Mizoram: 2008 was a year of political change, famine

Congress, out of power for the past decade trounced ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in the 40-member state assembly elections held on December two and became the only party to score an absolute majority since Mizoram became a state in 1987.

Led by three-time former chief minister Lal Thanhawla, Congress bagged 32 seats while MNF could manage to win only four with the help of its ally Mara Democratic Front (MDF).

Outgoing chief minister Zoramthanga lost from both the seats he contested. The third force known as the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), an alliance of Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) and the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) also got only four seats.

The year began with fear of the impending repetition of ‘mautam’ or famine caused by gregarious bamboo flowering resulting in destruction of crops by millions of rodents as Dendrocalamus Hamiltoni, locally known as “phulrua” flowered during the last part of 2007.

Experts like James Lalsiamliana had warned last year that flowering of phulrua would proved wrong the predictions of village elders that 2007 would be the climax of the Mautam and 2008 would be ‘a vur kum’ or ‘year of harvest boom’. Multitude of rats survived feeding on the fallen seeds of phulrua to again ravage the jhums or paddy fields all over the state.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200812251021.htm