Army to a leading light of Mizoram: Brigadier Thenphunga Sailo

Former Mizoram chief minister Brigadier (retd) Thenphunga Sailo

Former Mizoram chief minister Brigadier (retd) Thenphunga Sailo, one of the prominent voices against the human rights violation by the armed forces’ in 1970s in the insurgency-hit Mizo hills, died at a private hospital in Aizawl on Friday. He was 93.

Family members said Sailo was having trouble in breathing and was rushed to the hospital, where he passed away about an hour later. He had been undergoing treatment for lung problems for sometime, but was well enough to stay at his home in Aizawl’s Kanan Veng until his condition suddenly deteriorated.

READ: Former Mizoram CM Brigadier T Sailo passes away in Aizawl

Son of an erstwhile Mizo chief, Sailo fought the Second World War for the British and became the first Indian Army officer from the Mizo community.

As a Brigadier, he was posted in Orissa and Bihar during the floods of 1960s, and also honoured for distinguished service in providing relief to the victims.

When Sailo returned home in the early 1970s, he established the Human Rights Committee to counter the Indian Army’s aggressive anti-insurgency campaign. His movement evolved into a political party called the People’s Conference (now the Mizoram People’s Conference), and Sailo became CM for six months in 1978, and again from 1979 to 1984. His government pushed for “six basic needs” — of food, power, water supply, communication, transport system and rural development, as well as the need to build capital Aizawl in a planned manner.

Sailo also aggressively backed the long-held dream of integrating all Mizo-dominated regions in the northeast, Bangladesh and Myanmar. He was a prominent supporter of a movement by the Chins of western Myanmar to join the Indian Union, which, however, died due to lack of support from New Delhi and suppression by Rangoon.

His government, however, has faced criticism for human rights violations by a core group of policemen known as “Special Force”, while suppressing the MNF fighters and even sympathisers. Sailo’s party never regained its glory after Mizoram attained statehood in 1986, and it has had to be content with either being a smaller partner in the MNF-led governments or being seated in the Opposition.

Sailo himself remained active in politics and was till 2013-end one of two legislators for his party. He announced his retirement on July 24 last year and read out a short speech without spectacles. His son, retired IRS officer Lalhmangaiha Sailo, has since taken over the reins of the MPC.

Source:: Indian Express