‘My photograph was with Amitabh Bachchan’: Mizoram CM Lalduhoma recalls India Today magazine cover from 1985

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has recalled seeing his photograph alongside Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan on the cover of India Today in 1985, offering a glimpse into a chapter of his life while highlighting Mizoram's distinctive social values and identity.

“One thing, if you look at the front page of India Today from 1985, you will see my picture alongside Amitabh Bachchan,” Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said during an interaction with India Today reporters at the Mizoram Assembly Conference Hall on October 14, 2026.

The chief minister made the remark while speaking about Mizoram's unique strengths, its social environment and the challenges the state faces because of its remote geographical location and limited industrial presence.

Describing Mizoram as a non-industrial state, Lalduhoma said the state lacked large industrial houses and public sector undertakings but possessed other qualities that could be considered valuable assets.

He highlighted what he described as Mizoram's strong civic sense, social equality, discipline and hospitality, saying these values had been inherited from previous generations.

"There is no caste system here. There is no beggary," he said, adding that people from different social positions interacted as equals in everyday life.

Illustrating the state's culture of trust, Lalduhoma pointed to roadside shops in rural areas where customers could select goods, check the displayed prices and leave their payments in a box without a shopkeeper being present.

He also described hospitality as a deeply rooted social value, saying refusing a guest was considered taboo in Mizo society.

The chief minister further highlighted Mizoram's peaceful atmosphere and said it allowed him to maintain a relatively small convoy without the extensive security arrangements often associated with VIPs.

Recalling the initial days of his tenure, Lalduhoma said he had found the large convoy inconvenient and had sought to reduce the associated arrangements.

Turning to the state's development priorities, he said his government was working towards the long-term vision of "Mizoram 2047", aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Viksit Bharat 2047 initiative.

The vision aims to raise Mizoram's contribution to India's gross domestic product to one per cent by 2047, he said, adding that the goal was intended for future generations, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

With Mizoram also preparing for its winter tourism festivities, Lalduhoma said the state expected an increase in visitors and was working to expand its infrastructure. He noted that Aizawl had an estimated capacity of 3,200 beds per night, which might not be sufficient to accommodate the anticipated tourist inflow.

The chief minister's recollection of the 1985 India Today cover offered a personal anecdote alongside his broader message about Mizoram's social strengths, tourism potential and ambitions for the future.