AIZAWL, July 21 - After a protest against inclusion of four Chakma students in the category 1 of Mizoram quota for MBBS/BDS turned violent on Thursday, Mizoram Government succumbed to the Mizo students� demand to cancel counselling programme for the selected students.
MZP leaders said a meeting with State Higher & Technical Education Minister and top officials that ended late evening yesterday agreed that allotment of MBBS/BDS seats be given to the first eleven students, all Mizos.
�It was agreed upon that the first eleven allotment of seats be given to Mizo students, and counselling for the selected students which has already been conducted would remain cancelled,� the MZP leaders said.
The executive meeting of MZP was being held at the MZP office to discuss the agreement and whether or not to call off the proposed indefinite bandh from Friday. In view of the proposed bandh, the State Government had issued an order yesterday informing all government servants to attend office on Friday.
After the counselling programme for the selected students was postponed on Wednesday, the four Chakma students were brought to the counselling hall at H&TE office under police escort. On hearing this, hundreds of students went to the H&TE office at Chaltlang and tried to storm the office. Police had to resort to lathi-charge and teargas. A few students and policemen were injured in the ensuing clash.
Four Chakma students were among the 38 students selected to study MBBS/BDS under Mizoram quota through National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET).
The bone of contention was the inclusion of Chakmas under category I of Mizoram technical entrance examinations rules, which the MZP said was a blunder committed by officials in the past. The MZP had protested this in 2015 as a result of which the State H&TE department amended the rules to include �Zo-ethnic people who are native inhabitants� in category 1 in the State�s selection criteria for college admissions.
However, the Gauhati High Court stayed the new rules after the Mizoram Chakma Students� Union challenged the new rules. Then, Mizoram Government had to go by the rules that placed �indigenous people of Mizoram� under category-1.
The MZP had been arguing that the Chakmas, who migrated from Bangladesh, are not �indigenous people of Mizoram,� and cannot be put under category 1 of the State quota.
