Emergence of Women from ‘Private’ to ‘Public’: A Narrative of Power Politics from Mizoram

Understanding the complex state-building process in Mizoram requires the systematic mapping of the discourses and narratives of ‘inclusion’ and ‘exclusion’ at all levels which is thoroughly dictated by those in power. The region’s ‘Histories’ of statecraft and policies displays a distinct narrative than that of mainland India. The ‘Northeast’ in general and Mizoram in particular, provides a unique experience in understanding the trends in everyday politics as ‘a living space’ in contemporary India. Mizoram, as a category in contemporary Indian politics reminds one of ‘the protracted insurgency led by the legendary Laldenga and the Mizo National Front’. The region remains a geo-political puzzle and mapping its location becomes a perplexing task for most Indians. The complexities involved in the regions politics, state-building and citizen-building efforts based on the logic of exclusions and inclusions, hardly echoes beyond the Zo tlang ram. Against this silhouette, the paper attempts, first, at peeping through the ‘Zo’ Oral traditions; and the impact of Colonialism and Christianity- the timeless gendered practices in the Zo/Mizo society. Second, it attempts at reflecting on the Human Rights situation of women in the state building process of Mizoram from the Insurgency period onwards. Third, it attempts at highlighting the survival strategies adopted by the women to create their own spaces and have their voices heard in the public sphere