Mizo Union

Mizo Union (6 April 1946 – 12 January 1974) was the first political party in Mizoram, northeast India. It was founded on 6 April 1946 at Aizawl as the Mizo Common People's Union. At the time of independence of India from the british rule in india in 1947, the party was the only political force in the Lushai Hills (former name of Mizoram). It won the first Mizoram District Council general election under the new Indian Union in 1951, and consecutively in 1957, 1962 and 1966.

However, the mautam famine of 1958 and its protégé insurgency in 1966 downgraded its status, so that the party was compelled to dissolve in 1974 and merged with the new Mizoram Congress Party.

Mizo Union was the upshot of administrative preparation when the British occupation of India was about to end. The British administrators initiated forming local representatives to maintain law and order. However, the Mizo leaders, especially the central organisation Young Lushai Association (YLA), preferred complete independence from India, and made a boycott against the British orders. At the onset, there even was a proposal to turn YLA into a political party. The learned men were urged the need to create an entirely political organisation. R. Vanlawma and P.S. Dahrawka then prepared a constitution of what they eventually called the Mizo Common People's Union. After recruiting members, the party was formally established on 6 April 1946 with R. Vanlawma becoming the General Secretary and Convener. After a discussion the name was simplified to Mizo Union and the first officials were elected on 25 May 1946. The premier businessman Pachhunga became the first President. Immediately the party gained unprecedented support from the general public throughout the land. This was largely because of the general anachronistic attitude towards tribal chiefdom and their British allies, who wearied them with levies and forced labour. But the momentum of popularity had its drawbacks. The freshly educated recruits formed an intellectual group and usurped against the party leaders, who were not highly educated, which was the main issue. The intellectuals mounted a coup in the party's first general meeting on 24–26 September of that year, which led to the resignation of Pachhunga and elimination of other leaders. Then the only remaining of the original official, Vice President Lalhema became the President, who unfortunately was also a petty businessman and still with a deficit in education. This issue erupted in the November meeting, and election in the early 1947 clearly toppled Lalhema, ousted by Khawtinkhuma, a fresh master's degree holder from Tripura. The trailblazers were forced to unite into an offshoot party which they named the Mizo Union Council. This for a time formed a public and religious chasms in Aizawl as the Mizo Union was supported by the educated class and commoners, and also mostly by church leaders. Whereas the new party was espoused by the influences of the philanthropist Pachhunga, who were mosstly of well-to-do entrepreneurs and the tribal chiefs. Thus Aizawl was divided into a southern Mizo Union dominion with its headquarters at Thakthing and northern Mizo Union Council territory having its office at Pachhunga's residence at Dawrpui. In the early 1947 Khawtinkhuma was offered a regular government job, and was succeeded by Pastor Zairema, who was supported by the Presbyterian Church, on 18 January. But there was an internal turmoil incited by Lalbiaktluanga, who as the Vice President rightly claimed the presidency, but to no avail. Dispirited Lalbiaktluanga and his sympathisers departed with the creation of a new party, the United Mizo Freedom Organisation (UMFO), on 5 July 1947. The main propaganda of UMFO was to join the administrative state of Burma instead of India or independence. UMFO eventually absorbed the supporters of the Mizo Union Council, thereby becoming the only political rival. At the election to Advisory Council of Mizoram, the first democratic election under independent India, Mizo Union received a massive win (23 against 1 for UMFO). This resulted not only in the loss of Burma inclination, but the eventual demise of UMFO. When the Mizoram District Council was created by the Government of India, the first general election in April 1952 was cleanly captured by Mizo Union (17 out of 18 electorates), and President Lalsawia became the first Chief Executive Member.

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