By.
N.Lhungdim
Thangting House
Molnom-West
Pu. Lalduhawma, one of the most popular Mizo politician is my most favourite among the many Mizo politicians.
He was born on 22nd February, 1949 in a small village called Tualpui in Champhai District of Mizoram. His father’s name was Pu. Vaisanga and Pu.Lalduhawma wife name is Pi Sailoi and they had 3 children. Presently they are living in Chawllhmun veng Aizawl. He is also a Church Elder UPA there.
The reason why I consider him to be my most favourite one is that though he had studied in his village primary school upto class-iii he had to shift to a bigger village Khawzawl where he was studying class-iv. It is stated that where he was reading in class-iv in Khawzawl village. He had to carry rice from his village for his sustenance there.
During this time there was a well-to-do person in the village who was having a transistor Radio and those who wanted to listen the Mizo programme in the evening had to contribute a cup of rice each to the well to do man to allow them to listen to the radio programme. When I learnt about this I am reminded of the incident way back in 1950 when I was in my old village called Tolphei where Pa
Hemjang also known as Pajang was having Playing Card and he had allowed us to play one round of the card for that purpose we had to carry water from the water front.
During this time MNF movement had started and the Indian Army had come to Tualpui village and wanted to enter the church to use as their camp to which Pu.Lalduhawma’s father Pu. Vaisanga who was also the Church Elder Upa vehemently opposed and stood his ground by standing at the door of the church saying that the army could enter the church only over his dead body. This incidentally had made the army major who was ill reputed to be known as Major Suala to give respect to Pu.Vaisanga and ultimately they did not enter inside the church.
At that time in Mizoram for young boys and girls it was beneath their dignity not to join the MNF Movement and Pu. Lalduhawma also had also joined the movement and he
was along with Pu.R. Thangmawia who was a Senator in the Mizo Govt. They went to China with 1000 contigent however they could not proceed on beyond Chindwin river as the Burmese army was in full station on the other side of Chindwin river and they were compelled to returned. Unfortunately Pu Lalduhawma had become sick and had pain in his leg and he was left behind in the border village of Burma and India known as New Samtal village. Here the chief of the village was from the Khongsai clan and also was a Mizo family in a ovillage. That Mizo man tried his best and had cajoled him to marry one of the village girls as there would be no problem of paying bridey price and also become lthe Headmaster of the village school. However Pu. Lalduhawma was not inclined might be he knew that he was destined for bigger and higher role in life and after his recovery he he had taken a long walk towards Mizoram and when he entered Mizoram he joined one battalions of the Mizo Army. Unfortunately again his health had broken down and he could hardly be an kactive member of the Mizo Army. In this way Pu.Lalduhawma neither was he arrested nor his had surrendered to the army.
In the beginning Pu.Lalduhawma had believed in the preaching of Pu.Laldenga the extraordinary orator about possibility of attaining Mizo independence, however later on he started believing that the proposal of Mizo Union for Mizo Statehood was more believable and attainable. In this way he had joined the Mizo Union and became President of Mizo Union in Champhai area where he had held extensive campaigns and party assemblies. In this way he had come in contact with Pu. Ch. Saprawnga the 1st Chief Minister of Mizoram who inducted him as a Lower Division Clerk(LDC) in his office and thus Pu.Lalduhawma was the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for 5 ears from 1972-1975.
Earlier to this he had passed his matriculation examination as a private candidate then he went to Aizawl to study further for his college education. However due to the MNF Movement from 1966 he could not accomplished his intention however by studying in a local private college he completed his graduation by passing in the distinction .In view of the above facts and circumference it is clear that inspite of his irregular studies without attending proper classes in the schools and colleges Pu.Lalduhawma had passd his B.A with distinction which had clearly proved that Pu.Lalduhawma had a brilliant mind and intellect to his credit.
PIn the year 1977 at first he was thinking to appear in the state civil service commission Exam. which was to commence from that year however on 2nd thought he opted to appear in the IAS Ect. Examinations and for that he went to Shillong to appear in the exam. When the result was out he had qualified in the Exam. after the Personality test by the UPSC he was declared passed and he opted to join IPS and actually he had joined the IPS which was his chosen service in his first attempt. He was allotted the UT cadre as most people opted UT cadre to be able to be posted in Delhi.
However after training in SardarVallabhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad and also after Foundational Coourse in Mussourie,UP he was firstly posted in the Union Territory of Goa and there after serving some years. He became an SP of Goa.
