Lal Thanhawla: The Boy From Zarkawt, And The Making Of Mizoram

About the Book A SWEEPING, AUTHORITATIVE RECORD OF THE TUMULTUOUS EVOLUTION OF MIZORAM. Mizoram, a land shaped by the heavy-handed interference of the British, forged in the shadows of AFSPA, toughened by adversity and conflict. Over several decades, this state has steered through revolutionary fervour and a high-stakes transition to arrive at a hard-won peace, followed by a challenging road to development. But how did it achieve this? Researcher, author and journalist Sanjoy Hazarika delivers the definitive account of Mizorams political history over the past century. At the heart of it is Lal Thanhawla, or Pu Hawla, Mizorams longest-serving chief minister, who has walked many a political tightrope within the state to improve the prospects of his fellow Mizos. Hazarika masterfully outlines Lal Thanhawlas sophisticated dance of diplomacy and networking with major political stakeholders, highlighting his bold, often controversial decisions to unlock the resources needed for the young, developing region. From the battlefield to the ballot box, from Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi to Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi, and the cut-throat rivalry between Laldengas Mizo National Front, the Congress and the Peoples Conference, the book carefully traces Mizorams rocky road towards peace and stability. Based on hundreds of interviews conducted over two years and through access to rare archival material, Hazarikas Lal Thanhawla is a study of resilience, of the cost of progress, and an unflinching portrayal of the game of chess that continues to define the unique politics of the Northeast. About the Author Sanjoy Hazarikas debut book was Bhopal: Lessons of a Tragedy (Penguin), which The Observer of London called one of the best science books of 1988. He is the author of several acclaimed books such as The Strangers of the Mist (Viking Penguin), Strangers No More (Aleph), Rites of Passage (Penguin) and Writing on the Wall (Penguin). In 2025, Speaking Tiger published his travelogue River Traveller: Journeys on the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra from Tibet to the Bay of Bengal. He has co-authored a number of books including Hope Behind Bars (Pan MacMillan) and Northeast India and Japan: Engagement Through Connectivity (Routledge). He has also contributed to several anthologies, including the Routledge Companion to Northeastern India, and has made over a dozen documentary films. The founder of the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES), which pioneered the unique boat clinics in Assam, he has also set up CNESPR at Jamia Millia Islamia. Hazarika reported for sixteen years for The New York Times out of South Asia and was international director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). He has received numerous awards, including the Rotary Award for Peace Writing in 2023, and fellowships to Harvard University and Tufts University. A columnist for The Telegraph and The Tribune, he also contributes to other national and international media such as The Hindu and HIMAL magazine.