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T. Sailo

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Brigadier
T. Sailo
AVSM
2nd Chief Minister of Mizoram
In office
8 May 1979 – 4 May 1984
Lieutenant GovernorN. P. Mathur
Sourendra Nath Kohli
H. S. Dubey
Preceded byCh. Chhunga
Succeeded byLal Thanhawla
ConstituencyAizawl West II
In office
2 June 1978 – 10 November 1978
Lieutenant GovernorN. P. Mathur
Preceded byPresident’s Rule
Succeeded byPresident’s Rule
Personal details
Born(1922-01-01)1 January 1922
Melkhat/Ṭhuampui, Lunglei, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died27 March 2015(2015-03-27) (aged 93)
Aizawl, Mizoram, India
Resting placeKanan Veng, Aizawl
23°43′53″N 92°42′30″E / 23.73139°N 92.70833°E / 23.73139; 92.70833
Political partyMizoram People's Conference
SpouseThansiami
Children4
ResidenceAizawl
Alma materUniversity of Calcutta
Military service
Allegiance British India
 India
Branch/service British Indian Army
 Indian Army
Years of service1942-1974
Rank Brigadier
Unit
Battles/wars
Awards

Brigadier Ṭhenphunga Sailo, AVSM (1922–2015) was an Indian military officer and politician who served as the 2nd Chief Minister of Mizoram. He founded the Mizoram People's Conference, one of the major political parties in Mizoram. He was a recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Padma Shri for his military service and humanitarian works,[1] and the Mizo Award for his lifetime achievements.

Sailo was the son of Vanchheuva, a Mizo chief of Ṭhuampui village at Lunglei district. He studied at Serkawn Middle English School, Shillong High School (in Meghalaya), and Serampore College in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He earned his certificate of Intermediate of Science (higher secondary level) from the University of Calcutta. He immediately joined the British Indian Army to serve in World War II. Recruited as a second lieutenant in 1942, he became the first military officer among the Mizo people. He retired with the rank Brigadier in 1974. By then his native state was ravaged by political insurgency, and he soon set to humanitarian works and established the Human Right Committee, which he developed into a recognized political party named People's Conference (later renamed the Mizo People's Conference) in 1975.

Sailo led his new party to victory in the Mizoram Legislative Assembly election in 1978, and he became the second Chief Minister. Re-election the next year brought him another victory, and he remained the Chief Minister till 1984. Though he was elected for MLA seat in the 1984 election, his party was overwhelmed by the Mizoram Congress party (under the Indian National Congress Party). He was appointed the Opposition Leader in the legislative assembly. He was subsequently elected in 1998 and 2008, but failed to uplift his party. He retired from politics in 2013 at age 91, at which time he was the oldest elected legislator.

Early life and education

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Sailo was born to Mizo Chief Vancheuva and his wife Hrangvungi. He completed his elementary schooling at Serkawn Middle School in Lunglei, and was the topper in the Middle School Leaving Certificate examination under the Mizoram Board of School Education.[2] He then went on to High School in Shillong from 1937 to 1940, followed by higher secondary education in an Intermediate of Science program at Serampore College in 1941. The next year he earned his certificate under the University of Calcutta.[3]

Military career

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At the height of the Second World War in February 1942, Sailo applied for an emergency commission as a second lieutenant in the British Indian Army and was selected to join the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. He received an emergency commission in November the same year and was posted to 2nd Punjab Regiment at Meerut.[4] He became the first military officer among the Mizo people.[5] After the Independence of India, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1960, in 1963 he was again promoted to colonel, and then in 1966 to brigadier until his retirement in 1974.[3]

Politics

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After retiring from the Army, Sailo created the Human Rights Committee in 1974, fighting alleged Army excess against civilians caught in the separatist conflict between the Indian Army and Mizo National Front.[6] He submitted a memorandum containing 36 cases of atrocities committed by the Indian Army since 1 March 1966. To fight his cause in the political arena, he founded the People's Conference party (later renamed Mizo People's Conference) on 17 April 1975. His party won the Mizoram Legislative Assembly election of 1978, and he became the second Chief Minister of Mizoram on 2 June 1978.[7]

Due to political unrest, his government was dissolved after six months in November 1978, and the Union Territory was declared under President's Rule.[8] In the next election in 1979, his party won again and he once again became the Chief Minister, a post which he held for a full term till 1984. In the 1984 election, although he was elected in his constituency, his party was defeated by the Indian National Congress (Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee) led by Lal Thanhawla. He became the Opposition Leader.[9]

His party received a serious blow with the Mizoram Peace Accord of 1987, as the Mizo National Front emerged not only as a new political party, but was also offered the government as part of the peace negotiation. He joined forces with Lalduhoma, who had founded the Mizoram National Union, merging the two parties into Democratic Party. After failure in the 1989 Mizoram Legislative Assembly election, they joined the national party Janata Dal. Sailo parted way from the mainstream Janata Dal to make coalition with the Congress party in the 1993 election. Sailo's party named themselves the Mizoram Janata Dal, but which was not recognised by the Election Commission of India.[10] Thus, his party members contested as independent candidates and managed to win eight seats that helped Lal Thanhawla of Congress to become the Chief Minister.[11][12] After falling out with Congress party, Sailo changed its party to Mizoram People's Conference, to reflect its old name.[10] In the 1998 elections, Sailo and his party supported the Mizo National Front, and made coalition government led by Zoramthanga of the Mizo National Front as the Chief Minister. Sailo was appointed Principal Advisor to the state government.[3] His ministry also initiated the Aizawl city extension project, Bairabi Dam, which he alleged was never pursued by successive governments.[13]