During his posting in Goa Pu.Lalduhawma had experimented an innovative and an unique idea as he had learnt that Goa was full of hippies who were apparently pretending as tourists however were either smugglers, intelligence groups or tourists and Pu.Lalduhawma had mixed up with them who had never suspected him to be an Indian policeman because of his Mongoloid face. In this way he had made arrested them by his 0juniors then rescued them saying that he had known many senior police officers in Goa. In that way he had totally demolished pthe smuggling gang in the Union Territory of Goa. His good work and reputation had reached the ear of Home Ministry Delhi and he was selected to come to Delhi to join the Prime Minister Security. This was intimated to him by Shri. R.M Agarwal, IAS the Chief Secretary of Goa who was earlier Chief Secretary of Mizoram.
When he was in Delhi he was incharge of Prime Minsiter Security,the most sensitive assignment and Airport security. As head of Prime Minister security he had his office inside the Prime Minister house who at that time was Smt. Indira Gandhi. He had to attend his office early in the morning and then had to meet the Prime Minster for day to day duties and responsibilities. During his time all those working in the Prime Minster security had to wear plain clothes and not in uniform as in later years..
Later on due to his closed relationship with
Indira Gandhi and after her Rajiv Gandhi who became Prime Minister most probably he was advised by Rajiv Gandhi to resign from IPS and to be involved in Mizo Peace process which led him to become a Member of Parliament in 1984, and also Vice-chiarman of the Mizoram Planning Board. He had actually gone as an Emissary of the Govt. of India to meet Pu. Laldenga in London to discuss the possible settlement of the Mizo political movement.
However after some years he left the Congress party and joined Mizo National Union which later on merged with Mizo People’s Conference where he became the Working President.
After sometime he had joined the MNF and became Advisor. However being disappointed with the MNF he had formed his own political party Zoram Nationalist party and had become an MLA from Ratu Constituency in 2003. However in the year 2018 a new political party known as Zoram People’s Movement was formed and in the election he had contested in 2 constituencies namely Aizawl West-I and Serchhip constituency and he won in both the constituency defeating well known Ex-Minister politicians including Pu.Lalthanhawla the sitting Chief Minister of Mizoram .
On account of his frequent changes of parties some journalists nicknamed him as Phantoma of Mizo politics.
Pu.Lalduhawma is now 71 years of age and he now the leader of the opposition popularly known as ZPM.
At the time the Mizoram Assembly is in session whenever Pu.Lalduhawma had spoken with meticulous supporting documents and figures which were heard in pin drop silence the ruling party led by Pu.Zoramthanga had to eat their own words which were spoken randomly and wantonly just to please the audience without actually understanding the implications of the speeches they had made in at that moment in the past.
Considering the above we cannot but admire,praise and appreciate Pu.Lalduhawma who without attending regular High schools and college classes had passed his B.A with distinction and also passed IPS in his first attempt also who had voluntarilyu resigned from his covetous IPS service and last of all from the powerful Membership of Lok Sabha we can safely said that he had left his positions of comforts and pleasures and status because of his LOVE of the MIZO people and Mizoram which are athe core of his heart and soul and his passion to sevre his people in life.
With his long years of experiences in Govt service and in the affairs of Mizoram politics it will be highly welcome if ultimately become the Chief Minister of Mizoram to lead his party in a totally different directions for the upliftment and for the state of Mizoram politically, socially and economically which were noticeably not worthwhile to be seen in the tewardships of the past Chief Ministers inspite of their possible best attemts during their times.
During the intense situation on account of the 3 bills passed in 02015 in Manipur Assembly he had to vision to visit Churachandpur and ad a press conference wherein he had cautiously advised th omi people to restrain themselves from alignment with the Naga Movement.
Once there was some scandals in Mizoram regarding the withdrawal of LTC by the MLAs he had promtly refunded whatever he had drawn on account of LTC.
Lastly Mizoram had reputed Chief Ministers like Pu Ch Saprawnga, Pu. Brig. T.Sailo, Pu.Laldenga, Pu. Lalthanhawla and Pu.Zoramthanga who had contributed to the development of Mizoram in their own ways. However it can be safely said that none of them had the vision and experience in various fields which Pu.Lalduhawma had in his life..
When we say a Good School it is deemed to be said the HEADMASTER, is good like that Mizoram would be good only when Pu.Lalduhawma became the Chief Minister to steer the affairs of Mizoram Govt in a totally different new ideas and ideals .
07/03/2020
