a new civil sub-division will be opened at Sakawrdai and sub-divisional offices of different departments will also be established at convenient locations in the area. The Primary Health Centre at Sakawrdai will also be upgraded to a 30 bedded Community Health Centre.
The 1994 accord was signed with erstwhile Hmar underground- HPC, which gave birth to a development council known as Sinlung Hills Development Council (SHDC) that came into existence from 1997 to 2018.
However, Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic), an offshoot of the HPC signed a new accord on April 2, 2018, which superseded or scrapped the 1994 accord.