How Indo-Pak conflict resonates in Mizoram

AS the short conflict on the Western Front came to an abrupt end a couple of weeks ago, thousands of kilometres away, in Mizoram, bordering Myanmar, churches as well as Hindu temples and mosques held prayers for peace and the safety of Indian soldiers and its citizens. The Sunday services figured in local media the next day, even if they did not in the larger metro media elsewhere in the country.

A Mizoram government official said all congregants of the churches and devotees in temples and mosques throughout Mizoram offered prayers on Sunday and wished the armed forces success and all-around welfare. There were prayers in churches also on Saturday evening. Mizo Christians take both their faith and church-going religiously and seriously, with a large number attending as many as three or four services every week.

I was in Mizoram through the four-day war and it was like being in a different space: apart from the brief blackout as announced by the Centre for the country, there was calm everywhere, the war was barely discussed, though people did follow the news on TV and mobiles.

On May 10, the day when the ceasefire was announced in quick succession by the US, Pakistan and India after days of escalation, some of the state’s tiny newspapers front-paged news with a lead story about the state’s school toppers being honoured by the Chief Minister. The off lead was a report about an improvement in child mortality rates, which put Mizoram at the top of India, along with Sikkim and Manipur.

Newslink, a four-page English paper published from Aizawl and priced at Rs 5 per copy, headlined a major outbreak of African swine fever (ASF), saying that it had taken a heavy toll of pigs in the state and the fatality level “climbs past 3,800." Pork is the meat of choice in Mizoram. The conflict was placed on Page Three with an unattributed article with a London dateline, which spoke of “the first drone war" between the two countries. There are articles on the state government’s decision to amend the prohibition Act — which the powerful church has adamantly opposed — to allow locally manufactured fruit beer and fruit wine but keep the ban on the IMFL.

A top economist says that since prohibition was reintroduced in 2018, after the defeat of the Congress party here, the state has been losing about Rs 60-70 crore annually in excise tax. This may be a tiny figure compared to other states, but it is significant for a state at the very end of India, which has few resources of its own, barring GST collections, and depends on doles from the Centre and bank loans and market borrowings to survive.

A metro newspaper here interviewed a Mizo mother identified as Rohlupuii who spoke about her worries about her son who was posted in an artillery unit. She was quoted as saying that her prayers were that “god will guide him and ensure his safety."

A separate news report spoke of the death of Deepak Chingakham, a Manipuri constable in the Border Security Force, in a drone attack in the Jammu sector. The return of his body to Imphal triggered emotional scenes, with hundreds turning up to pay homage in a state that has been racked by internal strife between the Meiteis and Kukis for over two years.

Aizawl did not have TV war rooms, or screaming anchors, or battle scenarios or games played out, or live coverage repeated ad infinitum. The news was presented in a matter-of-fact manner with the latest developments on private Mizo language channels, to which most Mizos tune in. The local Doordarshan station held a studio discussion with retired military officials.

Prof Vanlal Chhawna, who has taught economics at Mizoram Central University, said that “local issues dominate here unless there is a state or regional or national issue which strikes a chord with the people."

In addition, there are a significant number of serving and retired military personnel from Mizoram, which is striking in itself, for the state was convulsed for 20 years by a powerful insurgency pitted against India before a peace accord ended the violence in 1986.

In the first example of its kind, insurgent leader Laldenga of the Mizo National Front took office. His deputy was Lalthanhawla, who, till the accord, had been Congress chief minister. That Laldenga later fell from power due to internal dissension as his party split and Lalthanhawla returned robustly to helm the state for several terms is a different story, but it gives an idea of the resilience of the Mizos. The peace has held for 39 years.

The Mizos suffered extensively during the insurgency, including air attacks, internal displacement, loss of livelihoods and bloodshed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a stinging reference to it in Parliament in August 2023: “On 5th March 1966, Congress had its Air Force attack the helpless citizens in Mizoram. Congress should answer if it was the Air Force of any other country. Were the people of Mizoram not the citizens of my country? Was their security not the responsibility of the Government of India?"

The challenges in the north-west, of the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, resonate here. Lalvanruata Ralte, a prominent entrepreneur, said that this was undergirded by “Mizoram’s own experiences with conflict, displacement and the humanitarian challenges posed by cross-border issues."

Ruatliana Sailo, a former government spokesman and prominent photographer, said that the process of prayers had “brought the Mizos closer to the rest of the country."

A young academic, David Lalrinchhana, said that whenever India faced a conflict, “we Mizos proudly support our country and believe in its strength and values." He added that it was important to “stand for harmony, peace and inclusion over hatred, exclusion and conflict."

Such incidents may be a fading memory as the generation that fought, suffered and witnessed that conflict is also fading away. Yet, even in its gentle vanishing, those memories are powerful enough to inspire novels, histories, political legacies and films (including an episode in ‘Sam‘, the film on the iconic Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw). They have inspired a genre of writing in Mizo called Rambuia literature or literature about the Times of Trouble.

Although Mizoram is popularly called the country’s most peaceful state, it does have a very challenging border with Myanmar — a country where civil war rules and a rag tag bag of powerful rebel armies are fighting each other as well as the military junta for power.

The sharp reality of that unrest spills over in refugee flows fleeing the violence and is also seen in major illicit trade in weapons, wildlife and narcotics that flow over a porous border. A visible impact is a soaring drug user population.

Sanjoy Hazarika is an independent columnist.

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