Lalsawma

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Rev Dr Lalsawma
Born1930
Sailam, Mizoram, India
Died9 February 2017
Aizawl Hospital, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
Occupation(s)Pastor (Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod)
Social worker
Writer
Known forPastor, Social Work,Writing,Teaching and Preaching.
SpousePi Lalnuntluangi
ChildrenJames Lalsiamliana, Saroj Laldinpuii, Johan Lalhuma (L), Caryll Lalpari, Gilbert Lalzarliana(L), Daniel Lalzova
Parent(s)Rev Langlura(L), Pi Darneihkimi(L)
Awards Padma Shri Honorary Doctorate Degree under Senate of Serampore

Lalsawma is an Indian social worker, writer and a Christian missionary and Pastor of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church. [1] His contributions are reported in the reconciliation efforts between the Government of India and the Mizo National Front (MNF) on two occasions. In the wake of the March 1966 Mizo National Front uprising, the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod appointed missionaries for peace talks with MNF in 1969 [2] and Lalsawma was one of two missionaries who contacted the MNF leaders. [3] In 1982, he was again a member of the three-men delegation who held talks with MNF which, untimaltely, led to the Mizo Accord of 1986. [4] [5] He has written several articles [6] and is the author of the book, Four Decades of Revivals, the Mizo Way. [7] [8] The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2005, for his contributions to Indian society. [9]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizoram</span> State in northeastern India

Mizoram is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "land." Thus "Mizo-ram" means "land of the Mizos". Within India's northeast region, it is the southernmost landlocked state, sharing borders with three of the Seven Sister States, namely Tripura, Assam and Manipur. The state also shares a 722-kilometre (449 mi) border with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizo National Front</span> Political party in India

The Mizo National Front is a regional political party in Mizoram, India. MNF emerged from the Mizo National Famine Front, which was formed by Pu Laldenga to protest against the inaction of the Government of India towards the famine situation in the Mizo areas of the Assam state in 1959. It staged a major uprising in 1966, followed by years of underground activities. In 1986, it signed the Mizoram Accord with the Government of India, renouncing secession and violence. The MNF then began contesting elections and has formed state government in Mizoram three times. It is currently the state's ruling party, with its president, Zoramthanga, as the Chief Minister of Mizoram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizo people</span> Ethnic group native to northeastern India

The Mizo people, are a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group native to the Indian state of Mizoram and neighbouring regions of Northeast India. The term covers several related ethnic groups or clans inside the Mizo group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Mizoram</span>

The history of Mizoram encompasses the history of Mizoram which lies in the remotest part of northeast India. It is a conglomerate history of several ethnic groups of Chin people who migrated from Chin State of Burma. But information of their patterns of westward migration are based on oral history and archaeological inferences, hence nothing definite can be said. The recorded history started relatively recently around the mid-19th century when the adjoining regions were occupied by the British monarchy. Following religious, political and cultural revolutions in the mid-20th century majority of the people agglomerated into a super tribe, Mizo. Hence the officially recognised settlement of the Mizos became Mizoram.

Laldenga was a Mizo nationalist and politician from Mizoram in northeast India. He was the founder of the Mizo National Front, a social organisation turned political party. He was the first Chief Minister of Mizoram as a federated state, the office of which he held from 1986 to 1988.

Mizoram Presbyterian ChurchSynod is the largest Christian denomination in Mizoram, northeast India. It was a direct progeny of the Calvinistic Methodist Church in Wales. It was the first church in Mizoram and is now one of the constituent bodies of a larger denomination Presbyterian Church of India (PCI), which has its headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya. The administrative body called the Mizoram Synod has its headquarters at Mission Veng, Aizawl. As the first church, it remains the largest denomination in Mizoram.

Lalduhoma is an Indian politician and a former Indian Police Service officer from Mizoram. Resigning from the security service to the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he was elected as Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha from Mizoram in 1984. He left the Indian National Congress, the party from which he was elected, for which he was disqualified from the parliament. He became the first MP to be discharged upon anti-defection law in India.

Ṭhenphunga Sailo was a Brigadier of the Indian Army, and the second and twice the Chief Minister of Mizoram, a state in northeast India. He was the creator of Mizoram People's Conference, one of the major political parties in Mizoram. He was a recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Padma Shri for his humanitarian works during his military service, and Mizo Award for his lifetime achievements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizo National Front uprising</span> 1966 uprising in Mizoram, India

The Mizo National Front uprising was a revolt against the government of India aimed at establishing a sovereign nation state for the Mizo people, which started on 28 February 1966. On 1 March 1966, the Mizo National Front (MNF) made a declaration of independence, after launching coordinated attacks on the Government offices and security forces post in different parts of the Mizo district in Assam. The government retaliated and recaptured all the places seized by the MNF by 25 March 1966.

