A fortnight after the Young Mizo Association issued a warning to non-Mizo businessmen in Aizawl to close their shops, social organisations in Assam’s Silchar have demanded that the matter be resolved peacefully, reported The Times of India on Monday.

In a meeting on Saturday, several organisations such as the Barak Democratic Front and Amora Bangali, decided to form a coordination committee to address the issue and send a memorandum to Chief Minister Zoramthanga on June 1.

They also demanded that the Young Mizo Association be declared a terrorist organisation and be banned, according to local media reports.

On May 24, the Forum for Protection of Non-Mizos in a press conference had claimed that 91 business owners in Aizawl – mostly Bengali and Hindi speaking – were asked to close their establishments by the Young Mizo Association, reported the Hindustan Times.

The Young Mizo Association had issued the direction in a notice written in the Mizo language on May 15.

“Following the notice, all the 91 shops have been closed and the other shopkeepers are afraid that they might face the same in future,” the Forum for Protection of Non-Mizos chief Sankar Dey told the newspaper.

On its part, the Central Young Mizo Association – the apex body of the Young Mizo Association – claimed that the notices were issued as non-Mizos are not allowed to set up business in the northeastern state, reported the Hindustan Times.

“We have warned many Mizos who are selling out businesses in their names to non-tribals,” Assistant Secretary of Central Young Mizo Association, Malsawmliana said. “The law does not allow a non-Mizo to set up a business within Mizoram.”

He also said that keys to 91 shops were seized but were returned to their owners after they assured that they will cancel their business agreements with non-tribals.

PC Laldinthara, the president of the Mizoram Merchants Association, told the newspaper that many businesses are being run by non-tribals using Mizo names as proprietorships.

“Under the law, a non-tribal and a non-resident of Mizoram is entitled to run a business within the state only with an ILP [Inner Line Permit] permit that has a validity of 2 years,” he said.

Under the Inner Line Permit areas, any non-tribal, except non-tribal government employees in the states, must first acquire a temporary Inner Line Permit, which is a legal document, for seven days. Mizoram falls under the Inner Line Permit area. The document is issued by the concerned state government that allows an Indian citizen to enter the protected area for a limited time.