Mizoram expands research into Mizo origins to reclaim historical narrative

Mizoram’s push to take charge of its historical narrative gained fresh momentum on December 9 as Art & Culture Minister C Lalsawivunga announced that the state is expanding research into Mizo origins and heritage through multiple government-backed initiatives.

Addressing the opening of an international seminar hosted by Mizoram University’s History & Ethnography Department, Lalsawivunga underlined the urgency of “indigenous historical research”, arguing that accounts written by outsiders had “often failed to grasp the true context”, resulting in distortions. “Mizos must research and document their own history,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to strengthen academic work in this field.

The minister revealed that archaeological methods are now being more actively deployed. Carbon dating has been conducted on recently discovered human remains, he said, describing it as a step towards building a clearer timeline of early settlement in the region.

A major component of the government’s renewed focus is a project led by the Tribal Research Institute to investigate the origin of the Mizo people, or Mizo Tobul. Specialists from several disciplines have been brought in to support what Lalsawivunga called a long-overdue, evidence-based study of Mizo ethnogenesis.

The three-day seminar, titled Beyond Borders and Texts: Reframing the History and Polity of Highlanders in the Eastern Himalayan Borderlands, aims to deepen understanding of the historical experiences of communities living in and around Mizoram. Prof. Robin inaugurated the event, while Indiana University’s Prof. David C. Williams delivered the keynote address. North-East India scholar Prof. Sajal Nag also addressed participants.

Organisers confirmed that flight cancellations by IndiGo have prevented several invited speakers from travelling to Aizawl. Their papers and presentations will instead be delivered online over the course of the seminar.