Sunday, October 16 2005 15:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Aizawl: Anti-drug and liquor campaign spearheaded by powerful Young Mizo Association (YMA) has reportedly claimed at least five lives since December last and the public outcry after the death of the last victim has intensified, pushing the YMA into a corner.

The protests from Human Rights activists, which had fallen on deaf ears earlier, have become more vocal on the issue as family members of the victims, including those publicly tortured and live to tell the tale, began mobilizing themselves against the excesses.

The resignation of David ML Thangliana from the membership of the literature sub-committee of the Central Committee of the YMA in protest against the repeated human rights violation in the state gave boost to rights' activists.

Thangliana, editor of a local English daily, submitted his resignation on October 13 to Lianzuala, President of the Central Committee of the YMA.

"YMA activists continue to take law into their own hands and five people had been lynched, a plethora of people tortured by the mob, a number of houses destroyed and many people were evicted," he said.

He alleged the state law and order machinery literally remained a 'mute spectator' and even the church kept complete silence despite numerous acts against the Constitution and gross violations of human rights.

Thangliana's revolt came in the wake of the brutal lyching of Zothantluanga, a 32-year-old bachelor, who was accused of stealing Rs 3,500 and a gold necklace from a girl's Hostel at Mission Vengthlang here on October nine.

Zothantluanga was arrested by the YMA activists of the locality and beaten to death on the night of October nine, police said, adding ten YMA activists, including a son of a pastor, were arrested in this connection.

Doctors in the Aizawl Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on October 10, told sources that his body was full of bruises and abrasions when he was brought to the hospital.

YMA's anti-drug campaign activists, who call themselves Supply Reduction Service (SRS), were the main culprits in the violation of human rights and dignity, a top police official, who, for obvious reasons, wanted to remain anonymous, said.

"The Central YMA leadership, when inaugurating the 'Anti-Drug Year, 2005' repeatedly said that drug traffickers were violating the law and the YMA activists also have to go beyond the law to tackle the menace," the official said.

Lianzuala, President of the Central YMA and other top leaders, often publicly said that after codification of the Mizo Customary Law, the society can take any kind of action against anti-social elements without handing them over to the law enforcement authorities.

It was also at the instance of the powerful church that total prohibition was imposed by the then government led by Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla in February 20,1997.

Besides the YMA activists, an underground group which called itself Mizo Tlangval or MTV was also indulging in such kind of activities leading to the death of one person and a number of abductions.

State Director General of Police Lalngheta Sailo once said that MTV members are YMA members, which caused quite a stir in the state.

A local vernacular news magazine claimed five persons have been killed during the anti-drug and liquor campaign. The victims were Rajen Singh, a Manipuri lynched at Tlangnuam locality here, Lalbiakthanga, who was abducted and later killed near Tlawngriver by suspected MTV activists, Lalhmingsanga, a young boy from Kawlkulh village at Luangpawn hamlet after been arrested by the villagers for possessing local liquor, Lalmuana of Samthang village killed at south Mizoram's Lunglei town and Zothantluanga.

YMA activists also sponsored road blockades on the highways and indiscriminately checked and harassed passengers of all vehicles plying on the road.