Meet Mizoram CM Zoramthanga, a Guerrilla fighter in the political jungle

At 79, Zoramthanga is working to rebuild his image as the people's CM

On June 21, a minister in his council posted pictures on social media of Mizoram Chief Minister (CM) Zoramthanga “patiently waiting” his turn, alongside others, for a health check-up at an Aizawl hospital, with the caption “No VIP culture”.

Ten months ago, in August 2022, Zoramthanga had publicly apologised for his daughter assaulting a dermatologist at a skin clinic in the state capital. Media reports indicated that Milari Chhangte, the CM’s only daughter, was upset because the clinic had asked her to schedule an appointment before her consultation.

Her act was caught on camera and went viral on social media, triggering black band protests from doctors and fuelling hopes for the Congress, whose 10-year government Zoramthanga unseated in 2018, making the Northeast ‘Congress mukt’ and raising the possibility of the party clawing its way back in the Assembly elections, which were then 15 months away.

Since then, with an eye on the upcoming polls, which are now just 90 days away and set to be a three-cornered contest, the Mizoram CM has worked to rebuild his image as the people’s CM.

At 79, Zoramthanga is the country’s oldest CM, but his recent hospital visit was a public relations exercise, as evidenced by the social media posts of his lieutenants.

“He is scheduled to undergo an MRI, although his health is not a cause for concern,” Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte posted on X on June 21.

The hospital’s radiology department even praised the CM’s “humility” in disregarding VIP protocol.

The Congress had hoped for a less one-sided election in 2023 compared to 2018. Despite securing a healthy 29.98 per cent vote share, the party won only four seats compared to the Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front’s (MNF’s) 27 seats and the newly formed Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), whose candidates ran as Independents since it wasn’t recognised by the Election Commission (EC). The ZPM secured eight seats and over 20 per cent of the vote share.

The Congress had also hoped to gain from the fact that the MNF is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it continues to be a constituent of the 38-member National Democratic Alliance (NDA) amid the Centre’s push for a uniform civil code (UCC) and its handling of the Manipur ethnic strife.

The Congress demanded that the MNF walk out of NDA on the issue of UCC, which was unlikely to respect the customs and traditions of the Mizo tribe and minorities.

Mizoram, a Christian-majority state, sees churches playing a crucial role in shaping public opinion, such as advocating for prohibition, which the MNF government reinforced in 2019 shortly after taking office.

The Congress also formed a Mizoram Secular Alliance, comprising smaller parties like the Mizoram People’s Conference and the Zoram Nationalist Party, a breakaway faction of the ZPM.

However, the ongoing violence in Manipur since the first week of May has, Congress strategists admit, helped Zoramthanga and the MNF regain public support. The Kuki-Zo of the Manipur hills and the Mizos are kindred tribes.

Despite being aligned with the BJP, the MNF has strongly criticised the Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur, even demanding his ouster.

MNF’s Lok Sabha (LS) Member of Parliament (MP) C Lalrosanga supported the Opposition’s no-confidence motion in the LS, citing the issue of Manipur. Simultaneously, Rajya Sabha MP K Vanlalvena complained that he was prevented from speaking by the Chair when he wanted to challenge Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech on the no-confidence motion, as Shah had incorrectly referred to the tribal people in Manipur as “Myanmarese”.

The MNF has protested against the “burning of 300 churches in Manipur” and has opposed the UCC. Earlier this month, the Mizoram Assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023, which was approved by Parliament during its monsoon session.

Amid calls for the MNF to leave NDA, Zoramthanga stated that there are two main political groups in the country: the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. The MNF aligned with the former because it opposes the Congress. In February, the Mizoram Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution against UCC.

The Mizoram government has repaired roads to provide essential supplies to its “kindred brothers and sisters in Manipur” and operates a Churachandpur and Aizawl helicopter service for medical emergencies. Over 2,500 students from Manipur, whose families were displaced due to ethnic strife, are studying in Mizoram. Zoramthanga routinely meets with delegations of Manipur legislators, representatives of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, and others who express their gratitude for his solidarity with the Kuki-Zos.

The MNF’s decision to stay on in the NDA is also influenced by the emergence of ZPM, a coalition of smaller parties formed in 2017 and recognised by the EC in 2019. The ZPM won all 11 seats in the Lunglei civic polls, the only civic body in the state other than Aizawl, during the March 29 elections, securing a vote share of 49.31 per cent compared to the MNF’s 29.4 per cent. The ZPM announced all 40 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in July, with its CM candidate being Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer and the first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law in 1988. Lalduhoma defeated the then Congress CM Lal Thanhawla from Serchhip in 2018. The ZPM has remained tight-lipped about the state BJP’s claims that it will soon join the NDA.