AIZAWL: Pu Lalbiakzama, Congress’
Mizoram Lok Sabha seat candidate, expressed his views on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and said that the response of people of Mizoram amid the election campaign is surprising and they will support Congress party as they are very apprehensive about what happened to the minorities.
Speaking to about the ongoing election campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, Pu Lalbiakzama said, “I admit to the fact that Congress is going down but the response of people in Mizoram is surprising.Whenever I go out and campaign, people come and flock with us… They say that they are going to elect Congress from Mizoram because they have seen what happened in Central India, what happened to the minorities. So people are very apprehensive about the development in India… Only party to counter this is the Indian National Congress party. So I am getting a positive response from the people.”
Lalbiakzama stressed that the current and the most important issue that the people of Mizoram are facing is the apprehension of minorities being sidelined and questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on incidents of violence. “The current issue in Mizoram is the apprehension that minorities are being sidelined. Their religions are being trampled… The violence against Christianity all over India is increasing like anything… In 2014, the incidence of violence was 147, last year, it was 687… But still Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah remained silent… These are the issues that are affecting Mizoram also.”
On being asked about the other problems and issues the state is facing, the Congress candidate admitted the need to stabilise the economy and address unemployment. “Like all other states, we have our own problems… Our economic infrastructure is very weak… The first thing that we need to address is stabilising our economy. Apart from that, youth unemployment is everywhere.
Quoting the line of Rabindranath Tagore, ‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,’ the Congress candidate emphasised on the need for security and peace of mind. “… With all the development, infrastructure, and connectivity, if you are unable to live peacefully in the area, would you like to live there? Will you be happy? Security of mind is very important… as Tagore said, ‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high… Our mind is very apprehensive.”
Taking a jibe on BJP’s manifesto, Pu Lalbiakzama called the Sankalp patra publicity and propaganda and said that it is the grassroot level problems that need to be addressed. “We have seen many manifestos from the BJP. How many have been accomplished… It is only publicity and propaganda. I will admit that they are building infrastructure and buildings. But all these buildings and infrastructure don’t fit the people… The economy deep down is very bad… They are coming up with big airports and highways but the actual need is to address the grassroot level issues…”
Voting in Mizoram to elect one member to the 18th Lok Sabha in the upcoming elections will take place in the first phase on April 19. The results will be declared on June 4.