The Songbird of India: Mizoram; Image Source: Travel Triangle 

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Fabricating an idea to propagate peace, on 30th June 1986, a Memorandum of Settlement was signed between India and Mizoram to turn it into the State of India. Jammed with Bangladesh on west borders and Myanmar on east and south borders, Mizoram was a district of Assam. Thereafter, it became a union territory and now a state, but do you know its history?

As always witnessed, be it humans or any living being, they have to roam around places to find a safe space they can call *home* and search for livelihood options. While there are many speculated theories as acquired through the ancestral and archaeological account of present Mizoram, the know-how and period of this aspect may not be well defined.  

> It is said that *Kukis are the earliest known residents of Mizo Hills*, while the term "Mizo" itself is attributed to the British era.

The cultural influence and tribal base, that we see today, in Mizoram are rather a combination of different people from diverse ethnic groups migrated from nearby villages and countries including Myanmar, China, and Bangladesh. Gradually they formed and lived in various autonomous villages of Lushai Hills, following the steps of respective hereditary chieftainship structure in the Mizo society. 

With no assumptions on how this structure survived for so long, it can surely be ascertained that even then, they had proper administrative and established customs to protect themselves, while working completely autonomous on the same land. 

> The hills were being captured one after the other until India became independent from British Rule in 1947.

During the annexation by Britishers in mid 19th century, slowly all these fragmented pieces started to come under the rule of Britishers. Though they didn't touch the already established system but emphasized self-government establishment just like the prevailing system. The status of the chief was gradually impacted when the method of succession and other systems were updated to largely influence the current regime.

The proclamation was declared by Britishers, it was officially termed as Lushai Hills, with the unification of its north and south areas, and Ailwai as its headquarters. During this time, the locals were also subjected to a series of tribal raids and military expeditions, which mirrored the political power in the highlands.

Finally, this mountainous region came under the district category of Assam in 1947. As a part of post-independence, the existing educational elites and traditional chiefdoms faced each other to establish Mizo Union. A large number of people converted to Christianity against their faith. 

> After India's inadequate response to cyclic famines of 1959, the formation of trusted groups like the *Mizoram National Front* took place that actively demanded to separate from India

Protests and insurgencies continued till it became a Union Territory of India in 1972. This was the time when the official name, as we know it today, *Mizoram* was registered, which is derived from two local words: *mizo* as native inhabitants and *ram* as land.

While Indians surrendered against the long-time struggle of the Mizoram people, the local representatives only wished to part themselves from weaponized life and live peacefully. The Peace Accord, also known as the Memorandum of Settlement was signed between the India and Mizoram National Front in 1986, to mutually work on the cessation of future attacks and to let peace echo in the hills. 

And Finally, under Rajiv Gandhi's ministry in 1987, it became the 23rd state of the Indian Union which came with all the statehood powers and election system prescribed in the Indian Constitution. With two official seats in the Parliament of India. Today, Mizoram comes under one of the smallest states of India, in North-East popularly known as 'Songbird of India' with two official seats in Parliament of India.

Closely knitted in the southernmost part of North East India, it's this Land of Mizo's that taps on a mysterious account of its origin. It is a migration that not just provided a homeland but gave an opportunity to form an identity and statehood among its habitants.