Mizoram nears final settlement as HPC(D) agrees to peace accord, set for April 14

Aizawl, April 7: The Mizoram government is poised to bring an end to one of its longest-running insurgencies with the signing of a peace accord with the Lalhmingthanga Sanate-led faction of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) on April 14 at Sakawrdai village along the State’s border with Manipur.

State home department officials said the agreement will be formalised between the Home Secretary, representing the government, and HPC (D) president Lalhmingthanga Sanate, in the presence of Adviser to the Chief Minister (Political) Lalmuanpuia Punte.

The signing ceremony will coincide with the formal surrender of 43 cadres, who are expected to lay down arms before authorities and begin reintegration into civilian life later this month.

The groundwork for the agreement was finalised during recent discussions between government representatives and an HPC (D) delegation led by Sanate in Aizawl. The meeting, held at the office of Lalmuanpuia Punte, resulted in a consensus that officials say will effectively draw the curtains on the Hmar insurgency in Mizoram.

Sources indicated that the Sanate faction has not raised any political demands during the negotiations. Instead, the settlement centres on developmental assurances, particularly aimed at improving rural connectivity in the Sinlung Hills Council (SHC) area. The agreement also includes provisions for rehabilitation of former militants and a blanket amnesty. Compensation for surrendered weapons will be disbursed in line with rates prescribed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Sanate-led group is widely regarded as the last surviving faction of the Hmar insurgency that began in the late 1980s. The movement traces its origins to the formation of the Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) in 1986 as a political platform advocating self-governance for Hmar-inhabited areas in northern and northeastern Mizoram. By April 1987, the HPC had launched an armed campaign seeking the creation of an autonomous district council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, a demand that led to heightened violence, peaking around 1991.

A major breakthrough came on July 27, 1994, when the Mizoram government and the HPC signed a Memorandum of Settlement, paving the way for the establishment of the Sinlung Hills Development Council (SHDC). Following the accord, as many as 308 militants surrendered along with their arms.

However, discontent over the implementation of the agreement led to a split within the organisation. A section of cadres broke away to form the HPC(D) under the leadership of Lalhmingthanga Sanate, continuing the insurgent movement.

The group later fragmented further after Sanate aligned with Kuki militant formations, resulting in the emergence of a rival faction led by H Zosangbera, which gained prominence in the 2000s. The Zosangbera faction entered into negotiations with the State government and signed a peace agreement on April 2, 2018. This accord led to the dissolution of the SHDC and the creation of the Sinlung Hills Council under the Sinlung Hills Council Act, 2018, granting enhanced autonomy to the region.

Despite these developments, the Sanate faction remained outside the peace process, operating from bases in Hmarkhawlien and Lakhipur in Assam’s Cachar district. Over the years, its activities reportedly diminished, with the group largely reduced to sporadic incidents of extortion in parts of Cachar and northern Mizoram. With the proposed signing of the agreement next week, officials expressed confidence that Mizoram will finally put to rest the last vestiges of the Hmar insurgency, marking a significant milestone in the State’s sustained efforts to maintain peace and stability.