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The Mizo National Front (MNF) has enforced a statewide total bandh across Mizoram today from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in protest against the Zoram People''s Movement (ZPM)-led government''s decision to adopt the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 (FCAA 2023).MNF President ZoramThanga
According to the MNF, the bandh is aimed at pressuring the government to revoke the resolution passed in the Mizoram Legislative Assembly on August 27, 2025, which approved the implementation of FCAA 2023 in the state. In a press release issued late evening on Tuesday, MNF Secretary for Media and Publicity, Lallenmawia Jongte, stated that the protest reflects the "will of the people of Mizoram, who have consistently opposed the FCAA 2023." The MNF argued that the Act undermines the special constitutional protections guaranteed to Mizoram under Article 371(G), which prevents any Act of Parliament concerning ownership or transfer of land from applying to the state unless approved by its Legislative Assembly. The party also raised concerns over Section 1A of the amendment, which allows the Central Government to authorise "strategic and developmental projects" within 100 kilometres of international borders, saying it could threaten local control over forest lands. The bandh has resulted in a near-complete shutdown across the state, with government offices, educational institutions, shops, and banks remaining closed. Public transport and inter-district movement have also come to a halt, while residents largely stayed indoors However, the MNF clarified that emergency and essential services, including hospitals, medical care, and those with special permissions, were exempted from the bandh. As of this morning, no untoward incidents have been reported, and the bandh has remained peaceful across major towns such as Aizawl, Lunglei, and Champhai. Reports also indicate that vehicles were not allowed to pass through the Vairengte Check Gate along the Mizoram border. The MNF further stated that Mamit District, where the Dampa Assembly bye-election is scheduled, is not included in the bandh area. MNF leaders also recalled that the previous MNF-led government had officially opposed the FCAA 2023 through a resolution in August 2023, noting that Chief Minister Lalduhoma, then in the opposition, had also spoken strongly against the Act. (ANI)
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