266/2022-2023 
Aizawl, the 28th November 2022: Shri John Barla, Union Minister of State Ministry of Minority Affairs Govt. of India had interaction with the representatives of the Mizoram Church Leaders Committee at the Raj Bhavan today.

In their audience with the Union Minister of State, the church leaders introduced themselves and shared their concerns on important topics. The first point raised was the plight of the local arecanut farmers. They explained how smuggling of dry arecanut from Myanmar on large scale through the state of Mizoram is banned in Assam which caused the imposition of a ban on exporting locally grown arecanut  of Mizoram as well. They requested his intervention in resolving this situation.

The church leaders also raised their concerns on the issues of FCRA and the Anti-Conversion law.

Shri John Barla, Union Minister of State Ministry of Minority Affairs thanked the Church leaders for sharing their concerns on the matter relating to the welfare of the farmers. He also appreciated his guests for sharing their candid opinions on the issues the Christian minority is facing. He shared his full confidence in the central government for solving the issues faced by the minority. He suggested these issues needed to be discussed over a table by the representatives of the minority and the leadership at the centre. The Union Minister, while acknowledging the important role played by the religious leaders in society urged the church leaders to take up a pro-active role in awareness campaigns on various social security and welfare schemes under the Government of India. He stressed the need for fulfulling the aspirations of poorer section of the society through these welfare schemes.