Bidrohi Mizo

After his morning meal, Rangchwanga lit a bidi and strolled from his ward. He stopped abruptly at the sight of a familiar face. Though the years had changed him, the man was unmistakable. “Hey,” Rangchwanga called out. “Aren’t you Thanglura?” The man turned. “Yes. I am Thanglura.” “You have changed,” Rangchwanga said, smiling. “Gained a little weight. I almost walked past you.” “Jail food sits heavy,” Thanglura joked, though his eyes were tired. “But tell me, I haven’t seen you around. Where were you hiding?” ...

After Rangchwanga and the others were released from jail, the landscape of the Mizo hills began to shift rapidly. Armed clashes between security forces and rebels still erupted in the Jhumpai region near Aizawl, with casualties on both sides, but these skirmishes were pushed to the back pages of the newspapers. Instead, the spotlight turned to the city-based political parties. Negotiations were underway in Delhi. Mizo leaders were meeting with the Prime Minister, demanding full statehood for the district. Headlines screamed that factions of the Mizo National Front (MNF) were coming to an “understanding” with the government. ...