UKHRUL: Chief Minister Lalduhoma declared Mizoram “insurgency-free” after the last remaining insurgent group in the state laid down arms on Wednesday.
According to officials, a faction of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic), or HPC (D), headed by Lalhmingthanga Sanate, had remained largely dormant for several years but would occasionally engage in sporadic criminal activities. The Sanate faction was considered the last surviving insurgent group in the state.
It may be recalled that on 14 April 2026, the Government of Mizoram and the HPC (D) Lalhmingthanga Sanate faction signed a peace agreement at Sakawrdaia. Wednesday’s ceremony formally marked the laying down of arms in accordance with that agreement.
The HPC (D) had been demanding an autonomous district council for the Hmar community under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. A total of 43 cadres of the group, including Sanate, surrendered their weapons to the government during a “homecoming and arms-laying ceremony” at Sesawng near Aizawl, The Hindu reported.
At the event, Lalduhoma said that the shadow of HPC (D) insurgency lingered whenever peace was discussed in Mizoram. “We approached negotiations with an open heart to reach an agreement. Our Home Minister and his colleagues worked tirelessly. Today, we have reached our goal. Now, with a peaceful heart, we can proudly say Mizoram is a truly peaceful state,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister also emphasised unity and a shared Mizo identity. “We are all Mizos. If sub-tribes within the Mizo community find contentment in our shared identity, we will thrive only through unity,” he said.
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Stressing that the price of peace is high, Lalduhoma who resigned from the Indian Police Service (IPS) decades ago to mediate peace during the secessionist movement spearheaded by the Mizo National Front (MNF) recalled that he had sacrificed much so that peace could prevail in the region.
He lauded the surrendering cadres for their bravery, asserting that only the truly courageous have the strength to lay down arms for the greater good. He reaffirmed that Mizoram no longer tolerates insurgency and called for a collective commitment to safeguarding peace, PTI reported.
“The Mizo people will no longer permit insurgency to resurface in our land. Let us all abstain from anything that could trigger discord and unrest. Let us abandon policies and ideologies that incite conflict for temporary gains and work together to sustain lasting peace and stability in our state,” he said.
Lalhmingthanga Sanate, leader of the faction, said the decision to join the peace process was influenced by positive developments under the present government. He cited infrastructure initiatives such as the Unity Bridge and improvements to the Mauchar road, adding that while the agreement may not fulfil all expectations, it is “acceptable and satisfactory.”
For context, following the Peace Accord of 1986, sections of the Hmar community felt that their aspirations remained unfulfilled, leading to the formation of the HPC. In 1994, an agreement with the government resulted in the establishment of the Sinlung Hills Development Council. Subsequently, a faction formed the HPC (D) under Lalhmingthanga Sanate. Another faction, led by Pu H. Lalsangbera, had already entered into a peace agreement with the government in April 2018. Talks with the Lalhmingthanga Sanate faction resumed in 2024 and, after four rounds of negotiations, culminated in the agreement signed earlier this month.
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