A 65-year-old man from Mizoram on Wednesday embarked on a 450-km ‘Peace Walk’ from Aizawl to Imphal in Manipur to promote peace and harmony in violence-hit Manipur.
Lalbiakthanga, a resident of Lawipu on the south-western outskirt of Aizawl, was flagged off by Mizoram Journalists’ Association (MJA) president C Lalrambuatsaiha.
Lalbiakthanga, who had earlier undertaken walkathon missions to spread awareness on the importance of peace and humane values, said he was deeply shocked by the ethnic violence that rocked the neighbouring state in the past few days.
“I feel extremely saddened by the recent violence and continued tension in Manipur. So, I decided to embark on a walk to spread the message of peace and communal harmony,” the former government employee said.
Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the 10 hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Lalbiakthanga will have to cover around 450 kilometres in over two weeks to reach Imphal via Churachandpur, the worst affected districts in the recent riots.
He said that he will sleep by the roadside whenever he is unable to reach human settlements for night stops during his journey.
“I will first have a night halt at Tuikhurhlu village in Aizawl district about 20 km from here. Then, I will proceed to Saitual district in Mizoram and then Manipur. I will have to take night breaks on the roadside sometimes,” he said.
He said that he will first arrive at Churachandpur town and then proceed to Imphal.
Last year, he had covered 1,212 kms in 40 days visiting at least 118 villages across all the 11 districts of Mizoram on a walkathon mission to spread awareness of 75 years of India’s independence.
In 1997, he had set out on a mission and travelled to at least 50 rural villages and spread awareness on environmental and wildlife protection among students.
He has also walked more than 200 km from Aizawl to Zokhawthar village on the Indo-Myanmar border to extend solidarity to the people of Myanmar and spread the message of peace to people in the coup-hit neighbouring country in March 2021.
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