News Analysis India

Tag: Mizo language

  • Centre will appoint new chief secretary with working knowledge of Mizo language: CM Zoramthanga

    By PTI

    AIZAWL: Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Monday said that the Centre would appoint a new chief secretary for the state, who has a working knowledge of the Mizo language. Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, Zoramthanga said he had recently discussed the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

    “During our meeting in Delhi, the Prime Minister assured me that the Centre would appoint a chief secretary, who knows the working standard of Mizo language,” he said, adding that Mizoram is likely to have a Mizo IAS officer as chief secretary.

    Citing that there is no personal problem of hatred with the current chief secretary Renu Sharma, the chief minister said that the main problem is a language barrier. He said that most cabinet ministers speak in Mizo during a cabinet meeting and the chief secretary has to sit silently, which inconvenienced her to carry out administration efficiently.

    On October 28, the Centre had appointed Renu Sharma, an AGMUT cadre IAS officer of the 1988 batch, as the chief secretary of Mizoram.

    The same day (October 28), the Mizoram government had also issued a notification directing JC Ramthanga, additional chief secretary of the chief minister, to take charge of chief secretary until further order.

    Officials said that the chief minister had proposed Ramthanga as chief secretary to the Centre much before Sharma was appointed.

    On October 29, Zoramthanga had written to Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to modify the Centre’s order of appointing Renu Sharma as the chief secretary of the state and instead appoint a person, who knows the working standard of Mizo language, as the chief secretary of the state.

    In the letter, the chief minister said that none of the cabinet ministers understands Hindi and some even have problems understanding English. “The Mizo people by and large, do not understand Hindi, and none of my Cabinet Ministers understands Hindi, some of them even have problems with the English language. With such a background, a chief secretary without the knowledge of a working standard Mizo language will never be an effective and efficient chief secretary,” Zoramthanga had said in the letter.

    During his meeting with the Prime Minister on November 30, Zoramthanga had urged him to take measures for a separate Mizoram cadre of IAS and other All Indian service officers. He had also urged to provide housing assistance to ex-cadres of Mizo National Front (MNF), who came overground after the signing of the Mizo peace accord in 1986.

  • ‘Mizos don’t understand Hindi, appoint a new chief secretary’: Mizoram CM Zoramthanga to Amit Shah

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has urged the Centre to appoint someone with working knowledge in the Mizo language as the state’s chief secretary since the Mizos at large and his Cabinet Ministers do not know Hindi.

    The incumbent chief secretary is Renu Sharma who assumed charge on November 1. She succeeded Lalnunmawia Chuaungo.

    In an October 29 letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Zoramthanga said even as he was seeking additional chief secretary JC Ramthanga to be the next chief secretary, the Ministry of Home Affairs appointed Renu Sharma in the post.

    “The Mizo people by and large generally do not understand Hindi. None of my Cabinet Ministers understands Hindi. Some of them even have a problem with English. With such a background, a chief secretary without the knowledge of a working standard Mizo language will never be an effective and efficient chief secretary,” Zoramthanga wrote.

    He said this was the reason why the Centre had never appointed a person, who does not know Mizo, as the state’s chief secretary. “Whether it is the UPA government or the NDA government at the Centre, this has been a practice since the creation of Mizoram state,” Zoramthanga wrote.

    But the fact remains that Chuaungo had succeeded Arvind Ray, a non-Mizo IAS officer of the 1984 batch. It could not be ascertained if Ray has any flair in the Mizo language.

    It is a well-known fact that in other states of India, a chief secretary, who does not know even the basic working language of the respective state, is never posted at all, Zoramthanga wrote.

    In seeking a Mizo in the post, he sought favours for his loyalty to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

    “I have been an NDA partner from the beginning up to this time. While many of the states are changing themselves from one alliance group to another, I am the only one in the whole of Northeast who has been a faithful partner of NDA. I, therefore, believe that I deserve a special favour and consideration for this faithful friendship with NDA,” the Mizoram CM wrote.

    He said if his request was not accepted, opposition Congress would make a mockery of him for faithfully serving in the NDA. “I, therefore, earnestly request you to modify the order and kindly accept my proposal,” he further wrote.