Guwahati: Former Mizoram Chief Minister and Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga was presented his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree certificate by Gauhati University on Thursday, almost six decades after he cleared his final-year examination in 1966, university and party sources reported.
Certificate handed over at special function
The certificate was awarded at a ceremony held at the Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall, where the university's vice-chancellor formally handed over the document. The presentation was part of a special lecture-cum-interactive programme organised in the leader's honour by the Gauhati University Institute of North East India Studies, the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, and the Centre for South East Asian Studies, according to reporting on the event.
Zoramthanga, who majored in English at Dhanamanjuri College, Imphal — then affiliated to Gauhati University — had passed his final-year examination in the second division in 1966 but was unable to collect the certificate as he joined the MNF movement and subsequently went underground.
From insurgent years to electoral politics
The awarding of the degree closed a long personal chapter for the 82-year-old leader, whose political career stretched from the insurgency period to mainstream state politics after the Mizoram peace accord. He formally joined the MNF in 1965 and, following the 1986 accord with the Centre, became active in electoral politics. He later served three terms as chief minister, records show.
"Sometimes I feel like I am three times a Rip Van Winkle returning from the Catskill Mountains and receiving a certificate after 60 years. I really praise Gauhati University for arranging all this. It's quite a miracle for me," Zoramthanga said at the event, according to reports.
Lecture, book and attendees
The special lecture at which the certificate was presented was titled "From Guerrilla Fighter to a Peacemaker" and drew faculty members and students of the university. The programme also marked the launch or discussion of Zoramthanga's recently published autobiography, From Guerrilla Fighter to Chief Minister, which was issued by Penguin Books in 2026, reporting indicated.
The lecture was inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor Professor Nani Gopal Mahanta and had Subhash Chandra Das as guest of honour, the accounts added.
Why the certificate arrived late
According to reporting, Zoramthanga cleared his final-year examination in 1966 but, having joined the MNF-led movement and gone underground to take part in the armed struggle, he did not return to collect his certificate. He later camped in what was then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the years of active insurgency. The certificate remained uncollected until the university ceremony this week.
- Examination cleared: 1966, Dhanamanjuri College (then affiliated to Gauhati University)
- Major: English
- Division: Second division
- Event: Certificate presentation and special lecture at Gauhati University, Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1965 | Zoramthanga formally joined the MNF in his last year of college (reported) |
| 1966 | Cleared BA final-year exams in second division at Dhanamanjuri College (then affiliated to Gauhati University) |
| 1986 | Historic Mizoram peace accord signed with the Central government (reported context) |
| 1998–2008, 2018–2023 | Periods during which Zoramthanga served as Chief Minister (reported) |
| 2026 | Received BA certificate at Gauhati University; participated in special lecture and discussed his autobiography |
The presentation drew attention because it ties together the trajectory of a regional leader who moved from underground struggle to mainstream politics. Observers said such symbolic acts can hold significance for public memory of the insurgency and the peace process, though the ceremony itself was primarily a university event and a personal milestone for the leader.
Reporting of the function noted the involvement of university institutes in organising the event and indicated attendance by faculty and students. Zoramthanga's reflections at the gathering framed the moment as both personal and historic.
All factual details in this report are drawn from accounts of the ceremony and associated statements and reports on the event.
