Pu Laldenga

Aizawl has been a very fascinating place for me. It is one of the most important places I stayed in my life. I always miss Aizawl. One of the reasons for this is that I got some good friends among the local people. Mr. Dohming Thanga, Mr. Lalsangzuala and Mr. Lalthanzuala will ever remain a source of inspiration for me in my life.
Today while surfing on the net for unsung heroes, I happened to visit a site about Shri Laldenga, the first Chief Minister of Mizoram, whose capital is Aizawl. So I noted down some lines about his life.

 Pu Laldenga can be described as an Iron Man, who fought for his tribe, who went through all types of strifes, pain and sufferings. Then he advocated for peace based on practical attitude towards life. Here are some lines about him-
Pu Laldenga was Chief Minister of Mizoram state in North-eastern India from 1986 till 1988. Prior to that he had led the secessionist Mizo National Front from 1960 until its disbanding following Mizo accord with Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.


His demands for separation from India became popular after the great famine of the late 1950s when starvation stalked the hills following the mautam, Assam failed to rush the needed supplies in time to its eastern most district, creating both bitterness and the foundation for Laldenga's Mizo National Front (MNF).


On the night of February 28, 1966, the MNF launched an audacious attack on the district's major towns, resulting in the March 1966 Mizo National Front uprising.
In 1986 the then Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, hammered out a deal that ended the fighting. Mizoram became a full Indian state and Laldenga its interim chief minister before his MNF won the first elections to the state legislature. However, defections toppled him from office. He died in 1990 of lung cancer at the age of 53.
Today Mizoram is one of the most peaceful states in North East India. Mizoram has surpassed even Kerala in Literacy rate. Mizoram is progressing. Her people are making others notice them in different fields. They are working sincerely for progress and appreciation of their culture. The most important thing that you may notice in Mizoram is the Women empowerment. The basic situation of women in Mizo society is good. The social structure is based on equality. Even the most educated, advanced, well settled- working at a very high post in a government office has no hesitation in taking food on the same table with the lay man of the society.

The society pays very high respects to the women and the elderly people. This is another one of the most remarkable facts about the Mizo society.
Let me hope I would again get a chance to visit and stay at Aizawl.

Diwali/Deepavali

असतो मा सदगमय  ; तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ; मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय.
The above lines are one of the basic philosophies of Indian culture. They refer to, : " Let us be guided  from untruth to Truth; Let us be guided from darkness to Light; Let us be guided from death to Life (Ambrosia). There is a time long tradition of observing or celebrating Diwali or Deepawali or Deepavali. It is a festival in which the homes are cleaned, the shops are cleaned, the neighbourhood is cleaned thouroughly. Then the places are decorated with Rangolies, flowers, Banana trunks etc. The festival is observed on Amavasya Day, when there is no moon in the sky. In the complete darkness, the places are lit with lights. Traditionally the lamps made of soil/ mud are used. Now- a- days there are so many electrical decorative lights available in the market. These are generally used luxuriously.
Lighting a lamp is of traditional and cultural importance. We always light a lamp at the beginning of an important function. The Deepawalee/ Diwali shows our determination to kill all kinds of Ignorance, sufferings (the different forms of Darkness in life) with light: light of joy, light of happiness, light of knowledge.
Tomorrow we shall celebrate Deepawalee. Let this festival bring joy and happiness to everyone's life.

Happy Divali/ happy deepawalee/ HAPPY DEEPAWALI to all concerned