Mizoram to sign peace pact with last active Hmar insurgent faction on April 14

The Mizoram government is set to sign a peace accord with the Lalhmingthanga Sanate-led faction of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) (HPC-D) on April 14, marking a significant step towards ending insurgency in the state. Officials said the group is the last active militant faction operating in Mizoram.

The development was announced following a high-level meeting chaired by State Home Minister K. Sapdanga in Aizawl on Thursday, April 9. The meeting focused on finalising logistical arrangements for the return of HPC(D) cadres to the mainstream.

According to officials, the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) will be signed at Sakawrdai village between the State Home Secretary, representing the government, and HPC(D) president Lalhmingthanga Sanate. The village is located in the northeastern part of the state near the Manipur border.

The signing ceremony is expected to be attended by Lalmuanpuia Punte and other senior officials. Following the agreement, cadres of the group will be relocated to temporary camps arranged by the government until a formal arms-laying ceremony scheduled for April 30.

The disarmament programme will take place at the Central Training Institute of the state police in Sesawng, approximately 40 km from Aizawl. Authorities are currently identifying sites for the temporary camps, with finalisation expected over the weekend.

Officials said 43 cadres of HPC(D) will surrender as part of the homecoming process and transition into civilian life.

The Sanate-led faction is the last of three Hmar insurgent groups that have driven a political movement in Mizoram since the mid-1980s. The group’s principal demand has been the creation of an Autonomous District Council (ADC) under the Sixth Schedule for Hmar-inhabited areas in northern and northeastern parts of the state.

The movement traces its origins to 1986, when the Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) was formed in Aizawl as a political platform advocating self-determination for the Hmar community. After limited progress through peaceful protests, the organisation turned to armed insurgency in 1987.

A breakthrough came in 1994 when the HPC, then led by Hmingchungnunga, signed a peace accord with the state government, resulting in the creation of the Sinlung Hills Development Council (SHDC). However, a section of the group, dissatisfied with the agreement, remained underground and later formed HPC(D) under Sanate’s leadership.

Over the years, HPC(D) extended its activities beyond Mizoram into neighbouring states. Its Assam unit recently signed an agreement with the state government to establish a Hmar Welfare and Development Council, while its Manipur unit remains under a Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement with the Centre and the state government.

The organisation also witnessed internal divisions. A rival faction led by H. Zosangabera signed a separate peace accord with the Mizoram government in 2018, leading to the formation of the Sinlung Hills Council with enhanced autonomy.

The Sanate-led faction, however, stayed outside the peace process and continued limited activities, including allegations of extortion in Hmar-dominated areas, often operating from bases in neighbouring Assam.