Mizo Union

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Mizo Union (6 April 1946 – 12 January 1974) was the first

british rule in india in 1947, the party was the only political force in the Lushai Hills (former name of Mizoram). It won the first Mizoram District Council general election under the new Indian Union
in 1951, and consecutively in 1957, 1962 and 1966.

However, the

insurgency in 1966 downgraded its status, so that the party was compelled to dissolve in 1974 and merged with the Indian National Congress.[1][2]

History

Mizo Union was the upshot of administrative preparation when the

philanthropist
Pachhunga, who were mostly well-to-do entrepreneurs and the tribal chiefs. Thus Aizawl was divided into a southern Mizo Union dominion with its headquarters at Thakthing and northern Mizo Union Council territory having its office at Pachhunga's residence at Dawrpui.

UMFO

In early 1947 Khawtinkhuma was offered a regular government job, and was succeeded by

Burma instead of India or independence. UMFO eventually absorbed the supporters of the Mizo Union Council, thereby becoming the only political rival. At the election to Advisory Council of Mizoram, the first democratic election under independent India, Mizo Union received a massive win (23 against 1 for UMFO). This resulted not only in the loss of Burma inclination, but the eventual demise of UMFO. When the Mizoram District Council was created by the Government of India, the first general election in April 1952 was cleanly captured by Mizo Union (17 out of 18 electorates), and President Lalsawia became the first Chief Executive Member.[4][5]

Detriment and diminish

If one person is to be singled out for the rise and fall of Mizo Union, it would invariably be an astute Ch. Saprawnga. From the start he was the instigator of the first coup in 1946. When the party won the first governmental election in 1952, at the time Mizoram was a district of Assam, Saprawnga as the leader of Assam Legislative Assembly members from Mizoram, was offered as an honour the position on Parliamentary Secretary under the ruling Assam Congress Party. The ever strategic Saprawnga declined and unexpectedly returned to the Mizoram District and cast a motion of no confidence against CEM Lalsawia, who he eventually replaced. The ingenious Saprawnga then designated Lalsawia as an Executive Member to the dismay of the party, especially the then President R. Thanhlira. After feud and friction in the party, Thanhlira conceded to resigning the presidency. This led to factional divide of the party into two, Saprawnga's and Lalsawia's sides. The split in the party paid a serious blow when they almost lost to UMFO (11 against 8) in the 1957 election. To the blessing of Saprawnga, UMFO and Lalsawia with his clique decided to join a Meghalaya-based Eastern India Tribal Union (EITU) party in October 1957, so that Saprawnga was left with the sole political party of the land.[2][5]

Dissolution

The principal goal of the Mizo Union, which was to

ethnic identity and social backlashes. This shortcoming was compounded by the 1959 famine, as the ruling party was held incapable of solving the socio-economic crisis, and was accused of indifference towards the suffering of the people. This prompted the organisation of Mizo National Front which attempted to alleviate the situation as one agenda, and a renewed struggle for independence as the other. These policies, as before, were closer to the sentiments of the people, and actually the sealed the fate of the Mizo Union. A scheduled 1966 election could not be held due to the insurgency, and internal politics as a whole was crushed. Mizo Union was gradually disintegrating. The party assembly on 12 January 1974 therefore resolved to dissolve the party entirely and merged with Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee. Although a few devotees of the party recreated the Mizo Union Party on 17 March 1974, they failed to make political landmarks.[1]

Ideology

Mizo Union arose from the irate commoners of

protest march, even to the extent of taking up arms, and the rally was called off for fear of bloodshed.[5]

The political aspiration shifted its direction when the intellectual group overtook the party administration. Although the fundamental objective remained independence, there was an influential view that the party should go for autonomy of some sort under the Indian Union. Leaders of the party were on good terms with the Indian National Congress. The first General Assembly in 1946 had resolved that upon Indian Independence, the Lushai Hills must be integrated to Assam.[3] It was then in January 1947 that President Khawtinkhuma and Secretary Vanṭhuama wrote to the President of the Constituent Assembly of India that representative of the Mizo Union should be included in the Advisory Committee for the Tribal Areas of Assam.[7] They submitted a memorandum to the Bordoloi Committee that they agreed the incorporation of the then Lushai Hills to the Indian Union, however, on the condition "that the Lushai’s will be allowed to opt out of the Indian Union when willing to do so subject to a minimum period of ten years."[8][9] Then, at the turn of 1960, the attitude redirected towards permanent statehood under India. The party convention on 10 June 1963 made a resolution to demand for a Mizo state, that should include all Mizo-inhabited areas of Lushai Hills, Tripura, Assam and Manipur.[10]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-8170997924
    .
  2. ^
    JSTOR 4408734
    .
  3. ^ a b Bimola K (21 November 2012). "Changing Pattern of State Politics – V". The People's Chronicle. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  4. ^ lushai_er (31 October 2012). "Mizoram a Political Party hrang hrang te !" [Political Parties in Mizoram]. mi(sual).com (in Mizo). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  5. ^
    ISBN 8173870594
    .
  6. ^ Lalhmanmawia C (21 June 2011). "Mizo Insurgency Vis-as-vis Human Rights". preservearticles.com. PreserveArticles.com. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  7. ISBN 8173870594
    .
  8. ^ ZORO. "Reunification movement after the British rule in India". zogam.org. Zomi-Reunification Organisation. Archived from the original on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  9. ISBN 9788183242103
    .
  10. ISBN 8125016953
    .

External links
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