Mizo Nationalism leh Act East Policy

Hman ni lawk, October 16, 2026 khan Mizoram ICFAI University leh Mizo National Front (MNF) Headquarters ten ‘Symposium on Mizo Nationalism-the way Forward’ tih an hman kha ka lo thlir ve a; a ngaihnawm ka ti khawp mai. An resource person pakhat zawk, Dr. Lalrinzuali (Pu Laldenga fanu)-in Sikkim a rawn sawi chhuak a, development-in an hnam identity a hliahkhuhin a ei ral a, an ṭawng (Lepcha) pawh a ral mek a ni tih a rawn sawi kha a chhinchhiah tlak ka ti hle mai. Hei vang hian ‘Mizo nation’ chu eng nge ni tih hi tunlai kan ram politics inlumlet karah hian bawhzui ṭulin ka hria a, ka rawn ziah chhan ber a ni e.

Indopui II-na hnu lamah khan European awpbehna (colonial rule) aṭangin Third World Country an tih mai ṭhin leh developing country ni mek bawkte aṭangin zalenna (independence) ram tam takin an hmu a, India ram pawh kan nih ve kha. Heng ram chhungah leh khawvel hmun dangah pawh mahni hnam bil inhung hran duhna a nasa hle a, ram buaina chi hrang hrangin a zui deuh vek hlawm a ni. Kan hmachhawn mek globalization pawh hian ram changkang zawk thlengin mahni hnam bil inhung hran duhna a hring chhuak bawk.

India pawh hetah hian kan bâng lo va, India hmarchhak (Northeast) phei chu a hluar ber pawl kan nih ṭhin kha. Nagaland-ah te, Tripura-ah te, Assam ramah te, Mizoram, Manipur leh Meghalaya thlengin kan buai vek a ni. India sawrkarin nuhrawn ang taka a enkawlna hnuaiah hian mahni hnam leh nihna (identity) humhim turin autonomy movement chi hrang hrang a awm ta sup sup a ni ber. Tripura leh Assam ram bikah hi chuan ram dang aṭanga pêm lut (migrant population) tam lutuk avanga a ram mite (indigenous people) chêp ta lutukin a hrin chhuah movement-te a ni hlawm. Northeast India-a movement tam zawk kha chu mahni inrêlbâwl duhna (right to self-determination) avanga irh chhuak a ni ber bawk.

Hetianga khawvel hmun hrang hrang leh India rama buainate hian social scientist-ho beng a verh hle a, ethnic conflict, ethnic identity crisis, tibal nationalism, etc titein min sawi a, newspaper pawh a luah khat hle ṭhin a nih kha. Kan buai chhan leh movement chi hrang hrang kan neih chhan, a bik takin keini India hmarchhak hnam leh ramte hi i lo thlir deuh bik teh ang.

Ethnicity, ethnic leh nation term-te hi kan hriat chian deuh a ṭul awm e. Ethnicity hi Greek ṭawng ‘ethnikos’ aṭanga lak a ni a, a awmzia chu nation, mipui, tribe, caste tihna a ni awm e. Anthropologist-ho chuan race aiah ethnicity term hman an duh zawk tawh ṭhin a ni. Khawthlang lamah chuan ethnic hi Western society pawn lama mi, marginal group sawi nan an lo hmang ṭhin a. Chutiang deuh chuan India rama dominant group inti ho, academician-te pawh telin, te hian keini tlangmi, Scheduled Tribe hrang hrangte movement hi ethnic movement chi hrang hrangah min puhsak ta a ni.

Academic debate tam tak zingah Robert H. Jackson hi han thlûr deuh ila. Jackson chuan hnam hrang hrangin negative movement chi hrang hrang nei tura kan in-mobilize dan hre fiah turin–ethnic category, ethnic group, ethno-nation titein a dah a. Ethnic category-te chu hnam hlawm khat, ṭawng khat hmang, culture leh nunphung inang tlangte an ni a, mahse, politically unmobilized-te an ni. Heng ethnic category-te hi political consciousness avanga mobilize an lo nihin ethnic group angin an lo inhlawm khawm (organized) ta ṭhin a ni.

