Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In 1966, a 22-year-old Zoramthanga joined the Mizo National Front and started an armed struggle to secede from the Indian Union.
Over the next two decades, he was on the move: India, East Pakistan, Burma and, after East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971, Rawalpindi.
In 1986, the MNF ended their rebellion with the signing of the Mizoram Peace Accord with Rajiv Gandhi’s government. Today it is seen as one of India’s most successful attempts to end an insurgency. Since the accord, Mizoram has been the most peaceful state in the Northeast.
In a remarkable turn of events, Zoramthanga, who had spent two decades fighting the Indian Union, became a chief minister of a state in the Union in 1998.
On Scroll Adda, he tells us about his remarkable life.
Host: Shoaib Daniyal
Producer: Priyali Dhingra
Editor: Hyder Habib
Chapters:
00:00 Precap
2:44 1966: The start of the insurgency
7:08 Concentration camps and IAF bombing
15:25 Fleeing to East Pakistan and Burma
25:00 Escape to Karachi
26:38 Return to India to make peace
32:05 The Mizo peace accord with Rajiv Gandhi
42:11 Manipur crisis
48:35 Sheltering Myanmar refugees in violation of Delhi
55:17 Are Mizos a nation?
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In 1966, a 22-year-old Zoramthanga joined the Mizo National Front and started an armed struggle to secede from the Indian Union.
Over the next two decades, he was on the move: India, East Pakistan, Burma and, after East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971, Rawalpindi.
In 1986, the MNF ended their rebellion with the signing of the Mizoram Peace Accord with Rajiv Gandhi’s government. Today it is seen as one of India’s most successful attempts to end an insurgency. Since the accord, Mizoram has been the most peaceful state in the Northeast.
In a remarkable turn of events, Zoramthanga, who had spent two decades fighting the Indian Union, became a chief minister of a state in the Union in 1998.
On Scroll Adda, he tells us about his remarkable life.
Host: Shoaib Daniyal
Producer: Priyali Dhingra
Editor: Hyder Habib
Chapters:
00:00 Precap
2:44 1966: The start of the insurgency
7:08 Concentration camps and IAF bombing
15:25 Fleeing to East Pakistan and Burma
25:00 Escape to Karachi
26:38 Return to India to make peace
32:05 The Mizo peace accord with Rajiv Gandhi
42:11 Manipur crisis
48:35 Sheltering Myanmar refugees in violation of Delhi
55:17 Are Mizos a nation?
Subscribe to Scroll's YouTube channel and turn on your notifications, so you don't miss new videos.
For more explainers, and the web’s most interesting videos - scroll.in/video
For the latest news and analysis - scroll.in
Support our award-winning journalism by becoming a Scroll member - scroll.in/contribute
Follow Scroll.in here -
Facebook: facebook.com/scroll.in
Twitter: twitter.com/scroll_in
Instagram: instagram.com/scroll_in
Threads: threads.net/@scroll_in
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/scroll.in
