Young Mizo Association Day in Mizoram Date in the current year: June 15, 2024

The Mizo people are an ethnic group native to the Lushai Hills region of north-eastern India. The British had conquered the region by the late 19th century and sent missionaries here to convert the Mizo people to Christianity (the anniversary of their arrival is now celebrated as Missionary Day and is a public holiday in Mizoram).

By the 1930s, most Mizos had either converted or at least sent their children to Christian schools, because there were no other schools in the region. The traditional tribal lifestyle that the Mizo people had been leading for centuries was disintegrating, and it was crucial to both preserve the Mizo identity and find a substitute for the old tribal institutions.

In 1935, Mizo leaders and British missionaries held a gathering where they decided to establish an association that would unite the Mizo people. The missionaries originally proposed to name it the Young Mizo Christian Association, in the vein of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), but the Mizo leaders weren’t too fond of the world “Christian” in the name, considering it too restrictive.

As a result, the organization was named the Young Lushai Association (although Lushai is just one of the many Mizo groups, the British mistakenly applied the name to the entire people). It was officially established on June 15, 1935. Local branches were soon opened in every Mizo village, and most Mizos became registered members.

After the end of World War II, when India’s independence from the United Kingdom became imminent, some Mizos suggested that the Young Lushai Association be converted into a full-fledged political party that would represent the interests of the Mizo people. However, the Association’s central committee objected to the idea, and an entirely new political party named Mizo Union was created instead.

In 1947, the Young Lushai Association was renamed the Young Mizo Association to get rid of the misnomer and highlight its inclusiveness. Although the Association was initiated by Christian missionaries, it has since become a secular organization open to all Mizos regardless of their faith (although most Mizos identify themselves as Christians, a few practice a modernized version of the traditional Mizo religion or Judaism).

The Young Mizo Association focuses on the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Mizo people, nature conservation, and charity. It has groups and branches in all of Mizoram, as well as in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagalend, and Tripura.

Young Mizo Association Day in an official holiday in Mizoram (when it falls during weekend, the celebration is usually moved to the closest weekday). It is marked by various charity events, such as tree planting, visiting elderly people in hospitals and retirement homes, etc. In addition, many YMA members donate blood on the occasion of the holiday.