Aizawl: The Mizo National Front (MNF) on Monday observed the 58th anniversary of Mizo National Day to commemorate the armed uprising and independence movement spearheaded by the erstwhile underground group between 1966 and 1986, which led to the creation of a full-fledged Mizoram state.
The MNF observed a minute of silence to honor the Mizo freedom fighters who took up arms for self-determination.
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The event took place at the party office ‘Mizo Hnam Run’ in Aizawl.
MNF president and former chief minister Zoramthanga recalled the events that led to the movement. He said the Mizos took up arms because they had no other choice.
“We took up arms because we had no other choice. The Indian Constitution’s Preamble excluded the Mizos when it was adopted on 26 November 1949, and we were classified as an ‘Excluded Area.’ We demanded the right to decide our future, but they ignored our voices,” he said.
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Zoramthanga recounted a crucial meeting held in Gauhati on 30 October 1965, where MNF founder Laldenga met Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Assam Chief Minister B.P. Chaliha.
He said, “At that moment, when we sought a peaceful resolution, the Indian leadership turned their backs on us. With no other option left, we took up arms to defend our land and people against India’s military might and oppression.”
On February 28, 1966, Mizo National Volunteers launched an offensive against Indian security forces, storming key government installations.
They targeted security camps and the Aizawl treasury.
Laldenga, a former Indian Army havildar clerk, led the movement to secede from India and establish an independent Mizo state.
The rebellion surprised the Indian government, leading to an unprecedented aerial bombardment of Aizawl by the Indian Air Force. This event remains deeply etched in the Mizo collective memory.
This period, known as Rambuai (the time of turmoil), plunged Mizoram into two decades of conflict before the signing of the Mizo Peace Accord on June 30, 1986, restored peace.
The MNF transitioned from an insurgent outfit to a mainstream political party, eventually leading Mizoram to statehood in 1987.
The Mautam famine of the late 1950s, caused by mass amboo flowering, triggered crop destruction, rat explosions, and starvation.
Despite repeated warnings, the Assam government failed to act, dismissing the Mizo hills crisis as superstition under its jurisdiction.
Laldenga initially formed the Mizo National Famine Front (MNFF) to provide relief. As resentment grew, it evolved into the MNF, shifting from humanitarian aid to armed resistance.
Zoramthanga stated that the MNF secured Mizoram’s special protections under Article 371G of the Indian Constitution.
“If our present status is ever threatened, India must be reminded that the autonomy we secured was not granted freely but earned through immense sacrifices,” he said.
Mizo National Day remains a defining moment in history, marking the people’s ongoing struggle for recognition and survival.