Khawvela mihring tu pawh mai hi, kan ngaihven emaw, ngaihven lo emaw, eng ethnic category-ah emaw member kan ni vek a. Heta pawimawh ta chu ethnic awareness hi eng chen nge chawh thawh a nih a, chawh thawh a nih chuan engtin chiahin nge socio-political activity-ah chantir a nih tih hi a ni. Hetah hian identity hi a pawimawh ta a ni. Identity chuan mi ethnic category-a member a nihna a ngaihhlut leh hlut lohah a innghat a, hnama member kan nihna kan ngaihhlutna tak kha identity tehfung chu a ni ta a. Chumi chawisang tura politics taka hmalakna chu ethnic mobilization a ni. Chu chuan ethnic category chu ethnic group-ah a hlangkai thei. Mizorama Chakma-te pawh dormant ethnic category aṭangin tunah chuan politically conscious ethnic group an ni a, idenity mumal tak nen an in-organize tawh a ni. Heta ṭang hian public authority neih tumin an bei fan fan a, autonomous distract council an neih phat aṭang khan ethnic group mai ni tawh lovin ethno-nation an lo ni ta a. Chu chu kan saw tum tak nation erawh an la ni lo.

Paul Brass chuan ethnic group chu mi dang laka anmahni thliar hranna tura objective cultural criteria–culture, ṭawng, history leh tradition thuhmun neite hi an ni, a ti a. TK Oommen thung chuan, ethnic group chu anmahni ram (ancestor homeland) pawna anmahni nihna life-style tungdingtute hi an ni, a tih belh a. Hei hi kan pawm tur ngei chu a ni. Chutichuan, Bengali pawh Assam-ah chuan ethnic group an ni a, Tamil ho pawh West Bengal-ah chuan ethnic group an ni dawn a, Germans ho pawh France-ah chuan ethnic group an ni dawn a ni. Tichuan, ethnic group chu hnam hlawm khat, mahse, anmahni ram ngei aṭanga hnawh darh (uprooted from ancestral homeland)-te an ni. Northeast India-ah hian tute nge ethnic group chu a chiang tawh mai awm e.

Nation chu eng nge ni ta? Ethnic group-te chuan anmahni ram ngei, ancestral homeland ngeia thuneihna (political authority) an neih chuan chung mite ngei chu nation chu an ni ta a. He nation concept hi European reality khuan eng emaw chenah ngaihdan leh hriatthiamna a tibuai ṭhin a, an concept ‘One nation, one state’ tih hi Europe-ah dik mah se, ram dangah a dik ve thei si lo a ni. German cultural nation chu Germany political state hnuaiah an awm mai a, chutiang bawkin French pawh France-ah, Italian pawh Italy-ah. Ram dangah hman kan tumin a buaithlak ta ṭhin a ni. Hei ngei hi Third World ramte zinga nation-building leh state-formation tibuaithlaktu chu a ni rêng a.

India ram chu cultural category tam tak awmna ram a ni a, multi-nation state kan ni a, political state leh cultural nation hi hriat pawlh loh tur a ni. North East-ah ringawt pawh cultural category/entity tam tak an awm a, chung zingah chuan Mizote pawh kan ni ve a. History thuhmun, ṭawng thuhmun, khawsak dan inang, culture leh tradition thuhmun, sakhaw thuhmun, pipute aṭang tawha mahni ram (ancestral homeland) ngeia thuneihna (political authority) tu’ma la chhuhsak tak tak ngai loh neitu dik takte kan ni. Greek ṭawng origin aṭangin emaw, social scientist-te deliberation aṭangin emaw, empirical reality aṭanga chhûtin emaw pawh ni se, Mizote hi nation dik tak kan ni a; kan nationality humhalh leh tundin zel chu kan mawhphurhna liau liau a ni. Mizo national identity chu MNF movement khan a chawk tho va, Mizo hnahthlakte thinlungah a nemnghet a, a champiom-pui bawk a. Hei hi tu’ma sawisel phak lova ni chhuak anga chiang a ni. MNF overground politics leh party dang politics-te hian chu hnam nihna (nationalism) chu a humhalh rêng em tih hi mi tinin kan ngaihven tur chu a ni ta a. Hei hi Mizo hnahthlakte tan chuan kan survivl life-line tak meuh a ni.

Bodo-ho buaina ber chu an ram (ancestral homeland) anga an lo ngaih ve ṭhin, an chenna Bangladesh aṭanga lutte’n an ûm chhuak a, an nêk sâwr a, an mangang au thawm kha na tak a ni ṭhin. Chutiang bawkin Assam movement te, Tripura-a tribal movement hrang hrangte pawh kan sawi tâk nation leh ethnic group inkara innêksâwr vel vang a ni ber. A tâwpkhâwkah chuan India rama lairil luahtu inti (mainstream India) intite hian hmân aṭang tawhin keini Northeast mi te, a bikin tlangmite hi an society páwna mi, ethnic group, frontier/ jungle mi, exploit tâwk chauha ngaia min hnâwl a, min marginalize-na rah chhuah a ni tlangpui. Nation kan nihna ang hian min dawr ve se kan duh a ni ber mai.

