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 Mizoram s political history over the past century. At the heart of it is Lal Thanhawla, or Pu Hawla, Mizoram s 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 Thanhawla s 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 Laldenga s Mizo National Front, the Congress and the People s Conference, the book carefully traces Mizoram's rocky road towards peace and stability.
Based on hundreds of interviews conducted over two years and through access to rare archival material, Hazarika s 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 Hazarika s 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