Aizawl, July 1: The Mizo Peace Accord has rarely brought peace among the political rivals in Mizoram, particularly the Mizo National Front and the Indian National Congress, who ironically played equally crucial role in the peace process that led to
the signing of the historic accord on June 30, 1986. Both the parties normally observed the anniversary, known as Remna Ni, separately usually with accusations and counter- accusations.
This year, the three most prominent political leaders and rivals, chief minister Lal Thanhawla of Congress, MNF president Zoramthanga and Zoram Nationalist Party
president Lalduhoma shared a common platform on the 32nd anniversary of
the signing of the peace accord, under the aegis of the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), the
state’s apex students’ body.
Similar event took place a few
years back when another influential non-political organisation, the Young Mizo
Association organised a joint
function to observe the red letter day.
Speaking in the function, MZP president L Ramdinliana Renthlei emphasised
that Remna Ni belongs to all the people of Mizo and the day should unite us. “The Day doesn’t belong to any political party; it belongs to the entire people of Mizoram and the day deserves to be celebrated without any political colour, we have made appeals to all political parties of the state to join our melting pot and celebrate the day with fervour it rightly deserves,” he said.
In their effort to add the
spirit of the Peace Accord Day,
the MZP felicitated the three
persons who they said were
instrumental in bringing
peace in Mizoram – chief
minister Lal Thanhawla,
former chief secretary
Lalkhama and the then MNF
president Laldenga.
“Laldenga’s philosophy
inspired the spirit of Mizo
nationalism, Lal Thanhawla
gave up the office of chief
minister for the sake of peace
and Lalkhama’s untiring
efforts in the talks between
the MNF and the Indian union
truly deserves this
feliciatation,” L Ramdinliana
Renthlei said.
L Ramdinliana Renthlei
told the thousand strong
audiences that the union
would continue to celebrate
the day in future and that
untold stories of the
sufferings of the Mizo people
during the years of
disturbances would be told to
the future generations of the
Mizos.
Accepting the felicitation
chief minister Lal Thanhawla
narrated several instances of
the troubled years saying that
he himself was imprisoned
for Mizoram’s sake. “The day
belongs to the people of
Mizoram, we suffered, we
died, and we were denied of
our basic civil rights, I did
what I have to do, hundreds
of Mizo youths went
underground and they
deserved a heroes’ welcome
when they came over ground,
I gave up my seat for the sake
of peace,” Lal Thanhawla
said.
Lal Thanhawla urged the
people to value and sustain
peace in Mizoram.
"The present generation
has to know the value of
peace. Every citizen of
Mizoram has equal
responsibility of sustaining
peace in the state," he said.
The chief minister added
that many people have
contributed in maintaining
peace in Mizoram.
Lal Thanhawla said as
the state government has
made massive efforts to
meet the needs of the people,
Mizoram's economy has
registered rapid growth.
Z o r a m t h a n g a ,
Lalduhoma and leaders of
several NGOs addressed the
gathering.
June 30, thirty-two years
ago, was a day of euphoria
with the return of the much-
needed peace in the land of
the Mizos. On that day, the
four-page Mizoram peace
accord was signed in New
Delhi under former Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The
then Union home secretary
R.D. Pradhan, Mizo National
Front (MNF) chief Laldenga,
who is no more, and the
former chief secretary of the
Mizoram government,
Lalkhama, put their initials on
the document.
On February 28, 1966,
Laldenga, a former clerk in
the district council, and his
followers heralded an
insurgency that for long 20
years kept the Mizos under a
wrap of fear and anxiety.
There were many twists
and ups and downs in the
secretive progressions of the
peace talks between the
Church and intelligence
emissaries on the one hand
and Laldenga on the other. In
1971, a Church elder,
Zairema, pioneered a process to contact Laldenga, then living in exile with his
followers in East Pakistan, with a olive branch and arrange a meeting between
the Centre and the MNF for ushering in peace.
Next, the intelligence agencies, particularly the RAW and the Intelligence Bureau, came to the fore in a mission to make Laldenga aware that his rebellion would end in a futile exercise.
A senior RAW official, S Hasanwalia, met Laldenga in Zurich in 1975, to sell him the
idea of peace talks. From then on, the peace bandwagon began to move on along a distinctly neat course, that culminated in the historic peace accord in 1986.
- Newslink
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