Zoramthanga biography of william

5th Chief Minister of Mizoram

For the boxer, see Pu Zoramthanga (boxer).

Zoramthanga (born 13 July ) is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Mizoram from to and to ^[1] He is also the president of Mizo National Front (MNF) party. He represents the Aizawl East I constituency in the Mizoram Legislative Assembly since and Champhai constituency from to

He was second-in-command to Laldenga during the secession movement of Mizo National Front, and became the successor as the party leader, after MNF was a recognised political party, following the death of Laldenga in He was Minister of Finance and Education in His party lost the assembly elections to the Indian National Congress.

He contested from both North and South Champhai constituencies and lost in both.^[2][3] He tendered his resignation to Governor MM Lakhera on 8 December and left office three days later. He has cited anti-incumbency as reason for the loss of his party. He returned as Chief Minister after his party came back to power in the state assembly elections.^[4] Till , he was the oldest chief minister in India.^[5]

Early life and education

Zoramthanga was born to Darphunga and Vanhnuaichhingi on 13 July at Samthang village.

He is the second youngest child of their eight children – five brothers and three sisters.^[6]

Zoramthanga entered primary school at Samthang in After completing class III, he studied at South Khawbung middle school in , and completed class VI in In , he moved to Champhai to enter Gandhi Memorial High School.^[7] His family joined him at Champhai in He completed matriculation in His family financial situation prevented him for further education since higher education was not available in Mizoram at the time.

He instead became the Headmaster at Champhai Vengthlang Middle School. With his salary savings and much with self support, he went to Imphal, Manipur and got enrolled for pre-university college (PUC, equivalent to higher secondary) at Dhanamanjuri (D.M.) College of Arts (merged to Dhanamanjuri University).^[8] He completed PUC in , and continued to study B.A.

He graduated in with honours in English.^[9] Recalling his struggle, he said: "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."^[8]

Career

Zoramthanga officially joined the Mizo National Front freedom movement in , while in his last year of college.^[10] When the MNF uprising started in , he joined the guerrilla movement and went underground to Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) border.

Archived from the original on 8 November By then MNF became a recognised political party. His party lost the assembly elections to the Indian National Congress. She will be remembered.

He was offered the position of a secretary for Run Bung Area, a responsibility he held for three years. In , all the MNF cadres went down to East Pakistan.^[11] The President, Laldenga, engaged him as his Secretary. He held this job for seven years. In , he was given the responsibility of the Vice President.^[12]

The MNF rebellion ended in with the signing of Mizoram Peace Accord with the Government of India.^[13] MNF was offered to run an interim state government.

With Laldenga as the Chief Minister, Zoramthanga was appointed as one of the Cabinet Ministers.^[8][14] Mizoram was declared a full state 20 February By then MNF became a recognised political party.^[7] The first election for the Mizoram State Legislative Assembly was held in the same month resulted in MNF winning the majority of assembly seats, 24 out of Zoramthanga was elected from Champhai constituency.^[15]

In the first Mizoram State Legislative Assembly, Zoramthanga became Minister of Finance and Education.^[8] In , when Laldenga died, he became the President of the Mizo National Front.

In the election, MNF lost to the Indian National Congress party, but Zoramthanga won the Champhai constituency. He was appointed Leader of the Opposition in the legislative assembly.^[14] When the assembly elections were held at the end of , he led his party to victory and became the Chief Minister of Mizoram for the first time.

He was re-elected in the election becoming Chief Minister for the second time. But his party lost the Assembly elections, overcame by the Congress party.^[3] He lost his candidature from two Champhai constituencies, Champhai North and Champhai South.^[2][14] He and his party again faced heavy defeat in election to the Congress party.

In , his party got the majority again. He was elected from the Aizawl East-I constituency and became the Chief Minister of Mizoram on 15 December ^[16] His party was faced with a landslide defeat to the Zoram People's Movement in the Assembly elections, with Zoramthanga losing his own constituency.^[17]

Personal life

Zoramthanga is an eloquent debater.

