Yangmaso Shaiza

As a far-sighted leader, Yangmaso and his policies has been considered as being highly visionary and cosmopolitan in nature. In a recent one-day seminar on "Yangmaso Shaiza and His Manipur" held on 9 March 2014 by the United All Communities Social Uplifters (UNACSU), Manipur, his legacy was summed up by Soso Shaiza as:

Yangmaso Shaiza (1923 – 30 January 1984) was an Indian politician and the fourth Chief Minister of Manipur. He founded the Manipur Hills Union in 1974, and became the first chief minister from hill regions of the state.

On 30 January 1984, Yangmaso was murdered by two assassins of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) at Nagaram, Imphal.

Although he was elected as Indian Member of Parliament (MP) through Indian National Congress in 1977, The State of Emergency (1975–77) declared by the Indian President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 (1) of Indian Constitution, made him to support the then emerging Janata Party (1977). By giving up his Congress MP seat, Yangmaso joined the Janata Party formed under Morarji Desai. Within the same year, he returned as the Chief Minister of Manipur (29 June 1977 – 14 November 1979) under the Janata Party.

Yangmaso himself declared in 1977 that he was against the Fascist handling style of the country by the Indian National Congress, and even more, under the rule of one individual to the benefit of the family. He strongly supported the rise of Janata Party, and in his own words, "the installation of the Janata Party in power is an outcome of a rightful revolt of the people in a democratic manner through the ballots against the previous Congress Party’s rule which was ruling under a virtual dictatorship". Thus, while being elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) from Congress Party in 1977, he gave up the seat owing to his opposition to the party’s emergency activities. He reportedly summoned Indira Gandhi at Imphal Court to explain various crimes committed during the time of emergency. Appealing to the people of India and Manipur, Yangmaso declared in 1977 as, "You are the judges, the jury and you are the best judge to decide for your future. Your liberty, your freedom, your rights in your development is safe with the Janata Party as you have seen it already in comparison with the emergency period".

While holding the post of Chief Minister (1977-1979) in Manipur, Yangmaso achieved and accomplished many within a short span of two years, which many Indian politicians are unable to achieve in a lifetime. Some of his achievements include:

When India was put under the State of Emergency for 21-month period from 1975–7 under Article 352 (1) of Indian Constitution, Yangmaso strongly opposed to the situation created by the emergency in Manipur State. Some of the acts committed under the emergency that affected people living in Manipur include the forced mass-sterilisation campaign spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, the destruction of low-income housing at many places of Imphal town, and detention of people by the police without charges or notification to the families. For opposing the emergency activities of the INC (R), Yangmaso was put behind bars under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), passed by the Indian Parliament in 1971.

In 1974, he founded the Manipur Hills Union (MHU), that gave him the opportunity to become the first Chief Minister (July 1974 – December 1974) from hilly regions of Manipur. His first term as Chief Minister of Manipur was short lived, and this was conditioned by the chaos that was emanating under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her Indian National Congress.

By 1971, his political calling was underway, and through pressure and support from the masses, he left the administrative work, and instead joined the 5th Lok Sabha Indian Election as an independent candidate. Although he was defeated, he again contested from Ukhrul/44-AC in 1972 (when Manipur attained statehood) as an independent candidate, and comfortably won, thereby becoming a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). He also became the Finance Minister of Manipur under the Chief Ministership of Mohammed Alimmuddin.

Following such incident, he left political activities from 1953-1971 and engaged himself in educating the masses, and later took up Civil Service administrative work under Manipur Government. In 1954, he took up teaching the Tangkhuls at Khamasom, along with his wife. His daughter-in-law, Soso Shaiza, an educationist and National Commission for Women Member, asserted that this period was a "self-political asylum’ sought by Yangmaso during his span of political career. The Manipur Government awarded him the Civil Service administrative post of Block Development Officer and Sub Divisional Officer (BDO/SDO). This career took him across all regions of Manipur including Tengnoupal, Thanlon, Churachandpur, Tipaimukh, Imphal, Tadubi, Tamenglong, and Ukhrul.His involvement with the masses has been considered by people in Chruachandpur till today as Yangmaso’s Style.

His deep political involvement and concern for the people started when the Princely States of Manipur was merged and integrated with Indian Union on 15 October 1949. He was against the merger, and after resigning from his post as EAC/CO, he worked with the Manipur Nationalist Union (MNU) from 1949 till 1953. The movement was later subdued by the new found Manipur Government under the instigation of the Government of India (GOI), and many activists including Yangmaso Shaiza, Shri S. Indramani, Shri W. Buddha, and Shri R. K. Maipaksana were thrown behind the bars in 1953.

Yangmaso married Hangmila Shaiza in 1949, who later became the first elected woman MLA of Manipur. Together, they have six children: Keinan, Ngachanpam, Hangzik (Danny Shaiza, former Member of Legislative Assembly), Shimyo, Lakpati (Lakkh-a), and Graceton.

His career sets off by working as an interpreter for the British during the World War II in Manipur. After he graduated, he came to Ukhrul and was selected to work as an Extra Assistant Commissioner/Circle Officer (EAC/CO) in 1946.

Yangmaso Shaiza was born in 1923 in Tangkhul Naga Community, and was raised in a Christian Protestant Baptist family at Ukhrul District. His father Shangyang Shaiza (1890-1968), was one of the first founding Educationist of the Tangkhul people living at Ukhrul. His mother was Ningchungla Shaiza, the eldest daughter of H.A. Raihao, Chief or Headman of the Ukhrul District. He was the eldest son of Shangyang and Ningchungla Shaiza.