India Act East Policy

Kum 1962-a India leh China indo aṭang khan India leh China hi south leh south east Asia ramte chungah kawng tinrengin chungnun inchuhin an intlansiak a ni ber a. India ram chu Cold War hun chhung zawng khan south east Asia ram nena inlaichinna neih a tím deuh ṭhin a. Chuvangin, ASEAN ram–Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia leh Timor-Leste te nena inlaichinna kawngah China ûm phâk ngei tumin, Cold War a tâwp tâk bawk avangin chak takin ke a pên ta a ni.

Keini North East India te hi trading hub atana ruahmanin, Myanmar kaltlangin Asia ram dangte kalpawh a tum ta a. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao chuan November 1992 khan India Look East Policy a hawng ta a ni. Look East Policy chuan south east Asian ram te, a bikin ASEAN member ramte nena sumdawnna lama thawhhona a kâwk ber. Prme Minister Narendra Modi-a hruai NDA a sawrkar hnu khan Look East Policy chu duh tawk lovin, PM Modi khan 12th ASEAN-India Summit neih ṭumin India Look East Policy chu economic sumdawnna lam ringawt ni lovin, kawng tam taka chak taka hma la turin India Act East Policy-a thlak a nih thu a puang a; Act East Policy chu Look East Policy upgrade-na a ni tiin Novmber 2014 khan a puang a ni. Look East Policy kha chuan ASEAN ramte a tinzâwn a, Act East Policy chuan south east Asian ramte (ASEAN ramte) mai ni lovin, east Asia ram–Japan, Korea, Pacific region leh Australia thlengin a huam ta a ni. Act East Policy 4Cs an tih mai ṭhin–Culture, Connectivity, Commerce, Capacity Building te chu hmathehah hman a ni.

Centre pawimawh tak tura duan chu Sittwe port (Myanmar) a ni. Sittwe port hi India leh hmarchhakte tana South East kailawn leh gateway a ni tawh ang. ‘Chicken neck corridor Siliguri’ an tih ṭhin chu a thlak dawn a, khawmual leh tuipuiah Northeast leh India a thlun zawm dawn a ni. Sittwe port hian India, Myanmar, Thailand leh aouth Asia leh south east Asia ramte hnaivai takin min ṭhui zawm tawh dawn a ni.

Look East Policy a nih lai khan thil tam tak bawhzui a ni a. Kum 2009-a Sittwe Project Agreement tihfel a nih aṭang khan India sawrkar ruahman angin Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project hnuaiah nasa takin hmalak a ni zui a. He project hian chhawng thum a nei dawn a; Kolkata aṭangin Bay of Bengal kaltlangin Sittwe port a pawh ang a, Sittwe aṭangin Kaladan lui kawngah km. 158-a thuiin Paletwa, Myanmar khawthlang lama mi a pawh leh ang a, Paletwa aṭangin two-lane highway-in Zorinpui, Mizoram chhim tâwp a pawh leh dawn a ni. Zorinpui aṭang hian Mizoram kaltlangin India highway network pawh chuk tura ruahman a ni a, NE India hmun dang leh Bangladesh thlengin kawng thlûr sung tura ruahman a ni bawk. Mizoram chhim lamah chuan kawng siam pawh thuang takin a kal a, Silchar-Aizawl four lane pawh ṭan a ni ta mek a, rail kawngin Sairang a thleng ta bawk. Heta tana hma latu ber chu National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (Ministry of Road Ttansport and Highway, Govt. of India) a ni.

Act East Policy atana a hnuk pawimawh zinga mi India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway Project, Myanmar kaltlanga India leh Thailand ṭhui zawmtu tur pawh beih tluk tluk a ni a; Thailand aṭangin Loas, Cambodia, Vietnam te a pawh bawk ang. Agarlata-Akhaura (Chittagong district, Bangladesh) Rail Link te, Northeast leh Bangladesh ṭhui zawmtu tur inland waterway te pawh ngawrh taka beih a ni bawk. Chutichuan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar leh Thailand te hi motor kawngpui leh tuikawng (waterway)-a ṭhui zawm vek a ni ang a, Mizoram chu a kawtchhuah a ni dawn a ni ber mai. Zorinpui phei chu Zorinpui Land Check Post tih a ni dawn a, India rama lut leh chhuak tana authorized immigration check post a ni dawn a ni. Sittwe port peih a ni tawh a, hawn a ni tawh bawk a, India ram chhung lam peih thawkhat a ni tawh. Mutàn la awm chu Myanmar ram buai leh military coup vanga hna tluang lo, Paletwa-Zorinpui two-lane highway te, Trilateral Highway Project, Myanmar kaltlang te hi a ni.

