Kukiland Express Desk | By St. Ginth Haokip
Aizawl: April 30, 2026
The last chapter of insurgency in Mizoram is set to close on Thursday as 43 cadres of the Lalhmingthanga Sanate-led faction of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) lay down arms at a ‘homecoming ceremony’ in Sesawng. Officials confirmed on Wednesday that Chief Minister Lalduhoma and Home Minister K Sapdanga will attend the event at the Police Central Training Institute, located about 40 km from Aizawl. The surrender follows the peace accord signed between the Mizoram Government and the HPC(D) on April 14, which formally ends armed militancy in the state after decades of ethnic unrest in the Hmar-inhabited hills.
While largely dormant in recent years, the Sanate faction was regarded as the final surviving ethnic insurgent outfit in Mizoram. Security officials said the group was allegedly involved in sporadic criminal activities, including extortion in Hmar-dominated villages along the Assam and Manipur borders. Its decision to join the peace process marks a significant milestone for the state, which has seen successive accords since the historic Mizo Peace Accord of 1986. The ceremony at Sesawng is expected to draw senior officials, civil society leaders, and community representatives from the Sinlung Hills Council region.
The April 14 agreement was signed at Sakawrdai, headquarters of the Sinlung Hills Council (SHC), and centers on the comprehensive development of the Hmar-majority area spanning 31 villages in northern and northeastern Mizoram. Key provisions include higher annual budgetary allocations for the SHC, a special development package, and infrastructure upgrades to improve connectivity. The pact also shifts SHC administration from the General Administration Department to the District Council and Minority Affairs Department, a long-standing demand aimed at giving the council greater operational autonomy and direct access to tribal affairs funding.
The HPC(D)’s charter of demands, now incorporated into the accord, lists several administrative and cultural commitments. These include establishing project and agriculture offices in Sakawrdai, raising SHC’s annual budgetary support from 2027-28, and constructing internal roads across remote villages. On the education front, the agreement mandates an Eklavya Model Residential School and a Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalaya hostel to strengthen learning access for Hmar youth. The state has also agreed to officially recognize Sikpui Ruoi, the main Hmar cultural festival, and Hmar Martyrs’ Day on May 16 as holidays within SHC jurisdiction.
With Thursday’s surrender, Mizoram effectively brings down the curtain on active insurgency, opening a new phase focused on peace dividends and regional development. Government officials said the success of the accord will depend on timely implementation of development works and sustained political dialogue with the SHC. For the Hmar community, the accord is being framed not as political concession but as recognition of identity, dignity, and access to governance. The homecoming at Sesawng thus signals both an end and a beginning: the end of armed conflict and the beginning of rebuilding trust between the state and its frontier communities.
