Aloysius Thanglura
OfficeMember of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Constituency 1Assam
Term start20 June 1962
Term end2 March 1964[1]
Term start 13 March 1964
Term end 12 February 1967
Office 2Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly
Constituency 3Aijal West
Constituency 2Aijal West
Successor 2Ch. Chhunga
Term start 31957
Term end 31962
Term start 21967
Term end 21972
Successor 3Constituency abolished
Death date9 September 1994 (aged 67)
Birth placeSaitual, Lushai Hills District, British India (now Mizoram, India)
SpouseAgnes Dengchhungi[2]
PartyIndian National Congress
Mizo Union
Death placeShillong, Meghalaya, India

Aloysius Thanglura (3 December 1926 – 9 September 1994) was an Indian politician from modern-day Mizoram. He was a Member of Parliament, representing Assam in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's parliament.[1] He was the first Mizo law graduate, first Mizo advocate in the Assam High Court. He was also the first and last Mizo Cabinet Minister in the government of Assam.[3]

Early life

Aloysius Thanglura was born on 3 December 1926 in Sairang village, Lushai Hills District, British India.[4] He passed his Intermediate in science at St. Anthony's College and continued his studies with English Honours at Cotton College, Gauhati. A. Thanglura did his Bachelor of Law at Gauhati University in 1950. Before joining politics, he wrote articles in the Assam Tribune.[5]

Political career

Thanglura contested in the MLA elections as a Mizo Union and was elected in 1957.[6] He was given the post of Parliamentary Secretary and later he was promoted as Chief Parliamentary Secretary. Simultaneously he also held the post of Deputy Chief Whip of Congress Party of Assam.

He was one of the leaders of the Hill State Movement which demanded a separate tribal state in Northeast India and became the first chairman of the APHLC in 1960. However, Thanglura left the APHLC to form the Mizoram District Congress at Aizawl in 1961.[7]

He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1962.[8] In the 1967 elections,[9] he was elected as MLA from Aizawl East and West constituencies and as a result of which he relinquished his Rajya Sabha and Aizawl East seats and was subsequently sworn in as a Cabinet Minister of Assam. Thus, A. Thanglura became the first and last Cabinet Minister of Assam from the Mizo District before it was elevated into a Union Territory.[5]

Personal life

He died on 9 September 1994.[1]

Legacy

Thanglura was known for his oratory skills, his statements often drawing a mix of ire and amusement. After his retirement from active politics he wrote two books:[10]

  • Zoram politik inlumlet dan
  • Mihrâng leh Sahrâng I & II

"Zoram politik inlumlet dan" provides an important insight to the political history of Mizoram. It is widely recognized as one of the best Mizo work of history written.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "RAJYA SABHA MEMBERS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 1952-2019". cms.rajyasabha.nic.in. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  2. ^ Thanglura 1982, p. 172.
  3. ^ Thanglura 1982, KA NGAIHDAN.
  4. ^ Thanglura 1982, p. 1.
  5. ^ Sangkima, Luke. "Contributions of the Roman Catholic Church in Mizoram in 73 Years (1947- 2020)". necarf.org. Archived 15 April 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  6. ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1957 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ASSAM". eci.gov.in. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  7. ^ Nunthara 1996, p. 138.
  8. ^ "Alphabetical List Of Former Members Of Rajya Sabha Since 1952". Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1967 : To the Legislative Assembly of Assam". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  10. ^ "Mizo Thu leh Hla a Sulsutute - A. Thanglura, Mizo Zinga Law Graduate Hmasa Ber" (in lus). timesofmizoram.com. Archived 3 Nov 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  11. ^ "TUNLAI LEHKHABU" (in lus). vanglaini.org. Vanglaini. Retrieved 30 March 2025.

Books