The Sinlung Hills Council (SHC) is a local administrative body in Mizoram, India. Unlike other Autonomous District Councils in the state, the council has limited administrative autonomy. It was created on 9 July 2018 as an administrative body for the Hmar people and covers Hmar-dominated areas in northern Mizoram across the Aizawl, Kolasib and Saitual districts.

The term Sinlung refers to the supposed ancestral origin of the Hmar people. The headquarters of the council is located in Aizawl.

History Sinlung Hills Council covers an area in and around the inter-state borders with neighbouring Assam and Manipur in the north eastern corner of Mizoram. The Council covers 31 Villages under 3 (three) different Rural Development Blocks and under 3 (three) different districts. As per the 2011 census, it has a population of 30,160 with a literacy rate of 94.68% and a Scheduled Tribe population of 95.27%.

In July 1986, some Hmar leaders in Mizoram formed the Mizoram Hmar Association (MHA), which was later renamed as the Hmar People's Convention (HPC). The HPC spearheaded a political movement for social, economic, cultural and educational advancement of the Hmar people in line with the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) of the Lai, Mara and Chakma. The HPC representatives and the Government of Mizoram, after multiple rounds of talks, signed a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) in Aizawl on 27 July 1994 and the Sinlung Hills Development Council was officially formed on 27 August 1997.

At the time of the MoS signing in 1994, some of the HPC leaders formed the HPC (Democratic), which has continued an armed movement for autonomy within Mizoram. To end a prolonged militancy in Mizoram, a series of peace talks was held between the Government of Mizoram and the Leaders of the Hmar People's Convention (Democratic). Settlement on various issues were reached during the course of the Talk and Memorandum of Settlement to give enhanced autonomy in the manner of administration, in the sphere of socio-economic, political and cultural development of the people under the jurisdiction of the Sinlung Hills Council was signed between the Government of Mizoram and the Leaders of the Hmar People's Convention (Democratic) on 2 April 2018. Sinlung Hills Council was established by the Sinlung Hills Council Act, 2018 (No. 6 of 2018) which came into force on 5 July 2018.

Area & Population The council comprises 31 villages in the Hmar-dominated northeastern part of Mizoram. It covers three assembly constituencies in the districts of Aizawl, Kolasib and Saitual.

SHC estimated population

Sl. No. Village Population (2011) 1 Daido 603 2 East Damdiai 205 3 Khawlian 1,804 4 Khawpuar 556 5 Lamherh 598 6 Lungsum 413 7 Mauchar 1,375 8 N. Khawdungsei 251 9 N. Khawlek 769 10 N. Tinghmun 873 11 N.E. Tlangnuam 658 12 New Vervek 729 13 North Chawnpui 389 14 Palsang 370 15 Phainuam 1,727 16 Phuaibuang 2,134 17 Ratu 2,176 18 Saihapui V 368 19 Sailutar 536 20 Saiphai 2,052 21 Saipum 2,359 22 Sakawrdai 2,649 23 Suangpuilawn 1,724 24 Sunhluchhip 568 25 Thingsat 154 26 Sakawrdai 2,649 27 Vaitin 1,069 28 Vanbawng 1,231 29 Zawngin 617 30 Zohmun 1,399 31 Zokhawthiang 955 Total 35,127 (Estimate)

The total population is an approximate calculation based on the 2011 Census of India data for 29 villages, with population data for East Damdiai derived from a 2009 village record and Mauchar obtained from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of Mizoram.

Composition The council has 14 members. 12 of whom are elected and 2 are nominated. The council is headed by a Chief Executive Member.

Election

2019 SHC election About 20,914 voters were eligible to vote for the election. It was the first election since its election. The MNF-HPC alliance won 10 seats, and Independents won 2 seats.

2nd General Election to Sinlung Hills Council, 2024

The alliance between the Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Hmar People's Convention (Reformed) (HPC-R) secured a majority in the Sinlung Hills Council elections held on 5 November 2024.

The MNF–HPC(R) combine won seven seats in the 12-member council, surpassing the simple majority mark required to form the executive body. The ruling alliance between the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and the Hmar People's Convention (HPC) suffered defeat in the polls, with ZPM winning three of the eight seats it contested.

The HPC failed to secure any seats out of the four constituencies it contested, while the Indian National Congress managed to win one seat out of the twelve it contested. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which contested one constituency, failed to win any seats.

Election officials reported that a total of 49 candidates, including one woman, contested the election, and voter turnout stood at 71.69 percent of the 23,789 eligible voters.

