The Mizo, Mizoram, and the Advent of Christianity
Mizoram completed 100 years of Christianity on 11 January 1994 and a grand centenary celebration was organised in the same year. It was way back in 1894 that two missionaries, namely J.H.
Lorraine and F.W. Savidge, sponsored by Arthington Aborigines Mission landed in Mizoram (erstwhile Lushai Hills) to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Arthington Aborigines Mission could be established by the sole contribution of rich businessman, and Arthington was responsible for Christianisation of Mizoram within a half century (Kipgen 1996:192-193 and Zairema 1997:51-52). Population of Mizoram now constitutes 87 per cent Christians and 13 per cent non-Christians as per the 2011 census (Government of Mizoram 2020:8). Different tribes of the Zo2 ethnic group within and outside Mizoram can now be claimed Christians but the non-Christian population in Mizoram mainly include non-Zo ethnic groups,3 such as Chakmas, some Brus, Hindus, and Muslims. However, the church-state dichotomy is still an issue in Mizoram in different eras, such as the colonial era, District Council era, Union Territory era, and statehood era. The British Authority and missionaries cooperated well during the colonial era because education was entrusted to missionaries, but crisis cropped up between them on the issue of the Bawi system due to an extreme campaign for its abolition by Dr Fraser which had ultimately resulted in the expulsion from Lushai Hills by the governing authority in 1911. Dr Fraser was a missionary who was a medical Doctor by profession and who was also very concerned with social reform (Kipgen 1996:163-166). In District Council era, crisis cropped up between the church and Mizo District Council upon the issue of celebration of Chapchar Kut (a traditional agrobased spring festival) from 1960 to 1963 which celebration was discontinued from 1965 due to the plea of the church. Little crisis surfaced between the state and the church during the Union Territory era but the church took initiative for peace and acted as a mediator between the MNF and Government of India, and the role of the church should not be forgotten for return of normalcy in Mizoram. The main issue of crisis between the state and the church in the statehood era is mainly upon the issue of liquor which the church opposed tooth and nail irrespective of the party in power at the time. Liquor locally known as Zu has been prohibited by the church particularly by the two largest church denominational groups of Mizoram, namely Presbyterian Church of Mizoram (PCM) and Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) since the colonial era (Lalrinthanga 2013:93-94 & 198).11.2
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