Research Articles Insurgency and its Effect on Family Life, Mental Health and Education: An Analysis of Mizoram Lynda Zohmingliani* Lalhmangaihzuali** Introduction Rationale Mizoram, one of the smallest states of India, situated It is important for every society to know about its history in the northeastern hills of India, is now awarded the and how it has developed to the present status. The distinction of being the happiest state in India based on a development of Mizoram cannot be interpreted without number of factors, amid a raging pandemic. If one takes a mentioning its struggle for independence. The statehood look at the history of the state 45 years back, the situation that the people of Mizoram are enjoying right now has was very much different from the young region fighting been fought out with a great struggle and torment. The re- insurgency and none of its people at peace. Mizos, a location of people and the treatment they received from rather naïve tribe located in the far northeast corner of both sections, i.e., Mizo National Front and Indian army, the country had virtually no idea about the other parts had a severe impact on the life of Mizo tribes not only of India. They did not know human rights and were not physically but also mentally. Family life was extremely aware of any atrocities committed against them. The tampered with, due to drastic measures taken up by the insurgency had a detrimental impact on the health and government at that time. Since family life closely affects family life of the people and the effects continue even the mental state of a person, it can be easily assumed that today although the state has now become one of the most in this case too, the mental health of several individuals peaceful of the northeast states. must have been affected deeply. This present study is thus In its struggle for independence, Mizoram experienced an attempt to find out just how deep Mizoram’s struggle insurgency for two decades back from 1966 to 1986. for independence affected the family life and mental Insurgency should not be confused with terrorism but the health of people, their education and their daily lives. conditions that prevail are much the same in these two The findings of this work are expected to yield much- circumstances. Terrorism is the use of violence, especially needed information regarding the impact of insurgency murder and bombing, to achieve political aims or to force and any form of disturbance of daily living like violation a government to do something1. On the other hand, an of human rights. It is also expected that such work should insurgency is a condition of revolt against a government also bring out other researchers to work on the same topic that is less than an organised revolution and that is not in different locations. Most of all, it is envisioned that the recognized as belligerency2. However, it is not without results would educate people regarding the protection of violence and the resultant physical and mental pain. human rights in times of difficulty and the value of peace When insurgency took place in Mizoram, not only did for all humanity. the people’s everyday life suffer, their whole morale was weighed down to such a level that they had no pride left. Review of Related Literature Young and old, male and female could not be left alone and everyone had to endure the physical and mental Vanchiau, (2014) in his work entitled Rambuai Literature torture of the disruption it brought. which contains a detailed account of the insurgency, * Associate Professor, Department of Education, Mizoram wrote about the occurrence of village grouping and the University, Tanhril, Aizawl, Mizoram. appointment of ‘Pointers’ or ‘Kawktu’ who did the job ** Senior Research Fellow, Department of Education, of anonymously pointing out the insurgents. The book Mizoram University, Tanhril, Aizawl, Mizoram. also contained songs and poems all lamenting the loss of Summerhill: IIAS Review, Vol. XXVI, No. 2 (Winter 2020) 75 loved ones, the need for forgiveness and the beauty of and mental health. Therefore, it is mainly descriptive in Mizo life. its approach and analytical in nature. It tries to describe Zoramthanga (2016), in his book entitled Mizo the status of insurgency within the state and at the same Hnam Movement History, gave a detailed account of the time, it also tries to analyse the effect of this situation on nationalism movement of the Mizos. The author wrote the educational development of students. about how nationalism arose in the minds of the Mizos, how insurgency started and his life as an insurgent. The Population and Sample book also contained how peace was gained after a long period of insurgency. The population for the present study comprised of R. Vanlawma (1989), in his autobiography titled Ka all individuals who have firsthand experience of the Ram Leh Kei, penned down his experience of the Mizoram insurgency in Mizoram. A total of 100 individuals were Insurgency. He wrote about the Mautam Famine, how randomly selected from Aizawl city as samples for the the MNF was formed and how insurgency was started. study. He also wrote about the educational status, society administration and village grouping. The book also Collection of Data contained how Mizoram became a Union Territory. Lalsawia (1994), in his book Zoram Hming-Hmel, Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. discussed how Mizoram was introduced to politics, how For the secondary data, historical accounts written by Mizoram was once one of the districts of Assam, how it Mizo historians as well as electronic sources were made had a District Council when it became a Union Territory use of. and a fully-fledged state. It also contains how Mizoram For primary data, the investigators prepared an experienced and suffered twenty years of insurgency, interview schedule as well as a questionnaire that was how the Mizos suffered ruthless assault, village grouping administered to the sample individuals after taking their and famines. consent. It is apparent from the reviewed literature that the insurgency affected a wide range of people inside Analysis of Data Mizoram. Not only was their livelihood disturbed, but their family itself was also torn apart due to insurgency. As the present study is mainly descriptive in its approach, It can only be assumed how much all these would have descriptive statistics like percentages were mainly used affected the mental status of the people. This makes the for the analysis of data. present study relevant from a scholarly point of view Findings Objectives The present study was conducted with the following objectives in mind: 1. Brief History of Insurgency in Mizoram 1. To write a brief history of insurgency in Mizoram. Mizoram faced Mautam (Bamboo flowering) in 1956 2. To prepare an age profile of sample individuals who which led to a massive increase in the rodent population had experienced insurgency in Mizoram. and thus caused a severe famine. Mizo National Famine 3. To analyse the effect of the insurgency on the family Front (MNFF) was formed for the welfare of people life of Mizos. suffering famine. After the famine was over in 1961, the 4. To find out the effect of the insurgency on students’ non-political organisation MNFF was transformed into attendance of schools. Mizo National Front (MNF). Right from the start, the 5. To study the effect of regrouping of families on the MNF grew gradually and soon covered the whole of educational development of students. Mizoram3. There was no area out of their reach and many 6. To assess the result of going underground on the young men were recruited as members with a dream of education of students. fighting for an independent Mizoram. 7. To study the effect of the insurgency on the mental Under the command of Pu Laldenga, MNF gained a health of Mizos. strong back up from the Mizo people who were influenced Methodology by the idea to create a separate Mizo Nation which was the MNF party doctrine. On February 28, 1966, the bottled- The present study is an attempt to find out Mizoram’s up anger against Assam for ignoring their plea during the struggle for independence and its effect on family life famines, against India as they believed the country did 76 Insurgency and its Effect on Family Life, Mental Health and Education them no justice, found its release in the form of Operation this time and Pachhunga University College, Lunglei Jeriko. In preparation for this unprecedented assault, the Government College and the erstwhile Zirtiri Women’s Mizo district had been declared a disturbed area under college were born during this time. In 1986 the Union the Assam Disturbed Area Act 1955 and the fate of the of India under Rajiv Gandhi and the MNF signed the people was sealed. Mizoram Peace Accord and Pu Laldenga was made the Mizoram faced its Dark Period from that moment. The chief minister. insurgents based in the forests and attacked the armed forces occasionally. The Indian army through Lt. General 2. In order to prepare a sample profile of individuals who had Sam Manekshaw proposed a spatialization of villages4. faced insurgency at various stages of their lives, the sample The Mizos were subjected to the regrouping. Three or four individuals were divided according to age groups and findings villages were grouped into one village. Once the villages were as follows: were emptied, they were burnt out with the plan to leave nothing behind to sustain the insurgents. The sufferings - Out of 100 respondents 8 were above 80 years old of the people those times were inexplicable because even and were 38 years old (±) during the insurgency.