Aizawl: Mizoram chief minister’s political adviser Lalmuanpuia Punte on Friday called on ethnic Mizos in Manipur and Myanmar to unite under the common “Mizo” identity.Addressing the first Mizo Integration Cultural Festival 2026 at Saikot Ground in Churachandpur, Punte said Mizos in Mizoram, Kukis in Manipur and Chins in Myanmar shared the same culture and ancestry.“The Mizos in Mizoram, the Kukis in Manipur and the Chins in the Myanmar are kindred brothers sharing the same culture and ancestry. Whenever internecine feuds arise, it has always been among those who refused to call themselves as Mizos and who are sticking to their own petty nomenclature,” he said.Punte, who attended the festival as guest of honour, said clan and sub-clan identities should not stand in the way of a broader Mizo identity.He said being a member of the Hmar clan or sub-clan did not prevent him from identifying as a Mizo, while Paites in Mizoram also regarded themselves as Mizos.“The main problem is separation on the lines of clans and sub-clans while there is no obstacle when one identifies himself or herself as a Mizo. I think that things will be different if the Kukis confront the Nagas in Manipur as Mizos,” he said.The former student leader said problems in Manipur and Myanmar would persist as long as divisions among ethnic Mizos continued.“Just accepting the Mizo nomenclature will bring unity and make us great,” he added.Mizoram art and culture minister C Lalsawivunga, who attended the festival as chief guest, also called for the integration of ethnic Mizos in India and abroad.The festival was organised by the Mizo Integration Council.
