Former Mizoram CM Zoramthanga to Collect Degree 60 Years Late

Aizawl: Zoramthanga will finally hold his degree. The former Mizoram Chief Minister and Mizo National Front president is scheduled to receive his undergraduate certificate from Gauhati University on August 20. He sat for his final exams in 1966 at Dhanamanjuri College in Manipur, which was affiliated with the university at the time, and earned a second-class result with English as his major.

He missed the ceremony six decades ago. He went underground in 1966 to join an armed struggle led by Laldenga. The 82-year-old will accept his papers at 2.30 p.m. inside the Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall. The university Vice-Chancellor will hand over the document personally.

Zoramthanga joined the MNF in 1965 and stayed with Laldenga until the 1986 Mizoram Peace Accord. He ran camps in East Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan while acting as a diplomat for the group. He also helped open channels with China and the Indian government. He became MNF president after Laldenga died in 1990 and led Mizoram as Chief Minister for three terms between 1998 and 2023.

Gauhati University is hosting a lecture to mark the event. Vice-Chancellor Professor Nani Gopal Mahanta will open the session, while Subhash Chandra Das will serve as guest of honor. Zoramthanga will speak on his life, titled "From Guerrilla Fighter to a Peace Maker." He also penned an autobiography titled From Guerrilla Fighter to Chief Minister, released by Penguin Books in 2026.