T. Sailo | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Chief Minister of Mizoram | |
| In office 8 May 1979 – 4 May 1984 | |
| Lieutenant Governor | N. P. Mathur Sourendra Nath Kohli H. S. Dubey |
| Preceded by | Ch. Chhunga |
| Succeeded by | Lal Thanhawla |
| Constituency | Aizawl West II |
| In office 2 June 1978 – 10 November 1978 | |
| Lieutenant Governor | N. P. Mathur |
| Preceded by | President’s Rule |
| Succeeded by | President’s Rule |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1922 Melkhat/Ṭhuampui, Lunglei, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 27 March 2015 (aged 93) Aizawl, Mizoram, India |
| Resting place | Kanan Veng, Aizawl 23°43′53″N 92°42′30″E / 23.73139°N 92.70833°E |
| Political party | Mizoram People's Conference |
| Spouse | Thansiami |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Aizawl |
| Alma mater | University of Calcutta |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  British India India |
| Branch/service |  British Indian Army Indian Army |
| Years of service | 1942-1974 |
| Rank |  Brigadier |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
Brigadier Ṭhenphunga Sailo, AVSM (1922–2015) was an Indian military officer and politician who served as the 2nd Chief Minister of Mizoram. He founded the Mizoram People's Conference, one of the major political parties in Mizoram. He was a recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Padma Shri for his military service and humanitarian works,[1] and the Mizo Award for his lifetime achievements.
Sailo was the son of Vanchheuva, a Mizo chief of Ṭhuampui village at Lunglei district. He studied at Serkawn Middle English School, Shillong High School (in Meghalaya), and Serampore College in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He earned his certificate of Intermediate of Science (higher secondary level) from the University of Calcutta. He immediately joined the British Indian Army to serve in World War II. Recruited as a second lieutenant in 1942, he became the first military officer among the Mizo people. He retired with the rank Brigadier in 1974. By then his native state was ravaged by political insurgency, and he soon set to humanitarian works and established the Human Right Committee, which he developed into a recognized political party named People's Conference (later renamed the Mizo People's Conference) in 1975.
Sailo led his new party to victory in the Mizoram Legislative Assembly election in 1978, and he became the second Chief Minister. Re-election the next year brought him another victory, and he remained the Chief Minister till 1984. Though he was elected for MLA seat in the 1984 election, his party was overwhelmed by the Mizoram Congress party (under the Indian National Congress Party). He was appointed the Opposition Leader in the legislative assembly. He was subsequently elected in 1998 and 2008, but failed to uplift his party. He retired from politics in 2013 at age 91, at which time he was the oldest elected legislator.
- ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2015.