Mizoram decides to collect biometrics, biographic data of Myanmar refugees
Following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the Mizoram government will begin collecting biometric and biographic data of approximately 35,000 Myanmar refugees in all 11 districts, mirroring a similar exercise in Manipur. The initiative, funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs, aims to identify and document these "illegal migrants.
AP The former Mizo National Front government in Mizoram was reluctant to collect the biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar refugees. Guwahati: The Mizoram government has decided to collect biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar refugees taking shelter in the northeastern state after a military coup in the neighboring country in February 2021. Earlier, Manipur had carried out this exercise. A Mizoram Home Department official, who did not want to be named, told ET, 'Towards the end of July, the work of collecting biometric and demographic data of around 35,000 Myanmar refugees would start. The biometric exercise would be conducted using the Foreigner Identification Portal and would be carried out in all 11 districts of the state." He added, 'Around Rs 38 lakh was earmarked for the exercise, and the expenditure would be borne by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Training of the government staff to conduct the exercise has almost been completed in all the districts." The MHA had earlier asked both the Manipur and Mizoram governments to capture biographic and biometric details of "illegal migrants" in the two states and complete the process at the earliest. Both northeastern states had earlier agreed to undertake the collection of biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar nationals. The former Mizo National Front government in Mizoram was reluctant to collect the biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar refugees.
The incumbent Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government, led by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, had earlier agreed to conduct the exercise. After a military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, refugees, including women and children from the neighboring country, started coming to Mizoram and Manipur seeking shelter in the two Indian states, and now their numbers in Mizoram have increased to around 35,000. According to Home Department officials, the maximum number of Myanmar refugees are currently taking shelter in Champhai district. Myanmar's Chin state shares mountainous borders with six Mizoram districts—Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip. Recently, a fresh batch of refugees has started coming since July 2.Gun battles have erupted between the Chin National Defence Force and the Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram over control of Chin state in Myanmar. A senior official, who does not want to be named, said that around 3,000 to 4,000 refugees had come since the fighting started on July 2.'They are being provided with food, water, and shelter.'
Refugees are coming to Zokhawthar and Saikhumphai Village, bordering Myanmar in Champhai district.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
24 minutes ago
- First Post
Is a Putin-Trump-Zelenskyy trilateral in the works?
As Trump signals willingness to meet Putin and Zelenskyy and Moscow shows interest, is a high-stakes trilateral to end the Ukraine war taking shape or is it just diplomatic theatre? read more U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017. Image- Reuters A potential diplomatic breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine may be on the horizon as US President Donald Trump hinted at a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week with trilateral talks involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also under consideration. The White House on Wednesday confirmed that Moscow had expressed interest in a face-to-face with Trump, and preparations for a summit were already underway. Speaking to reporters, Trump said there was 'a very good chance' of meeting Putin soon, adding, 'We had some very good talks with President Putin today… there's a very good chance that we could be ending – the ending, the road ending, the end of that road.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The comments followed a meeting in Moscow between Putin and Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, which both sides described as productive. While Trump stopped short of calling the talks a breakthrough, he said they had achieved 'great progress'. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov echoed the sentiment, calling the exchange 'useful and constructive', while noting that further discussions would depend on Witkoff's report to Trump. According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump is open to separate meetings with both Putin and Zelenskyy. The possibility of trilateral talks involving the three leaders is being explored and several locations including the United Arab Emirates are under discussion with the first meeting potentially taking place within two weeks. The diplomatic move comes as Trump tightens economic pressure on Russia. A Friday deadline looms for new secondary sanctions aimed at countries that continue trade with Moscow including possible tariffs on Chinese imports. Earlier this week, Trump announced a 25% tariff hike on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil, raising total duties to 50%. He warned that similar measures could be imposed on China next. 'We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China,' Trump said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, the Kremlin has signalled openness to a meeting with Zelenskyy. 'I have nothing against meeting Zelenskyy,' Putin said, while cautioning that 'certain conditions must be created,' and that such conditions do not yet exist. Nonetheless, the Russian president acknowledged mutual interest in meeting Trump, and indicated that a summit hosted by the UAE would be suitable. Zelenskyy, for his part, said the pressure campaign against Russia appeared to be yielding results. In his nightly address, he said Moscow seemed more 'inclined' to a ceasefire, though he remained wary of the Kremlin's intentions. 'The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details — neither us nor the US,' he said. Zelenskyy had earlier extended an invitation to Putin for peace talks in Istanbul in May, an offer that was not accepted by the Russian side. If realised, a Trump–Putin–Zelenskyy summit would mark the most significant diplomatic engagement on Ukraine since the war began in 2022. It would also be the first meeting between a sitting or former US\ president and both leaders of the warring nations potentially shaping the trajectory of the conflict in the critical months ahead. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hans India