Secession in India typically refers to state secession, which is the withdrawal of one or more states from the Republic of India. Whereas, some have wanted a separate state, union territory or an autonomous administrative division within India. Many separatist movements exist with thousands of members, however, some have low local support and high voter participation in democratic elections. However, at the same time, demanding separate statehood within under the administration of Indian union from an existing state can lead to criminal charges under secession law in India. India is described as a ‘Union of States’ in Article 1 of the Indian constitution I.e indestructible nation of destructible states where a state or Union territory of India can't secede from India by any means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Synod Hospital, Durtlang</span> Hospital in Mizoram, India

Synod Hospital, Durtlang is a general hospital and nursing school in Aizawl, Mizoram, India. The hospital is widely known among Mizo people as "Durtlang Hospital". It is managed and governed by the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod. The hospital was established in 1928 by the Calvinistic Methodist Church as a nursing institute. It is the second hospital established, and the largest non-governmental hospital in Mizoram. It has a registered capacity of 355 beds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Mizoram</span>

Christianity is the largest religion in Mizoram. The majority 87% of Mizoram population are Christian in various denominations, predominantly Presbyterian. More than 98% of the Mizos are Christians by faith. The Government of Mizoram declared that Christianity plays a very important role among the daily life of Mizo community and therefore further declared that Christianity as the religion of the state. The culture of Mizoram is mainly influenced by Christianity. Hence, Christianity was given a special status on the state by the government while maintaining a minimum level of secular environment & approach. In June 2018, the government of Mizoram including Vanlalruata, president of anti-corruption organisation-turned-political party, People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram claim that Mizoram is a Christian state. Hindus form a small minority (3.55%) mainly of Manipuris and there are also around (7.93%) Buddhists according to the 2001 census, mostly made up from Chakma settlers of Arakan origin. There are about 8,000 mostly ethnic Mizo followers of a Judaic group Bnei Menashe, who claim descent from the biblical Menasseh. Muslims make up about 1.1% of the state population.

David Evan Jones, Mizo name Zosaphluia was a Welsh missionary in Mizoram, India, connected to both the Mizoram Presbyterian Church and the Baptist Church of Mizoram.

Zairema was a Presbyterian minister, and a pioneer in theology and literature among the Mizo people of northeast India. He was the first Mizo to obtain the degrees of BSc and BD. He died of cardiac problem on the morning of 17 December 2008 at his residence in Aizawl at the age of 91. He is best remembered as the "father of Mizoram Synod".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Christianity in Mizoram</span> Christianity in Mizoram

The history of Christianity in Mizoram covers the origin and development of all forms of Christianity in Mizoram since the British occupation at the end of the 19th century. Christianity arrived as a consequence of tribal warfare, raids of British plantations, and the ensuing punitive British military expedition called the Lushai Expedition of 1871. The subsequent annexation of the erstwhile Lushai Hills to the British Empire opened the gateway for British Christian missions to evangelise the Mizo people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoramthanga</span> Chief Minister of Mizoram

Zoramthanga is an Indian politician who is serving as the 5th Chief Minister of Mizoram since 2018 and from 1998 to 2008. He is also the president of Mizo National Front (MNF) party. He represents the Aizawl East I constituency in the Mizoram Legislative Assembly since 2018 and Champhai constituency from 1998 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laltluangliana Khiangte</span> Mizo academic, playwright and poet

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The Mizoram Peace Accord, 1986 was an official agreement between the Government of India and the Mizo National Front (MNF) to end insurgency and violence in Mizoram, India, that started in 1966. The Mizo National Front was an organisation of Mizo secessionists led by Laldenga to fight for independence from India. The movement was basically due to lack of support from the government during the great famine in Mizoram in the late 1950s. Political insurgency and social unrest ensued in the next decades. After a number of negotiations, the document titled Mizoram Accord, 1986: Memorandum of Settlement was finally signed on 30 June 1986. It was signed by Laldenga for MNF, R.D. Pradhan, Home Secretary, Government of India, and Lalkhama, Chief Secretary, Government of Mizoram. It is remarked as the most and only successful peace agreement in India after its independence from British Empire in 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aizawl</span> Capital of Mizoram in India

Aizawl is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. Aizawl was officially established on 25 February 1890. With a population of 293,416, it is the largest city in the state. It is also the centre of administration containing all the important government offices, state assembly house and civil secretariat. The population of Aizawl strongly reflects the different communities of the ethnic Mizo people.

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References

  1. "Mizoram - the land of over 80 religious sects". One India. 20 April 2008. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  2. Mirzoram, Dimensions and Perspectives: Society, Economy, and Polit. Concept Publications. 2008. pp. 28 of 475. ISBN   9788180695148.
  3. "The Church Role in the Mizoram Peace Accord". Eastern Panorama. July 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  4. J. V. Hluna, Rini Tochhawng (2013). The Mizo Uprising: Assam Assembly Debates on the Mizo Movement, 1966-1971. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 324 of 380. ISBN   9781443845021.
  5. Prasenjit Biswas, Chandan Suklabaidy (2008). Ethnic Life-Worlds in North-East India: An Analysis. SAGE Publications India. pp. 96 of 316. ISBN   9788178299921.
  6. Nirmal Nibedon (2013). Mizoram The Dagger Brigade. Lancer Publishers. p. 280. ISBN   9781935501824.
  7. Lalsawma (232). Four Decades of Revivals, the Mizo Way. Evangelist Work. p. 1994.
  8. Leonard Fernando, G. Gispert-Sauc (2004). Christianity in India: Two Thousand Years of Faith. Penguin Books India. pp. 326 of 336. ISBN   9780670057696.
  9. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.