Mizoram’s former three-term Chief Minister and MNF president had completed his graduation in 1966 but could not collect his degree certificate after going underground to join the Mizo National Front’s armed movement
Zoramthanga, president of the Mizo National Front (MNF) and a three-time former Chief Minister of Mizoram, is set to receive his long-awaited graduation degree certificate from Gauhati University nearly six decades after completing his undergraduate examination.
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In 1966, Zoramthanga appeared for his final graduation examination from Dhanamanjuri College in Manipur, then affiliated with Gauhati University, with English as his major subject. Having joined the Mizo National Front, led by Laldenga, in 1965, he went underground soon after completing his examination and subsequently became involved in the armed struggle launched by the organisation.
According to the university’s results, Zoramthanga passed the examination with a Second Class in English. However, as he had gone underground, he was unable to collect his graduation certificate at the time.
Despite spending two decades underground and subsequently dedicating more than four decades to public life, Zoramthanga has carefully preserved the certificates he received from Gauhati University after clearing the matriculation and pre-university examinations conducted by the university.
On August 20, 2026, 60 years after successfully completing his graduation, Zoramthanga will finally receive his degree certificate from Gauhati University. The certificate will be formally handed over to the 82-year-old former Chief Minister by the university’s Vice-Chancellor at a ceremonial event scheduled to be held at 2:30 pm at the Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall.
Born in 1944, Zoramthanga’s journey from an underground guerrilla fighter to one of Mizoram’s most prominent political figures will also be highlighted during a special lecture organised to mark the historic occasion.
The Amiy Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, the Gauhati University Institute of North East India Studies, and the Centre for South East Asian Studies, Gauhati University, are jointly organising the special lecture. Zoramthanga will speak on the theme, “From Guerrilla Fighter to a Peace Maker.”
From Guerrilla Fighter to Chief Minister
Zoramthanga went underground in 1966 and emerged as one of Laldenga’s most trusted associates. For two decades, until the signing of the Mizoram Peace Accord in 1986, he remained closely associated with Laldenga and played a significant role in shaping the MNF’s organisational and diplomatic strategies.
He was also involved in managing the MNF’s military and political camps established in the erstwhile East Pakistan, present-day Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan, reportedly with the cooperation of intelligence agencies and military establishments in those countries. Zoramthanga also played a key role in establishing ties with China and in facilitating peace negotiations with the Government of India while the MNF leadership was based in Europe.
Following the 1986 Mizoram Peace Accord, Mizoram attained full statehood in 1987. Zoramthanga subsequently served as Education and Finance Minister in the coalition government formed by the MNF under Laldenga in alliance with the Congress.
After Laldenga’s death in 1990, Zoramthanga took over as president of the MNF, a position he continues to hold.
He served as Chief Minister of Mizoram for three terms—two consecutive terms from 1998 to 2008, followed by another term from 2018 to 2023. During his political career, Zoramthanga played a prominent role in shaping Mizoram as one of the most peaceful states in the Northeast and advancing the state’s development, particularly in education and human development.
Autobiography Published by Penguin Books
In 2026, internationally renowned publisher Penguin Books published Zoramthanga’s autobiography, From Guerrilla Fighter to Chief Minister. The book has already received considerable attention and appreciation in India and abroad.
At the special lecture on August 20, Zoramthanga is expected to reflect on several aspects of his extraordinary life journey, from his years as an underground fighter and his role in the peace process to his subsequent political career and tenure as Mizoram’s Chief Minister.
The lecture will be inaugurated by Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Nani Gopal Mahanta. Subhash Chandra Das, Chairman of the Governing Body of the Amiy Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, will attend the programme as the Guest of Honour.
