The Gorkhalis of Mizoram

"Our population in Mizoram during 1960s was around five thousand; 50 years later it is roughly the same," says a Gorkhali shoe salesman in Aizawl, the state capital of Mizoram. "Back then the state government used to offer us scholarships to study in schools and colleges. Now our sons and daughters receive no such assistance." After a few minutes pause, he murmurs, "How are my children going to have decent lives here? It's very disturbing to think about such things, and this keeps me and my wife awake all night. The only way out of this is either we leave this place or assimilate into the Mizo society. Earlier, Mizos and Gorkhalis were like brothers and sisters, but now they see each other as 'us' and 'them'"

When the Indian Air Force bombed Mizoram in March 1966, it became – and remains – the only Indian state to come under such attacks. For two decades afterwards, armed revolutionary movements shook the Mizo hills. It was only in 1986, when a peace-accord between militant groups and the Indian government was signed, that positive changes began to be seen within Mizo society. Today, Sikkim is the only other state in the Indian Northeast without violent insurgent groups. However, the fruits of peaceful development have not reached the Gorkhalis living within Mizoram. While the rest of Mizo society is on an uphill trajectory, the Gorkhalis are heading downhill.

The Gorkhalis first arrived in Mizoram in 1891 – back then called the Lushai Hills – accompanying Captain John Shakespear, who wrote in his diary that the Hills were not a desirable place to be stationed in for long. But the Gorkhalis felt at home right from the beginning. The terrain, streams, and the flora and fauna in the Hills were akin to what they had left behind in their own country, Nepal. At that time, however, Gorkhalis were not allowed to settle outside the surcharge areas, meaning forest lands adjacent to the villages that were under the jurisdiction of Mizo village chiefs. But the Lushai chiefs were keen on having them within their villages because they did not want the Gorkhalis clearing the forest lands for agriculture and settlements. In a standing order issued in 1922, William Lawrence Scott, then-Superintendent of the Lushai Hills, wrote, "I have been asked by several chiefs to allow settlements of Gorkhalis in their villages. [But] the present orders permit settlements only at and near Aijal, Champhai and Vanlaiphai."

Nonetheless, with permission from the village chiefs, the Gorkhalis settled in the Lushai Hills, bypassing the Chin Hills Regulation Act, 1896, which prohibited the residence of non-native peoples in the Hills. Socioeconomic relationships between different communities meant that Gorkhalis – and even traders from Bengal and Assam – were able to get around the regulation. Gorkhalis who had served long-term in the British army and were known for good conduct remained behind in the Hills after retirement. The majority of Gorkhalis today remain clustered around Aizawl, Sairang, Vanlaiphai, Lunglei, Demagiri and Thingdawl. While some Gorkhalis with exemplary services were awarded considerably large pieces of land, very few were bestowed with chieftainships, with powers and privileges on par with Mizo chiefs, including hereditary rights of succession. One Rifleman Dhohbir Rai was awarded the whole area of Dinthar in Aizawl, while another Rifleman Sriman Rai was awarded the whole area of Zotlang in Aizawl.

The cordial relations between the Mizos and Gorkhalis continued during the Mizo National Front Movement of 1966-1986 as well, with Gorkhalis joining as active members of the Front. Some volunteered as drivers to transport goods and arms supplies for the dissenters, some as river navigators, and others as shooting instructors and experts on explosives. Some of the Gorkhalis even served prison time for their 'unlawful' contributions during the Mizo National Movement. Later, in 1982, when the Mizo National Front issued the Quit Mizoram Order to non-Mizos, Gorkhalis who were in possession of immovable properties and who were residing in Mizoram prior to 1966 were exempted from the ruling.

During colonial times and while under the Assamese administration until 1972, Gorkhalis were also well-represented in politics. In 1936, a Gorkhali Mauzadar (Panchayat) was formed in the Lushai Hills to allow Gorkhalis to exercise some administrative coordination over their own population, such as collecting taxes on a 15% commission rate. During the 1950s, Gorkhali Panchayats were vested with some autonomy; for instance, Gorkhali social customs and practices were controlled with minimal interference from district magistrates. In village councils, Gorkhalis were represented through election or nomination. Some of the Gorkhalis even held the coveted position of village council president. However, the institution of Mauzadar was abolished in 1953, along with the tradition of Mizo chieftaincy. Nonetheless, that same year, when the Indian Constitution granted Mizoram the status of an autonomous Mizo District Council, Lok Bahadur Lama, a Gorkhali from Khatla, became the circular assistant – a peon who distributes letters – of the Council. And when Mizoram was declared a union territory in 1972, Kapurchand Thakuri, a Gorkhali, was nominated to the first Mizoram Legislative Assembly.

Migrate or assimilate
Unfortunately, socio-political and administrative spaces for the Gorkhalis were suddenly reduced when Mizoram achieved statehood in 1987 and became increasingly ethnocentric. Intolerance for non-Mizo communities meant that even the Gorkhalis fell out of favour. The first blow came during the two-decade-long insurgency, during which cordial relations gave way to an intolerance and exclusivism. The process of village grouping – a governmental tactic to isolate villagers from the insurgents – was enacted in the Mizo hills, and introduced sentiments of ethnic exclusiveness into the Mizo society. During these groupings, Mizos were given priority over non-Mizos for settlement in best locations. As a result, many Gorkhalis were affected and left Mizoram. For instance, in Champhai district, almost all Gorkhalis, except three families, left for good. In a state message broadcast in 1999 Mizoram Chief Minister Pu Zoramthanga did acknowledge the Gorkhali community's role in enhancing peace and harmony in Mizo society, but Gorkhalis' status in Mizoram continues to deteriorate.