I Wish We Had larger Number of MPs: Lal Thanhawla

When Lal Thanhawla seeks an appointment with an Union minister in New Delhi, no one disappoints him despite the fact that he is the chief minister of one of the small, far-flung Northeast states.

After all, he first became Mizoram’s CM when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. In an interview to Shantanu Nandan Sharma, he lists out some of the handicaps in leading a small state.

Excerpts:

On being a small state with one Lok Sabha MP...

I do not have any problems with the Central government, particularly the UPA government, despite being a small, insignificant state located in a remote part of the country. Instead, there is a tremendous goodwill for us at the Centre. Yet, we have not been able to capitalize on this because of our remote location and other constraints.

On no discussion of Mizoram in Parliament...

I don’t remember when Mizoram was talked about in Parliament last. I wish we had larger number of MPs. But both our MPs (one each in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) are very active inside and outside the Parliament. Also, whenever I visit Delhi, I not only meet Union ministers, but even officials to get work done for my state. Our problem is not in receiving fund from the Centre, but in lack of capacity to spend it. So, we have begun to engage professional organizations to prepare project proposals and action plans.

On Look East Policy...

It is rather difficult to woo investors despite Mizoram being very peaceful and having an industry-friendly attitude. However, the Centre’s Look East policy, which engages neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and other South East countries, could make our state a major beneficiary in the years to come.