Structure of the Sinlung Hills Council after the 2024 election

Party Seats Colour MNF 5 ZPM 4 HPC-R 2 INC 1

Final Voter Turnout Report of 2024 election Submitted to the Commission at 5:00 PM after the Close of Poll

+ Sinlung Hills Council Election 2024 – Final Voter Turnout Constituency Polling Station Male Voters Female Voters Total Male Votes Cast Female Votes Cast Total Percent1-Khawlian1/1 – Khawlian I37335773024419644060.271/2 – Khawlian II40335675930324654972.331/3 – NE Tlangnuam22026148113613827456.961/4 – Daido21221042213913327264.45Sub-Total120811842392822713153564.172-Phuaibuang2/1 – Phuaibuang I50748298939034873874.622/2 – Phuaibuang II36638975528627155773.77Sub-Total8738711744676619129574.253-Suangpuilawn3/1 – Suangpuilawn I33237370523724247967.943/2 – Suangpuilawn II37733771427525452974.093/3 – Zawngin26025151120718739477.10Sub-Total9699611930719683140272.644-Vanbawng4/1 – Vanbawng46346993235630165770.494/2 – Lamherh22218240416014930976.494/3 – Khawlek33930664519521641163.72Sub-Total10249571981711666137769.515-Ratu5/1 – Ratu I35245180325227252465.265/2 – Ratu II495510100531433765164.785/3 – Sailutar18621440013314627969.755/4 – Sunhluchhip19917637515712628375.47Sub-Total123213512583856881173767.256-New Vervek6/1 – New Vervek30731061724724749480.066/2 – Lungsum18817536315813429280.446/3 – Damdiai112113225909018080.00Sub-Total607598120549547196680.177-Sakawrdai South7/1 – Sakawrdai II43345989232531363871.527/2 – Thingsat9273165685812676.367/3 – N Khawdungsei8274156694711674.36Sub-Total607606121346241888072.558-Sakawrdai North8/1 – Sakawrdai I606613121941944486370.808/2 – Vaitin47945793630828659463.468/3 – Khawpuar19820740513812626465.198/4 – Upper Sakawrdai466611235468172.32Sub-Total132913432672900902180267.449-Zohmun9/1 – Zohmun534543107741438579974.199/2 – Palsang17116533614311726077.38Sub-Total7057081413557502105974.9510-Tinghmun10/1 – Tinghmun38437976331929060979.8210/2 – Zokhawthiang9492186636312667.7410/3 – Mauchar38038476429629158776.83Sub-Total8588551713678644132277.1711-Saipum11/1 – Saipum-I44746491136535972479.4711/2 – Saipum-II536540107643641485079.0011/3 – Chawnpui15115730810212122372.40Sub-Total113411612295903894179778.3012-Saiphai12/1 – Saiphai-I34130965024322246571.5412/2 – Saiphai-II42244086231834566376.9112/3 – Phainuam47348595831830362164.7212/4 – Saihapui 'V'9385178726213475.28Sub-Total132913192648951932188371.11GRAND TOTAL118751191423789873083251705571.69

+ Sinlung Hills Council Election 2024 – Consolidated Result Constituency Candidate Party Votes Result1-KhawlianAndrew ZothansangaBJP55LalrawngbawlaINC415ElectedRochungnungaMNF336K. HrangkungaHPC380LalpuithangaIND47J. ThantluangaIND293NOTA-12-PhuaibuangLallianzamaINC273LordJoyFullaMNF262VanlalsiamsangaZPM429ElectedJ. LalchhanhimaIND314NOTA-53-SuangpuilawnM. DawnglianaINC501Lalvenhima HmarZPM542ElectedVanlaltluanglianaMNF244RinpuiaIND105NOTA-24-VanbawngLalfakawmaINC192H.C. LalhunhluaZPM519Ricky LalremsangaMNF643ElectedNOTA-195-RatuLalhmingthangaMNF714ElectedLalthlamuanaINC382Saizawna SailoZPM610NOTA-36-New VervekLalhlunchhungaZPM396ElectedC. LalnuntlangaMNF384P.C. VanlalthlanaINC80C. VanlalhruaiaIND93NOTA-07-Sakawrdai SouthLalrokimaINC287Lalhriatchhunga HmarIND366ElectedLalremruata VarteIND211NOTA-48-Sakawrdai NorthLalrammuanpuiaZPM788H.C. LalthangluraINC144Melody LalchhuangzeliIND842ElectedNOTA-39-ZohmunBenjamin LalrawnlianaMNF416ElectedBiakchungnungaINC241H.C. LalmalsawmaZPM387NOTA-010-TinghmunR. LalfakzualaMNF306ElectedLalzolianaINC206DanielaIND184H. LalchhuanawmaIND234VanlalhluaIND118Zoramthanga RalteIND248NOTA-211-SaipumLaldawmlianaMNF243Lalmuanpuia NgurteINC431LalrawngbawlaZPM455ElectedEleazer RozarmawiaIND280LalropiangaIND200Timothy LalzamlovaIND157NOTA-312-SaiphaiLalthlirlien HmarINC490ZokhumthangaMNF516ElectedH.L. BanlianaHPC459H.A. DawnglianaIND391NOTA-17

References