The President of the Chin National Party (CNP), Pu Zozam is keen on celebrating the Chin National Day every February 20, which was started in 1950 in commemoration of the abolition of the landlord system by over 5,000 participants of the first Chin National Conference in Falam town, Chin state in 1948.
“If I were Chief Minister of the state, I would celebrate the Chin National Day since there is no Chin State Day even if it meant losing my position. It is a question of nationalism and the Chief Minister needs to take responsibility,” he said.
He told Khonumthung News that the Chin National Day on February 20 was been changed to Chin State Day by the Burmese government. Pu Zozam was speaking at a seminar ‘Bridging South and South East Asia’ at the Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, yesterday.
The Chief Minister of Chin state, U Hung Ngai has summarily rejected a proposal to celebrate in an official manner the 64th anniversary of the Chin National Day slated for 20 February, 2012. The proposal came from the Chin National Day Organising Committee in Mindat town, southern Chin state.
He said the Chin National Party has begun work on the tasks related with Chin nationalism. He invited other parties in Chin state to involve themselves in these activities.
“The Kaladan Dam project cannot run on the whims of the government. The government has to accord priority to people’s acceptance and it has to study the benefits local people will derive from it. CNP will conduct a field study on the project, and then it will be proposed for discussion in the Chin state parliament session assembly,” he said after he attended the seminar.
In the seminar, 15 delegates from Chin National Party, National Democratic Force, Shan National Democracy Party, Union Solidarity of Development Party, National United Party, Democratic Party (Burma), Pao National Organisation and Inn National Development Party participated.