Aizawl (Mizoram), March 10: After more than 35 years, the Mizoram Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution seeking the inclusion of the Mizo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, reinforcing the state’s longstanding demand for recognition of its lingua franca.
School Education Minister Vanlalthlana, who moved the resolution, said the initiative enjoys widespread consensus across Mizoram’s socio-political spectrum. “This step does not replace the 1991 resolution but amplifies the state’s voice, ensuring the demand reaches the Central government with renewed urgency,” he stated.
The inclusion would allow MPs from Mizoram to speak in their mother tongue in Parliament, enable Mizo students to appear in Central Service examinations such as IAS, IPS, and IES in their language, and bolster literary and cultural initiatives through the National Translation Mission, Sahitya Akademi, and National Book Trust. It is also expected to create employment opportunities for translators and interpreters and expand Mizo-language programming on All India Radio and Doordarshan.
The resolution received support from major NGOs, including the Young Mizo Association (YMA), and ethnic communities such as the Chakma and Bru, marking a rare moment of ethnic unity on the linguistic front. Deliberations included one member each from the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and opposition parties — Mizo National Front, Congress, and BJP. Chief Minister Lalduhoma and Leader of Opposition Lalchhandama Ralte participated in the discussion.
The first resolution for Mizo’s inclusion was passed on March 23, 1991, and the language was declared Mizoram’s official language in 1974. With 38 languages currently vying for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule, the state government hopes the fresh resolution will strengthen its political voice at the national level.
