Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain today cancelled his programme to hail 19th century Mizo warrior Khuangchera as an Indian freedom fighter after meeting student leaders opposed to the move.
A joint press statement issued by Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo Students Federation and Mizo Students Union (MSU) said the leaders of the student bodies deliberated the issue with Gohain at the Lengpui airport and the minister agreed to cancel his programme.
Gohain was quoted as saying that he understood the sentiments of the Mizo people and did not want to hurt their sentiments by attending the programme at Khuangchera's native village Ailawng near here.
The programme was organised by the BJP Mizoram unit this afternoon.
The minister, however, said he would pay a private visit to the village tomorrow which was accepted by the student bodies.
The Mizo student bodies, the Young Mizo Association (YMA) and other political parties had condemned the Centre's reported move to portray Khuangchera, who was killed by the British army in 1890, as an Indian freedom fighter.
The student bodies also sent a letter by fax to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue yesterday.
The ruling Congress in the state has kept a silence on the issue.
Meanwhile, BJP Mizoram unit president John V Hluna denied that Khuangchera was being depicted by the Centre as an Indian freedom fighter as alleged by the student organisations.
Hluna told PTI the BJP state unit regarded and portrayed Khuangchera as Mizo freedom fighter and had never once said the warrior was an Indian freedom fighter.
"There has been a misunderstanding that Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain is coming to Aizawl to give an award posthumously to Khuangchera.
"It is not so. Gohain was only planning to attend a function where the great Mizo warrior would be glorified and declared as the Mizo freedom fighter," he added.
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