Zoramthanga talks about his meeting with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai in his autobiography

Aizawl: Once a dreaded militant and now a leading politician in North East, Zoramthanga has completed writing his autobiography, which, he terms, will be a very controversial book and is likely to be objected by both Pakistan and Chinese governments because of detail accounts of their “support” to the insurgency in Mizoram.

The two-volume book, to be called ‘MILARI’ in Mizo language, is currently being translated into English and the Mizo National Front President Zoramthanga plans to make it into a Hollywood movie in future with the potential of being at par with the flicks on the life of legendary revolutionary Che Guevara.

In an exclusive interview to PTI, the two-time Chief Minister of Mizoram expressed confidence of his party forming the next government in the state and said he will release the Mizo version of the book post the election results on December 11.

“I have written my autobiography in two volumes. It will be really, let us say, a very controversial book. (It) may be objected by Pakistan government and the Chinese also,” Zoramthanga said.

The book will have detailed descriptions of his 20 years of underground days, which will include how Dhaka had failed with the capture of Lieutenant General AAK Niazi’s one lakh troops by Indian forces, he added.

Zoramthanga informed that MNF cadres were mixed with commandoes of East Pakistan and were captured by Lieutenant General JS Arora, but later all escaped and went into jungle again.

The autobiography will talk about “how we made a dead devil James Bond type escape to East Pakistan through Rangoon and through the Arakan forest marching for days and days, how we met Bhutto and how we started peace talk with the Government of India in foreign countries”, he added.

Zoramthanga said it will also mention about how he and MNF insurgents had gone to China and “met Premier Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong, Lin Biao and Chiang Ching” along with other Chinese leaders.

“…and how we here got a help from the Chinese government in the form of arms etc. This has to be recorded. Some of the publishers dare not publish these things. But anyhow, I have written these in Mizo language and it is now being translated (into English),” the MNF President said.

Asked when he plans to release the book, Zoramthanga said the printing of the two volumes in Mizo language is already completed and once he forms the government in the state post Assembly results, it will be released.

Talking about the release of the English version, he said: “I don’t not know. Translation is starting now. (It) depends upon when it is finished. Some Mizo professors are translating it. I believe that I will find a good publisher.” Expressing his desire to see his life on the silver screen, Zoramthanga said his autobiography has all the spices and plots to become a wonderful Hollywood movie if any producer comes forward.

He, however, is not interested in giving the book to Bollywood as the Mumbai-based industry may not have the courage to showcase everything that includes MNF’s fights and strategies against the Indian government… and many other sensitive information.

“So in India, they may not like to make it into a Bollywood movie. But in the United States, where everything they dare to make it, I believe that it will be at some sort of par with the Che Guevara’s those underground days movie. And I will try to publish these and make it into a movie. And it will be a very good movie for the Hollywood people,” Zoramthanga said.

After releasing the English version of the book, if any Hollywood movie maker shows interest, he is ready to discuss and make the project successful, he said enthusiastically.

‘MILARI’ is the name of Zoramthanga’s daughter. It is also a collection of initials of different words.

“MI stands for Mizoram, LA stands for Lalpa that means Lord and R stands for arrangements — Remruatna arrangement. The last one ‘I’ took it for myself. That is, Mizoram — the lord’s arrangements and myself. And the book is going to be called MILARI,” he added.

He informed that he had dictated the autobiography to his stenographer, who typed it for him.

When the Mizo Freedom Movement started in 1966, Zoramthanga joined the underground agitation and moved to the jungle.

MNF’s secessionist movement came to an end in 1986, when it signed the Mizo Peace Accord with the Government of India and created a separate state for the Mizos, called Mizoram. When the MNF formed the government in 1987 under the leadership of Laldenga, Zoramthanga looked after Finance and Education departments. In 1990, when Laldenga died, he became the President of the MNF.

In the Assembly elections of 1998, he led his party to victory and became the Chief Minister of Mizoram and was re-elected in 2003 for the second consecutive term.

MNF this time has fought in all the 40 constituencies during the Assembly polls, which took place on November 28, and the party is hoping to win over 25 seats.