How 'tlawmngaihna', the Mizo spirit of altruism, helped Mizoram become first fully literate state

Guwahati: It was her sense of altruism or "tlawmngaihna", as called in Mizo language, that pushed Lalrinmawii Chhangte to join a special literacy programme as a volunteer teacher in 2023. As a volunteer, Lalrinmawii, a teacher in an NGO-run orphanage in Mizoram capital Aizawl, started teaching at least 25 persons identified by the government as non-literates under the Centre's Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram or New India Literacy Programme.

"Helping the society or the community has been something we have been doing since childhood. Being a teacher, I was more than happy to teach and help others to be literate," Chhangte told DH over phone from Aizawl on Thursday.

Like her, 292 volunteer teachers joined the government initiative across Mizoram and helped 1,692 non-literate men and women to become literates. Classes in community halls, churches or libraries run by organisations like Young Mizo Association helped Mizoram increase its literacy from 91.33 per cent in 2011 to 98.3 per cent now, making the small hilly state a fully literate state. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Lalduhoma declared Mizoram as the first fully literate state under the centre's Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) initiative.

"Mizos are a close-knit society and it is the spirit of 'Kartavya Bodh' (DUTY), which is quite similar to the concept of ‘Tlawmngaihna’ (altruism) embedded in Mizo society that came to the forefront. The communities came forward voluntarily right from our survey to identify the non-literates to provide them with the basic education," said Andrew Lalrintluanga, the deputy state project director of Samagra Shiksha, Mizoram.

The top slot

As per Census 2011, Kerala was the most literate state with 93.9 per cent literacy and Mizoram stood third with 91.33 per cent. According to the norms of the Ministry of Education, a state crossing 95 per cent literacy can be declared as the fully literate state.

With a target to make Mizoram a fully literate state, the state government established a Governing Council and Executive Committee under the State Literacy Mission Authority, with the State Project Office under Samagra Shiksha Mizoram spearheading the initiative. A State Centre for Literacy was set up under SCERT. It developed Mizo language learning materials titled Vartian, along with an English version for learners belonging to Chakma community in Lawngtlai district. Additional resources such as Romei for learners and Margdarshikha for the volunteer teachers were created. Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators acted as surveyors for the New India Literacy Programme, identifying 3,026 illiterate individuals aged 15 and above — of whom 1,692 expressed a willingness to learn.

States/UTs with highest literacy rate

State/UTs-------------literacy rate

Mizoram------------98.2%

Lakshadweep-----97.3%

Nagaland-----------95.7%

Kerala----------------95.3%

Meghalaya----------94.2%

Tripura----------------93.7%

Chandigarh----------93.7%

Goa---------------------93.6%

Puducherry----------92.7%

Manipur----------------92%

Source: MoSPI PLFS 2023–24, (Men and Women, 7 years and above)