Sailo was elected again in the 2008 election, and as his last term as Member of the Legislative Assembly ended in January 2014, he retired. He announced his formal retirement at the assembly session on 24 July 2013. At age 92, he was allegedly the oldest elected member of any legislative body in the world.[14]

Awards and honours

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Sailo was given the military award Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) during his service. He was awarded the Padma Shree in 1999 by the Government of India.[3] In 2001 the Mizo Zirlai Pawl declared him a corruption-free politician in their public poll.[15] In April 2011, the then-Governor of Mizoram, Lt. Gen. Madan Mohan Lakhera, awarded him the Mizo Award organised by Mizoram's Vanglaini daily newspaper.[16]

Personal life and death

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Sailo married Thansiami, daughter of Mizo folklorist P.S. Dahrawka, in 1946. They had three sons and a daughter.[9] One of his sons, Lalsangliana, joined the Mizo rebels, the Mizo National Army (later Mizo National Front), on the sly while studying at St. Edmund's College, Shillong in 1966. He became one of the elite "Special Force" under Laldenga, leader of the Mizo National Front.[17] Two of his children, Lalhmangaiha and Laldingliani joined the Indian Revenue Service. After retirement, Lalhmangaiha, succeeded his father as President of the Mizoram People's Conference in 2011.[18]

Sailo's daughter Laldingliani served as a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW) from 2013 to 2016.[19]

Sailo's son Lalrinliana studied medicine and orthopaedic surgery and became Director General of Health Service for the Government of Mizoram.[20]

Sailo wrote an autobiography of his military life, A Soldier's Story.[15]

After suffering from lung problems and hypertension, on the morning of 27 March 2015, Sailo was taken to the New Life Hospital due to trouble breathing. He was pronounced dead at 11:50 IST. His funeral was held the next day at noon and he was interred at a private grave in his garden.[9] President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent messages of condolence.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  2. ^ Vanchhawng, Kiddy (27 March 2015). "MIZO ARSI LIAN, BRIG T. SAILO HERLIAM TA" [Brig T. Sailo the giant star of Mizos has died]. Mizo Special Report (in Mizo). Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "Brig T. Sailo Biography". elections.in. Compare Infobase Limited. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Indian Army List". April 1942. p. 1402.
  5. ^ "Former Mizoram CM Brigadier T Sailo passes away". The Day After. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  6. ^ Bareh, Hamlet (2007). Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Mizoram. Mittal Publications.
  7. ^ PUBLIC (27 March 2015). "Ex-Mizoram chief minister Brig T Sailo passes away". The Shillong Times. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  8. ^ "November 12, 1978, Forty Years Ago". The Indian Express. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "CM hlui leh Mizo Award 2011 dawngtu Brig. Ṭhenphunga Sailo kan chân ta" [Former CM and Mizo Award 2011 recipient Brig. Ṭhenphunga Sailo has died]. Vanglaini (in Mizo). 28 March 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Election Commission derecognises People's Conference as state party in Mizoram". The Times of India. 12 April 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  11. ^ Khojol, Henry L. (23 September 2020). "MNF legislators demand disqualification of independent MLA Lalduhoma". EastMojo. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Congress(I) voted back to power in Mizoram, ally MJD demands better portfolios". India Today. 31 December 1993. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Sailo among oldest active politicians". IBN Live. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  14. ^ Chhakchhuak, Linda (25 July 2013). "Brig Sailo bids adieu to active politics". Assam Tribune. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  15. ^ a b CHDA (28 March 2015). "Pu Thenphunga Sailo thlah nan" [An obituary of Thenphunga Sailo]. Zalen (in Mizo). Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  16. ^ Vanlalsangi, K (20 April 2011). "GOVERNOR IN MIZO AWARD HLAN" [Governor gave away the Mizo Award] (in Mizo). Directorate of Information & Public Relations, Mizoram. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  17. ^ Bareh, H. M. (2001). Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Mizoram Volume 5. New Delhi: Mittal Publ. pp. 95–96. ISBN 978-8-1709-9792-4.
  18. ^ "Former Mizoram chief minister Brig T Sailo's son, Lalhmangaiha Sailo was elected as the new president of Mizoram People's Conference (MPC)". The Times of India. 16 April 2011. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  19. ^ "Current Commission Laldingliani Sailo". National Commission for Women (NCW). Retrieved 5 April 2015.. She is, to date, the only Mizo to have become Member of NCW. She earlier also served as Member, Delhi Commission for Women.
  20. ^ Chawngchilh. "Lalhmangaiha Sailo". mi(s)ual.com (in Mizo). Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  21. ^ "President Mukherjee, PM Modi condole demise of Brig. T. Sailo". Business Standard. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
Preceded by Chief Minister of Mizoram
2 June 1978 – 10 November 1978 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Minister of Mizoram
8 May 1979 – 4 May 1984 		Succeeded by
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