Lal Thanhawla bows out of elections – end of an era in Mizoram politics

For the first time in 45 years, Mizoram is heading for elections to its 40-seat Assembly without the state's tallest political figure and veteran Congressman Lal Thanhawla in the candidates' list.

When the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee released the final list of its official candidates on Tuesday (October 17), the 85-year-old leader's name was conspicuously absent, for the first time since 1978. Thanhawla contested elections last in 2018, losing both his seats – Champhai South and his traditional Serchhip.

During the 2013 elections, Thanhawla had said that would be his last, considering he would be 80 years old in the next elections. A Congress worker pleading anonymity recalled that when Thanhawla said he did not want to contest in 2018, party leaders would not allow him to go. In compliance with their request, he contested from two seats, resulting in an unprecedented dual defeat – a rare occurrence in his four-decade political career.

The downfall

In Serchhip, touted as a stronghold, Thanhawla was defeated by Zoram People's Movement's (ZPM) chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma by a margin of 410 votes. In Champhai South, he faced defeat from newcomer TJ Lalnuntluanga by 1,049 votes.

The Congress, having held power for two consecutive terms, suffered a resounding defeat in 2018, not only losing governance but also dwindling to a mere five seats. Three years after the poll debacle, Thanhawla finally resigned in 2021 from his longstanding position as the chief of Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee – a role he had held unequivocally since 1973.

The state's tallest Congress leader ironically began his political career as "foreign secretary" in the undergound Mizo National Front (MNF) government led by the legendary Laldenga. He was made the "foreign secretary" of the then outlawed MNF in 1966, which led to his arrest by the Indian government. In 1967, he was charged with sedition and sent to Nagaon Jail in Assam, where he remained until his release in 1969.

Joining Congress

Following his release, he aligned himself with the Mizoram unit of the Indian National Congress in 1969 when Mizoram was a district under Assam's jurisdiction. In 1973, a year after the Mizo district attained the status of Union Territory, he was elected president of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee. Save for a brief interlude when Hrangaia (L), Lalduhoma and Sainghaka (L) held this role, Lal Thanhawla emerged as the unequivocal leader of the Mizoram unit of the Congress.

Under his astute leadership, the Congress achieved a resounding victory in the 1984 elections, propelling him to the position of chief minister. During this period, Mizoram was seeing insurgency and, after nearly two decades of turmoil, yearning for peace.

Thanhawla made a historic commitment to usher peace in Mizoram even to the extent of surrendering his chief minister's seat to MNF leader Laldenga, who was in exile in London then. In fact, it was Laldenga's words that played a pivotal role in securing the Congress' landslide victory in the 1984 elections. "In the run-up to the 1984 elections, Lalduhoma, then a Congress leader, travelled to London to record Laldenga's voice, urging the people of Mizoram to vote for the Congress for the sake of peace in Mizoram. The recorded voice of Laldenga echoed from tape recorders across Mizoram. This element can be credited to the sweeping success of the Congress in the subsequent elections," noted Mizo historian Prof JV Hluna.

Mizo accord

In 1986, the Indian government, led by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, achieved a momentous milestone by signing the Mizo Accord with the MNF led by Laldenga. As a direct outcome of this historic peace accord, Mizoram attained the status of a full-fledged state in 1987. Fulfilling his commitment, Lal Thanhawla voluntarily stepped down from his position as chief minister in 1986, paving the way for rebel leader Laldenga to assume the post in the interim government.

In this arrangement, Thanhawla took on the role of deputy chief minister. "Lal Thanhawla played a pivotal role, if not the most significant, in heralding a new era of peace and development in Mizoram, which had endured two decades of insurgency. Surrendering the chief minister's post in the pursuit of peace is a remarkable and unprecedented act in the context of India" said David M Thangliana, a former journalist and biographer of Lal Thanhawla.

However, Laldenga's leadership of the MNF-led government proved short-lived, crumbling in just 19 months due to defections within the party. This upheaval resulted in the imposition of President's Rule in the state.

Return to power

In 1989, the Congress, led by Lal Thanhawla, made a triumphant return to power in Mizoram. The election victory was achieved through an alliance between the Congress and MNF (Democrats). Notably, Lal Thanhawla won from both Lokicherra and Serchhip.

In 1993, Lal Thanhawla secured his position in Serchhip, which had been his bastion since 1984. It marked his third term as chief minister. However, he faced a significant setback in 1998 when he was defeated by a newcomer, retired engineer K Thangzuala, in Serchhip.

Subsequently, the MNF, in alliance with the Mizoram People's Conference (MPC), returned to power for the first time following the passing of its founder president Laldenga. Though Lal Thanhawla regained his Serchhip seat in 2003, he remained in the role of opposition leader as the MNF government was reinstalled for a second consecutive term.

After a decade, Thanhawla led the Congress back to power in 2008, securing an impressive 32 out of the total 40 seats. In the next elections, his party's seat count increased to 34. This marked Lal Thanhawla's fifth term as chief minister, making him the longest-serving chief minister in the state's history. Despite Lal Thanhawla's earlier statement that the 2013 elections would be his last, he chose to contest again in 2018, when he met his Waterloo.

The man

His biographer Thangliana, who is now affiliated with the Zoram People's Movement, believed that Thanhawla could have gracefully exited politics had he not contested in 2018. At that time, his government was facing strong anti-incumbency. Thangliana commented: "Lal Thanhawla once declined a governor's post. It was a big mistake."

Born on May 14, 1938, in Durtlang, Lal Thanhawla began his career as a recorder in the office of the Inspector of Schools in the Mizo District Council before joining the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank as a dealing assistant in 1963-64. During this time, he completed his graduation from Aizawl College. He worked as a journalist for various periodicals and was involved in sports activities before he entered politics.

He was founder-president of Mizoram Journalists Association, Mizoram Football Association and Mizoram Hockey Association in the early 1970s. In 2019, Serampore College conferred him an honourary Doctoral Degree in recognition of his contributions towards the churches and the society.