Correspondent
MIZORAM, June 29 2024: Mizoram's Chief Minister Lalduhoma recently disclosed that he resigned from his role as an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to facilitate peace talks between the Indian government and the then-underground Mizo National Front (MNF).
Lalduhoma stepped down from his position in 1984, encouraged by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and ex-MNF leader Laldenga. Following his resignation, he traveled to London to meet Laldenga. They spent five days discussing the MNF's demands and strategies for achieving peace.
"I left the Indian Police Service at the request of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Laldenga to help bring peace to Mizoram. After my resignation, I went to London to meet Laldenga, and we discussed various MNF demands from the Indian government," Lalduhoma stated.
The Mizoram peace accord was signed on June 30, 1986, between the Indian government and the MNF, ending twenty years of conflict. The MNF, established by Laldenga, was initially a response to the Indian government's neglect during a famine in the Mizo areas of Assam in the late 1950s. The group initially engaged in peaceful protests but later took up arms, leading to its ban in 1967.
In May 1971, representatives from the Mizo district council met with Prime Minister Gandhi, requesting the creation of a separate state for the Mizo people. This resulted in the Mizo Hills becoming a Union Territory in January 1972. Mizoram eventually attained statehood on February 20, 1987, becoming India's 23rd state.
After the peace agreement, the MNF transitioned into a political party, governing Mizoram for several terms and currently serving as the state's main opposition party.