Childhood:
Pu Zoramthanga was born to Pu Darphunga and Pi Vanhnuaichhingi to
be the second youngest child of their eight children. He has five
brothers and three sisters. Unfortunately, one of his sisters died
while she was still an infant. Five of the brothers and two
sisters live to see adulthood. Pu Zoramthanga was born on July 13,
1944 at Samthang village coincidentally, this was the day Pu
Laldenga was laid to rest.
His early Education:
He joined primary School in the year 1950. Being a brilliant
student, he always stood first in his class in every examinations.
For this outstanding academic achievement, his teacher Pu
Vanlalbela rewarded him by way of hastening his promotions. Thus,
surpassing his classmates, he passed out from primary school
(class III) from Samthang at an young age in 1953. In 1954, he
joined middle school at South Khawbung and finished at the school
in 1956 after he passed standard six. In 1957, he went on to join
Champhai Gandhi Memorial High School as a student of standard
seven.
During 1954, when he was compelled by circumstances to join middle
school in a neighboring village, he was very hesitant as he was
then still very young and non of his friends from his village were
there to keep company. He often cried and sometimes even played
truant. Sympathizing with him, many of his near and dear ones were
at times for discontinuing his schooling. However, his parents,
though only rustic villager, yet much advanced to their time in
thoughts, fully understood the value of education. Playing with is
emotions and by consoling him in every way, they succeeded in
luring him back to school. Education is for his own good in
future, being the chorus of his parents. To this day, Pu
Zoramthanga gratefully acknowledge; " I could only but wonder at
the marvelous path that God has laid for me right from the
beginning of may life ". The road to Khawbung from Samthang was a
a good five miles, and to add to that, it was all along dense
forests and may tigers were prowling in the jungle. Pu Zoramthanga
recalled how, as a ten year old boy, he was often struck with fear
when he sometimes had to walk to school all alone.
He finished his high school at Champhai from Samthang village, and
in 1960 his family shifted to Champhai. It was in 1961 that he
passed his matriculation, but he could not join college as the
family was too poor to finance his further education. He was
invited to work as headmaster in the then newly established
Champhai Vengthlang Middle School. He was then only a teenager,
seventeen and half years old. He recalled how he used to feel a
little embarrass and shy when he thought of his age. There may not
be many who have the privilege of working as a Headmaster at his
young age.
His College Education:
Being strongly determined to resumed his education, he went on,
against all odds, to join college in the middle of 1963. He got
admitted in PUC class in the Imphal D.M. College, a college then
known to be the refuge of poor students. To quote his own words: "
During my college days I worked in a stone quarry, chiseling and
carrying loads of boulders. To be precise, I chiseled my way to
graduation. I think I earned enough to support myself then". He
was a student of English subject and passed his BA honours in that
subject. His ambition was to try his hands in the Civil Services (IAS)
examinations.
He joined Politics:
When Mizoram disturbance occurred in 1966, he joined the
underground movement and took to the jungle, leaving behind his
main ambition. He was made Secretary, Run Bung Area, a
responsibility he held for three years. When in 1969, all the MNF
cadres went down to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), the President,
Pu Laldenga engaged him as his Secretary. He held this job for
seven long years.
During his tenure as Secretary to the President, Pu Laldenga
always took him along in all his important engagements. He was
accompanying him during the long trip to China. The Cabinet of the
underground ministry sent him to pave way for peace negotiations
with the Indian government in 1971. This came out to be the maiden
official peace talks ever had with the Indian government. When
East Pakistan fell and Bangladesh nation was borned; he, along
with Pu Laldenga and his family, including all his personal staff,
succeeded in a tough escape bid to Karachi, crossing the dense
jungle of Arakan and through Akyab and Rangoon. They disguised
themselves as refugees from East Pakistan. In Pakistan, they were
accorded the status of official guests and cooled down their heels
in Islamabad from 1972 to 1976.
While in Islamabad, Pu Laldenga sent him in yet another mission to
foreign countries to seek channels for continuing the peace
negotiations with the Indian government. Along with Pu Tawnluia,
presently Home Minister of Mizoram, went abroad many times to
accomplish this mission. After strucking many peace talks with the
Indian delegates in countries like Thailand, Afghanishtan, Iran,
Switzerland, Germany and in Rome city, he brought Pu Laldenga and
party out to Geneva in 1975. From Geneva, successful deal could be
made for the safe entry of Pu Laldenga to Delhi. Subsequently,
upon their arrival in Delhi in 1976, they were engaged in peace
talks in the full glare of the world. In all these peace talks, Pu
Zoramthanga participated and was the key initiator. However, when
in 1979, the Indian government held them captives in Delhi, along
with Pu Laldenga and Pu Tawnluia, he along with Pu Tawnluia made
good their escape to the jungle of their Arakan Headquarters where
he held the responsibility of the Vice President. In his capacity
as the Vice-President, he shouldered the tough responsibility of
keeping his cadres in good humor. Literally, it could be said that
he single-handedly succeeded in rebuilding and rejuvenating the
Headquarters from the state to which it had fallen. Since then, he
never ventured out to Delhi till the peace accord was concluded.
He is a pious man, who put all his trusts in God; this enable him
to draw divine strength in the face of adversities. He achieved
the seemingly impossible task, which even the Indian government
failed to belief, of bringing home every one of his men with all
their armaments. "That was the most challenging and difficult task
that I had ever faced in my life" he admits. Unfortunately, he
could not accompany his men into Aizawl due to illness and had to
halt at Lunglei. Perhaps, one of the saddest things that had ever
happened to him must have been not being able to walked in to
Aizawl town along with his men, unto the welcome light of peace at
the end of twenty long years of disturbance.
He was made a Minister in the interim government of the state that
followed. When the Mizo National Front formed the government in
1987 under the leadership of Pu Laldenga, he looked after Finance
and Education departments and continued to be the trusted
lieutenant of Pu Laldenga. In 1990, when Pu Laldenga died, he
become the President of the Mizo National Front. Though he
sometimes went through difficult times, he has since continue to
be the President of the MNF to this day. Another remarkable
achievement he has made in his political career is the fact that
he had never lose an election, and he has been returned to the
Mizoram Legislative Assembly from Champhai constituency for four
consecutive terms. When the assembly elections was held at the end
of 1998, he led his party to victory and become the fifth Chief
Minister of Mizoram.
The path that Pu Zoramthanga has walked in his life is justifying
worth pondering for others too. One could not help but struck with
awe when one considers how God has consecrated him to be an
instrument of fulfilling His plans for the good of Mizoram. He
called him out in a seemingly most inopportune time yet that turns
out to be just the right time and God has guided him into the road
that Pu Zoramthanga himself would never had dream of. As he
himself had often state : " Let us all know that towards this
fag-end of time, we have a Chief Minister in him, who would herald
to the world that upon Mizoram has God entrusted the mission of
spreading the Gospel".
Pu Zoramthanga tied the nuptial knot on February 2, 1988 at
Dawrpui Presbyterian Church, with Roneihsangi, the second youngest
daughter of Pu R.L. Rohlira of Ramhlun. He has been blessed with a
son, Ramthansiama and a daughter, Milari. The name MILARI itself
is coined by abbreviating Mizoram, 'Lalpa Remruat leh Kei' which
may literally means Mizoram, God's Will and Me.
