In response to the non-confidence motion on August 10, 2023, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the Congress government to task and reminded them about what they did on March 5, 1966 in Mizoram, not many of us were aware about what had happened. However, a little research opened the eyes and brought to fore the atrocities which the Indian government led by Indira Gandhi at that point of time committed on the Mizos.
This incident which Indian PM Narendra Modi spoke about is something which the media has never spoken about and is now definitely important for all the Indians to know about it. It was on March 5, 1966 that Indira Gandhi, in order to hide the poor handling of the famine situation in Assam (Mizoram was at that point of time part of Assam), used force to kill its own citizens.
History of formation of Mizoram
Before we talk about what happened on March 5, 1966 in Mizoram, it is essential to know the history of the formation of Mizoram. In the past, like most north eastern states, Mizoram was part of Assam and it was only in 1972 that it became a Union Territory.
Why did MNF take up arms in Mizoram?
The Mizo National Front (MNF) , which is presently a registered political party, was never a militant outfit. Moreover, one needs to know how insurgency started in Mizoram and the primary reason for it is the devastating famine which had occurred in Lushai Hills.
It was in 1959 that after a gap of almost 40-50 years that the Bamboo Plants started flowering in Lushai Hills and the rodents which feed on it multiplied fast. The rodents started feeding on foodstocks & standing crops, thereby resulting in acute shortage of food, thereby resulting in famine which is called ‘mautam’ in Mizo.
The central and the state governments, both of which were headed by the Congress party, failed to handle the situation effectively and came out in support of the people who were suffering due to the famine. Large number of Mizos lost their lives due to starvation. The respective governments paid no heed to the plight of the people. As a result, hundreds of people died due to starvation.
Formation of ‘Mautam Front’ to assist people; What forced them to take up arms?
A Social Service Group by name of ‘Mizo Cultural Society’ was formed with Laldenga as its secretary. The objective of this group was to provide relief to the famine hit people. It was in March 1960 that the group renamed itself as the ‘Mautam Front’ and then as ‘Mizo National Famine Front’ in September that year.
It is noteworthy that Mizo National Front was never born as a militant outfit. However, it was the complete apathy of the Congress governments both at the centre and the state levels which added to their mounting frustration and forced them to take up arms and also pressed their demand to have a special territory. The disillusionment resulted in detachment from Bharat.
The unrest among the Mizo people provided the external enemies which primarily included Pakistan and China with an opportunity to destabilise Bharat. Both the countries told MNF that they will extend all kinds of support to them if they want to break away from Bharat.
How brutally Indira Gandhi ordered the killing of hundreds of lives?
Owing to the mounting frustration among the Mizos, MNF declared independence from Bharat in the early hours of March 1, 1966. In wake of this declaration, MNF rebels launched coordinated attacks on Bharat’s Army & Paramilitary installations all over the Lushai Hills ( present-day state of #Mizoram ).
Instead of trying to solve the situation amicably through dialogue, the then PM of India, Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian Air Force to attack Aizawl (today’s Capital of Mizoram ) and surrounding areas. The ruthlessness of the attack can be gauged from the fact that the soldiers of the armed forces were not even air dropped and they were asked to directly bomb on its own people. The Indian Air Force fighters–Hunters and Toofanis–
were dispatched from IAF’s base in Kumbhirgram to bomb Aizawl and 9 other major villages in Lushai Hills from Mar 5.
Timeline of IAF Bombing (March 1966)–
- March 6: Khawzawl
- March 7: Hnahlan
- March 8: Sangau
- March 9: Tlabung
- March 13: Pukpui
- March 23: Bunghmun
Mualthuam and Tuipui bombed on September 6 and Hmuntlang on January 31, 1967.
100s of incendiary bombs reduced houses, schools, churches and even government healthcare centres to ashes. More than twenty five thousand people were displaced and there are no records of the total loss of lives as all the news mediums were under the control of Indira Gandhi. Adding fuel to fire was the then Congress government’s move to make Assamese compulsory as the first language all over the state, including the Lushai Hills.
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