Of prophecies and polls: Mizoram's unique electoral landscape where candidates ask people to not vote

Back in 2012, Reverend Zaichhawna Hlawndo, a UK-based pastor, received what he believed to be a divine calling to embark on an extraordinary mission back in his home state of Mizoram. His vision? To transform Mizoram into a “godly state”.

It was a calling he couldn’t ignore, so he left behind his life in England, where he had spent a decade, and in 2017, he floated a new political entity in Mizoram christened Zoram Thar, which translates to 'New Mizoram' in the local Mizo language.

Interestingly, Rev Hlawndo was not the only member of his family to receive this divine message. His two daughters, Lalhrilzeli Hlawndo and Lalruatfeli Hlawndo, were also chosen for this extraordinary mission.

Lalhrilzeli, 28 years old at the time, received her calling in early 2017. She had just launched a successful hairstyling business in Birmingham and was engaged to be married. The idea of leaving behind her thriving life in England was daunting, but the “call from above” was too compelling to resist. “She was so reluctant initially because the things that she would leave behind were too good for her. But in the end, she could not help but obey “God’s words” and return to Mizoram. I did not force her,” her father told The Federal.

Similarly, Lalruatfeli, now 31, the younger daughter and a pastor herself in Birmingham, received the same divine message. She too made the difficult decision to leave her job and fiancé behind in order to join the electoral fray in Mizoram.

Growing up in a foreign land and pursuing their own individual dreams, politics was far from their minds. Yet, they found themselves heeding a different calling—striving to win elections in an unfamiliar place.

Together, Reverend Zaichhawna Hlawndo and his two daughters, along with the candidates from their newly formed political party, entered the electoral arena in 2018. However, to their great disappointment, none of them emerged victorious, in a tale that resonates with the complexities of divine missions and electoral outcomes.

Yet, the divine calling that Reverend Hlawndo received remains resolute, compelling him to persist rather than call it quits.

This election too, he is contesting in not just one, but two constituencies — Hrangturzo and Aizawl West-III. His daughter, Lalruatfeli Hlondo, joins the fray as she contests from Aizawl North-I.

Their political party is making a bold stand in 22 constituencies, with each candidate running as an independent, all rallying under the same symbol, except for their candidate in Serchhip, who has chosen a staff symbol.

Reverend Hlawndo explained, “He is our leader and he opted for the staff symbol, representing Moses' staff that famously parted the Red Sea.”

Interestingly, Zaichhawna’s Zoram Thar is not a typical political organisation. It consists of a handful of leaders and operates without traditional party memberships. “We don’t enrol members because our objective is to dismantle the party system,” Hlawndo clarified.

It may sound peculiar, but in the unique electoral landscape of Mizoram, prophecies and divine callings are recurring themes, not without precedent.

Historically, Mizoram’s elections have witnessed the presence of seers who confidently predicted which party would emerge victorious and self-proclaimed spiritual leaders who ventured into the electoral arena themselves. Most of these predictions, however, seldom found fulfilment, and those who embarked on the electoral path met with defeat.

In the run-up to this year’s election, alongside Reverend Hlawndo and his dedicated team, there are at least two more individuals who have entered the fray guided by their own “divine instructions”.

Ramhlun Edena, who is contesting from Serchhip constituency, is one of them. The intriguing paradox here is that Edena fundamentally opposes elections under the existing Indian democratic framework, which, according to his convictions, goes against the divine order.

He is actively involved in instructing people not to exercise their voting rights, as he firmly believes that casting votes equates to “eternal death”. Edena asserts that there are over 40,000 people in Mizoram who share his view and have chosen not to participate in this electoral process.

Curiously, even though he is contesting, Edena himself refuses to cast his vote and endeavours to impart the same message to others. “I will not campaign. On the contrary, I still urge people not to cast their votes because doing so would signify submission to an ungodly government system, tantamount to eternal damnation,” he told reporters after filing his nominations last week.

It’s worth noting that Edena had contested in the Serchhip byelection in 2021 but fell short, losing his security deposit.

Interestingly, Edena found himself summoned by the media cell of the Chief Electoral Office on Thursday, October 26, due to his unusual election evangelism – preaching people not to cast their votes.

Following a discussion with election officials, Edena ultimately agreed to refrain from further preaching the “don’t vote” sermon.

Of particular interest is Edena’s unique profile. He graduated in engineering from Gujarat’s BVM Engineering College and stands out as the poorest candidate among the 174 hopefuls, with his declared assets amounting to a mere Rs 1,500.

Another unique candidate in the fray is self-proclaimed "Lord's Prophet" Lalhmachhuani, who has thrown her hat into the political ring as an independent contender in the Aizawl East-II constituency, all guided by the same “divine instructions”.

Lalhmachhuani had launched a new political party called Zo Re-Unification Movement just a few weeks before the official election announcement in the state. However, as there was little time for thorough preparations, she stands as the sole representative of this movement in the current elections.

“We simply didn’t have the luxury of time for full-fledged preparations, so for now, I have stepped forward alone. Nevertheless, there are a few other independent candidates who have expressed their intent to join our cause if I secure victory,” she told The Federal with an air of anticipation.

What’s truly astonishing is that Lalhmachhuani claims that her divine guidance extended even to the specific seat she would contest from, underlining the deeply spiritual aspect of her campaign.

These unconventional ideologies deviate from the mainstream Christian beliefs that one might associate with the state. Mizoram is a spiritual landscape teeming with diversity, hosting well over 60 Christian sects, each with a unique focus on politics and the quest for sovereignty within the state.

Author and publisher VL Zaikima, a keen observer of these religious sects, has penned a book — Zoram Pawl Chhuak Zirchianna (An indepth study of religious sects in Mizoram) — shedding light on this intricate tapestry. According to him, a significant majority of these sects championed the cause of independence for Mizoram. In their collective narrative, the fight for autonomy is intertwined with their spiritual devotion.

“They are not only political, but also pro-independence, about 90 per cent of them. Historically, many of these sects aligned themselves with the Mizo National Front, a pivotal player in the struggle for Mizoram's independence from 1966 to 1986. However, as the sands of time have shifted, and the MNF transformed into a political party recognised by the Election Commission of India, the new entrants into the spiritual and political fray aren’t necessarily pro-MNF,” Zaikima says.

“However, one can confidently assert that their unwavering commitment lies in fervent advocacy for independence, an aspiration they attribute to divine will,” the 70-year-old writer adds.

True to Zaikima’s insights, those contesting in this year’s elections under the banner of “divine instructions” are staunch advocates of independence. Their shared belief resonates with a vision for Mizoram and all Mizo-inhabited regions evolving into a sovereign Christian nation.

Candidate Edena, for instance, envisions a future where the act of voting may become redundant, for he anticipates that God's appointed time will arrive, ushering in a profound transformation—a transition into the elusive “third dimension”.

A prominent Presbyterian pastor, who wished to remain anonymous, provided insights into the election landscape in Mizoram. He said that Mizoram has been no stranger to the presence of self-proclaimed prophets and godmen who have been making predictions for decades, often foretelling various electoral outcomes.

“These self-proclaimed seers and spiritual leaders, although not entirely inconspicuous, tend to command only a modest following. Their influence is notably limited when it comes to the broader populace of Mizoram. Despite their predictions and charismatic appeal to some, they do not wield significant sway over a majority of the state’s residents, who make their own informed decisions during elections,” he said.