24 minutes ago
- Hans India
BJP leader urges Andhra CM to consider ''Four Water Concept'' as alternative to PBLP
Hyderabad: BJP leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy on Thursday urged Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu to consider the Four Water Concept (FWC) of late engineer T Hanumanth Rao as an alternative to the Polavaram (Godavari)-Banakacharla Link Project (PBLP). In a letter to Naidu, Shashidhar Reddy, Former Vice Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said FWC is a viable, low-cost alternative to the Banakacharla project, which can be implemented in about two years. The FWC is capable of providing water for three crops annually and can cater to 30 lakh acres at a total cost of just Rs 4,500 crores (at Rs 15,000 per acre at current rates). This would be a fraction of even the minimum basic estimated cost of Rs 81,900 crore for the Banakacharla project proposed by the Andhra Pradesh government, he said. Shashidhar Reddy recalled that Naidu, as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, had launched the 'Neeru-Meeru' (massive watershed managment) programme in 2000 in the wake of a devastating drought. The project yielded "excellent results". "I see you as a visionary and a class apart. I am confident that you will seriously consider shelving the Polavaram-Banakacharla project and opt for implementing FWC at a fraction of its cost with triple benefit of providing water for three crops in a year," he said in the letter to Naidu. In the Four Waters concept, the focus is on using rainwater, surface water, groundwater, and maintenance of soil moisture at a high level to improve water availability and agricultural productivity. The concept promotes the use of simple, low-cost earthen structures like percolation tanks, farm ponds, and trenches instead of large cement structures. The Polavaram (Godavari)-Banakacharla Link Project proposed by the Andhra Pradesh government faced opposition from Telangana. The Telangana government complained to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry that the project hurts the state's interests.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
24 minutes ago
- First Post
India considers support package, incentives for exporters hit by Trump's tariffs
India is considering floating a support package among other incentives for exporters affected by US President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs. Several Indian sectors like marine, textile, and edibles are set to be immediately affected by tariffs. read more India is considering floating a support package for exporters affected by US President Donald Trump's tariffs, Firstpost has learnt. Trump has slapped India with 50 per cent tariffs. He announced 25 per cent tariff on July 31 as part of the rollout of tariffs on more than 60 countries. He topped that with additional 25 per cent tariff on India on Wednesday over the purchase of Russian oil. Analysts have said that Trump's tariffs could drag the Indian GDP growth well below the 6 per cent-mark this year. While many labour-intensive sectors are set to be affected, the most vulnerable sectors include marine products, edibles, and textiles, among others. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In such a scenario, the Government of India is considering floating a support package for exporters to make up for the losses that they may incur from loss of exports because of tariffs, Firstpost has learnt. The support package is part of a broader set of proposals under consideration that includes incentives like new subsidies, easing access to credit, and easing the regulatory and compliance scenario to minimise expenses and allow for diversified exports. India can use savings from the purchase of discounted Russian oil to support exporters affected by American tariffs, which will give leverage to India regarding both Russia and United States, according to Prof. Ram Singh, a scholar of international trade and business at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT). Singh tells Firstpost, 'India can ask Russia for more discount on oil and use substantial savings from the purchase of cheaper Russian oil to push a support package for exporters that are most vulnerable to American tariffs, such as those exporting marine products like shrimps and prawns. Along with the diversification of exports, this could give India leverage in negotiations and exporters a breathing room.' India braces to avoid the worst hit of Trump's tariffs In the immediate future, sectors that are most vulnerable to American tariffs are marine (shrimps, prawns, etc), edibles (seasonal fruits, pickles, etc), and textiles, because they are perishable and have low shelf-life in case of shrimps and prawns and are labour-intensive with low profit margines in case of textiles, says Singh. Moreover, these are also sectors that are politically sensitive as agriculture, fisheries, dairy, and textiles are labour-intensive sectors. As a large section of the country depends directly and indirectly on these sectors, any disruption could have widespread sociopolitical consequences. In fact, one point of contention between India and the United States has been Trump's push for the inclusion of agriculture, dairy, and genetically modified (GM) crops in the trade deal. On its part, India has sought to exclude politically sensitive sectors of dairy and agriculture from the bilateral trade agreement under negotiations — just like these sectors have been excluded in trade deals with other countries like the United Kingdom. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, GM crops —with the single exception for cotton— are illegal in India so India has sought to keep them outside of any trade deal. Singh tells Firstpost, 'In addition to the government's financial package, exporters have been advised lately to frontload their consignments to the United States before the staring date for tariffs. The American sales are highest in November and December because of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year holidays. Exporters have been advised to frontload their consignments meant for these holidays.'