Hengte avang hian Mizoram chu kawtchhuah thar a ni dawn a, tun aṭanga kum 3-5 ah chuan kan dinhmun a danglam dâwrh ang. Sairanga rel lo lut mahin ILP chungchangah nghawng a nei nghal a nih chuan, full swing-a Act East Policy-in min tuam tak tak hunah chuan migrant population-in min nêk na hle dawn a; Assam rama Bodo buaina te, ULFA buaina te aiin a nêp chuang lo vang. Bangladesh hi a ngai rengin a la over-populated si a, pêm chhuahna remchang an zawng reng a ni ber.

Myanmar te, Thailand te, Northeast hmun dang leh India ram hmun dang nen pawha kan inchiahpiah nasa lutuk tur hian development pêng hrang hranga hmasawnna kan tih ṭhin a tihawlsam sawt rualin, Mizo hnam hi min ei chhe ngei ngei dawn a. Mizo nihna (Mizo nationalism) hi a nêkchêp hle dawn tih a chiang hle. Hemi rual hian nawnchen châkna nasa takin a pung ngei dawn a, kawng tinrengah corruption a hluar bawk ang. Tun ai fê hian drug leh ruihhlo harsatna hian min nêk na ngei dawn bawk tih pawh i hre tel ang u. Heta tana ding nghet thei, ding nghet zo hruaitu hrang hrang–politics, kohhran, NGO-ah kan mamawh a; pawnlawi development ringawtin min chhan zo lo vang.

Ram leh Mizo nihna tak tak, kan identity a tlukchhiat rualin kohhran a dêldûl tulh tulh dawn tih hria ila. Value system mumal nei lovin, khawvel ke pên ruala pênin, khawvelin min ei dal thei hle dawn tih pawh i hre tel ang u. Hengte hi khél lova kan hmachhawn tur a ni.

Heta tan hian kan sawrkar hi a inring tawk em? Kan governance system hi a ṭha tawk em? Kan local government system-te hi a rintlak tawkin, hma la tak tak turin thuneihna an nei tawk em? Tuna kan sawrkar hian Mizoram Village Council Act a siamṭha ngei tak nâ a, kan sawi tak zawng zawng lo thleng thei hmachhawn turin a ṭha tâwk lem lo. Kohhrante pawh hian tun aia activity-oriented ringawt lo, nunna thutak-oiented zawnga ke kan pên chu a ṭul dawn.

Politician-te zinga mi tak, ram leh thutak humhalh thei tur mi kan hriat theihna tura mipui min tifing thei tur political education pawh kan mamawh dawn a ni. Kan politics hi election ringawt tinzawna party kan inepna leh, ram leh hnam hnuk pawisa lo lêka mipui leh ram tana service provide tak tak thleng pha si lova development kan uarna te, hnam tana kan ro hlu–ILP, Constitution 371G, Peace Accord te hi politicize-a party innêk nana hmang fo lo va, hnam humhalh nan a taka hman mai ching tawh ila, hnam humhalh nana kan hman ṭhat leh ṭhat loh inenfiah zawk ila a ṭha awm e. Zoram mipuite i harhin i fing thar ang u.

Kan politician-te hi mite hmaa chawimawi kan nihna leh confidence kan neih viau lai hian, hnam ei chhetu kan lo ni palh hlauh dah ang nge. Kan NGO leh civil society hrang hrangte hian function hmanga inchawimawi tawn ringawt bànsanin, a tak ram thlen phak i tum ang u. Pressure group kan nihnate hmang ṭangkai ila, sawrkar khalh ngiltu kan nihnate fimkhur leh huai takin i hmang ṭangkai ang u. Sawrkar aṭanga material hlâwkna beiseina neitu aṭangin sawrkar khalh ngil a harsa fo ṭhin tih pawh i hre tel ang u.

Hei hi Mizo pa ṭhahnemngaihnain ka rawn ziak a ni e.

- Prof. C. Nunthara, Shillong