Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram Statehood Day in India Date in the current year: February 20, 2024

The states of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram are situated in Northeast India; both used to be part of the Ahom kingdom (Assam), alongside the present-day states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Little is known about the early history of Arunachal Pradesh. Most of its territory was in vassal dependence from the Ahom kingdom, but local tribes and chiefdoms enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and were de facto independent.

In 1838, Assam, including what is now Arunachal Pradesh, was formally annexed into the British Empire. In 1914, the colonial government split a part from Assam to form the North-East Frontier Tracts, later renamed the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). The border between Tibet and the NEFA was demarcated along the so-called McMahon Line.

In 1962, the Chinese government, which didn’t recognize the McMahon Line, disputed the Indian-Tibetan border. The Sino-Indian War over the border resulted in China taking control of Aksai Chin and India keeping control of the NEFA. In 1972, the Agency was transformed into the union territory of Arunachal Pradesh.

The territory of what is now Mizoram was originally inhabited by the Mizo people, who are a subgroup of the Zo people sharing the same history with the Chin people of Myanmar. Before the arrival of the British, the Mizo tribes and clans lived in autonomous villages. The surrounding lands were occupied by the British Empire in the mid-19th century; the Mizo Hills, also known as the Lushai Hills, were finally conquered in 1895.

Following India’s independence from the United Kingdom, the Lushai Hills region became an autonomous district. In 1959, the region was devastated by a famine, and Mizo politician Pu Laldenga formed the Mizo National Famine Front to protest against the inaction of the central government and to assist people affected by the famine.

In 1961, the Mizo National Famine Front was renamed the Mizo National Front. In 1966, it launched a revolt against the central government and tried to declare the independence of Mizoram. The Indian government suppressed the rebellion and outlawed the Mizo National Front; however, the people of Mizoram continued to demand full-fledged statehood. As a compromise, Mizoram was officially converted into a union territory in 1972.

After Rajiv Gandhi was elected Prime Minister, he agreed to negotiate the statehood of Mizoram with Laldenga. In 1986, the Mizo National Front and the Government of India signed the Mizoram Peace Accord; several weeks later, Mizoram was granted statehood, but it took some more time to implement the change in status.

On February 20, 1987, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram finally attained statehood. Both states annually celebrate the anniversary of this event as Statehood Day.