A. Thanglura
{{Short description|Indian politician, first Mizo lawyer and law graduate.}}
{{Mizo name|Thanglura}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Aloysius Thanglura
| image = Aloysius Thanglura.png
| office = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
| constituency1 = Assam
| termstart = 20 June 1962
| termstart1 = 3 March 1964
| termend1= 2 February 1967
| office2 = Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly
| constituency3 = Aijal West
| constituency2 = Aijal West
| successor2 = Ch. Chhunga
| termstart3 = 1957
| termend3= 1962
| termstart2 = 1967
| termend2=1972
| successor3 = Constituency abolished
| birth_date = {{#statements:P569}}
| death_date = {{death date|1994|9|9|df=yes}} (aged 67)
| birth_place = Saitual, Lushai Hills District, British India (now Mizoram, India)
| spouse = Agnes Dengchhungi{{sfn|Thanglura|1982|p=172}}
| party = Indian National Congress
Mizo Union
| death_place = Shillong, 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.{{cite web |title=RAJYA SABHA MEMBERS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 1952-2019 |url=https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Member_Biographical_Book.pdf |website=cms.rajyasabha.nic.in |access-date=29 March 2025}} 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.{{sfn|Thanglura|1982|loc=KA NGAIHDAN}}
Early life
Aloysius Thanglura was born on 3 December 1926 in Sairang village, Lushai Hills District, British India.{{sfn|Thanglura|1982|p=1}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Sangkima |first1=Luke |title=Contributions of the Roman Catholic Church in Mizoram in 73 Years (1947- 2020) |url=https://www.necarf.org/home/articles/183/contributions-of-the-roman-catholic-church-in-mizoram-in-73-years-1947-2020 |website=necarf.org |access-date=29 March 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250415220306/https://www.necarf.org/home/articles/183/contributions-of-the-roman-catholic-church-in-mizoram-in-73-years-1947-2020|archive-date=15 April 2025}}
Political career
Thanglura contested in the MLA elections as a Mizo Union and was elected in 1957.{{cite web |title=STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1957 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ASSAM |url=https://hindi.eci.gov.in/files/file/3991-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE-%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A8-1957/?do=download&r=9462&confirm=1&t=1&csrfKey=1f880e00c9a58bc7c9df2ebb219ba5b9 |website=eci.gov.in |access-date=29 March 2025}} 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.{{sfn|Nunthara|1996|p=138}}
He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1962.{{cite web|title=Alphabetical List Of Former Members Of Rajya Sabha Since 1952|url=http://164.100.47.5/Newmembers/alphabeticallist_all_terms.aspx|publisher=Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi|accessdate=29 March 2025|archive-date=14 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214083532/http://164.100.47.5/Newmembers/alphabeticallist_all_terms.aspx|url-status=dead}} In the 1967 elections,{{cite web | url=https://www.elections.in/assam/assembly-constituencies/1967-election-results.html | title=Statistical Report on General Election, 1967 : To the Legislative Assembly of Assam | publisher=Election Commission of India | access-date=2020-03-28}} 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 an Union Territory.
Personal life
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:{{cite web |title=Mizo Thu leh Hla a Sulsutute - A. Thanglura, Mizo Zinga Law Graduate Hmasa Ber |url=https://www.timesofmizoram.com/2018/12/mizo-thu-leh-hla-sulsutute-thanglura.html |website=timesofmizoram.com |access-date=30 March 2025 |language=lus|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241103222929/https://www.timesofmizoram.com/2018/12/mizo-thu-leh-hla-sulsutute-thanglura.html|archive-date=3 Nov 2024}}
- 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.{{cite web |title=TUNLAI LEHKHABU|url=https://www.vanglaini.org/guest-writer/writer/7/post/73809 |website=vanglaini.org |publisher=Vanglaini |access-date=30 March 2025 |language=lus}}
See also
- Mizo Union
- Raymond Thanhlira, fellow Mizo Union member and Rajya Sabha member
References
{{reflist}}
Books
- {{cite book |last1=Thanglura |first1=A. |title=ZORAM POLITIC INLUMLET DAN |trans-title=The Unfurling of the Politics of Zoram|date=1982 |location=Shillong |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.25021 |access-date=29 March 2025}}
- {{cite book |last=Nunthara |first=C |date=1996 |title=Mizoram: Society and Polity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jksn3c85KOkC&dq=mizo+chief&pg=PA24 |location=New Delhi |publisher=Indus Publishing Company |isbn=81-7387-059-4|access-date=29 March 2025}}
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Mizoram