29th anniversary of signing of Mizo Accord celebrated

The 29th anniversary of signing of the historic Mizo Accord between the Centre and the erstwhile underground Mizo National Front (MNF) was today celebrated all over Mizoram as 'Remna Ni' or peace day.
Though the state government, which declared the day as a public holiday, did not organise any function to mark the day, political parties like the ruling Congress, the MNF and the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) celebrated the day.
The MNF led by late Laldenga declared independence from the Indian Union on March 1, 1966 and the armed insurrection plunged Mizoram into violence and chaos for about 20 years.

Peace returned with signing of the Mizo Accord on the night of June 30, 1986 between the then Union Home Secretary R D Pradhan on behalf of the government of India, the then MNF president Laldenga on behalf of the 'Mizoram government-in- exile' and the then Mizoram Chief Secretary Lakhama on behalf of the Mizoram government.
Unlike other accords signed by the Centre with many insurgent outfits earlier, the Mizo Accord became successful making Mizoram upgrade into a full-fledged state from union territory status on February 20, 1987.