He won inter-college debating competition at New Delhi while in his B.A. class. He is member of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church. He married Roneihsangi on 2 February They have one son, Rothansiama, and a daughter, Milari.^[8]

Legal issues

First corruption case

In , Zoramthanga was charged with several corruption cases.

The main allegation was supply of fencing materials from the Department of Agriculture to his private farm at Aii Puk during his tenure as Chief Minister ( to ).^[18][19] The supply was made in the name of Aii Puk Zau Cooperative Farming Society owned by Zoramthanga. A Public Interest Litigation was submitted to Gauhati High Court by an anti-corruption organization, People's Right to Information and Development Society of Mizoram (PRISM), in ,^[20] and again in ^[21] Upon lack of action, PRISM submitted the charges to the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Mizoram Police that included disproportionate wealth with respect to his income, supply of fencing materials to Aii Puk, and extortion of funds from government contractors.

The ACB filed corruption cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, , on 16 September , following which his residence was raided for evidences.^[19]

The ACB reported that Zoramthanga had amassed a total property value of ₹ million in ^[22] from the official declaration of ₹ million in ^[23] Zoramthanga declared that of his total capital, ₹ million was his brother L.

Nghakliana's and nephew Zoramchhana's which he managed on their behalf.^[22][24] On 8 November , the court of Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) of Mizoram dismissed the cases.^[25] Zoramthanga was acquitted of charges on misuse of power in the case of Aii Puk,^[26] and as to the disproportionate wealth, the court "did not find sufficient evidence to prove" the allegations.^[23]

Mizoram Intodelhna Project case

In , Zoramthanga's ministry created an agricultural development project largely to mitigate slash-and-burn system.

The scheme called Mizoram Intodelhna Project (MIP) was designed as financial gratis to farmers who were pursuing alternative agriculture systems.^[27] In , PRISM filed a case to the Anti-Corruption Bureau that Zoramthanga, H. Rammawi, then Agriculture Minister, and Lalhuapzauva, Adviser to Chief Minister, had given on loan basis large sums of money to private firms against the project guidelines.^[28] According to the allegation, ₹5 million rupees were given to Mizoram Venus Bamboo Product Pvt.

Ltd., and ₹ million rupees each to Hnahlan Grape Growers' Society and Champhai Grape Growers' Society.^[29] The ACB started investigation in and chargesheeted the case in ^[21] The Gauhati High Court put the case before the Special Court under Prevention of Corruption in ^[30] The first court hearing was called in but was cancelled due to absence of a witness.^[31] The three accused appeared before the court on 17 February ^[28] The Special Judge acquitted them on 30 March on the grounds of lack of evidence.^[32]

Chanchinmawia's case

Revd.

Chanchinmawia, moderator of Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod and Chairman of Mizoram People's Forum, was found dead in the morning of 1 October at his quarters-residence at Khatla, Aizawl, Mizoram. Lying on a pool of blood, his body showed several cut wounds and bruises.^[33] A hammer and a knife drenched in blood were on his side.^[34] The police report, upon which Additional District Magistrate (Judicial) of Aizawl made a judgement, declared in December that it was a case of suicide.^[35] His son Ramdinpuia, backed by the church, disagreed and believed that it was a homicide.^[36] The case was reopened in and the Central Bureau of Investigation was put on the task.^[37] The CBI made no further progress.

In , an information was published in a newsletter Congress Thlifim that Chanchinmawia's death was a case of murder and the then Chief Minister Zoramthanga masterminded the assassination.^[38] The newsletter asserted that in the interrogation of criminal suspects, one, Muanhlua claimed that he knew six people who were paid by Zoramthanga to make the murder, and a voice record which mentioned that Muanhlua demanded Zoramthanga a huge sum of money for keeping silent.^[39] In March , Mizo National Front and B.

Zorampara, president of Peace Accord MNF Returnees Association, filed a case against Thansanga, an informer to the newsletter. Thansanga had also said that Zorampara was the one who recruited the murderers from Manipur.^[40] On 17 May , Zoramthanga filed a defamation case against Thansanga,^[41] as well as James Thanghmingliana, the publisher, and David M.

Thangliana, the editor.^[42][43]

References

External links