Tunnels and Teak: Farmers who lost everything to Mizoram’s Railway

The Sairang Railway Station in Aizawl has been hailed as a long-awaited dream come true for the people of Mizoram, a state that has so far relied on treacherous roads, often shut down during the monsoon, and flights that remain out of reach for the average citizen.

A historic trial run of the railway line was successfully completed on May 1, 2025.

In response, leaders from Mizoram have called for the development of a world-class station and a Rajdhani Express link to fully integrate the state with the rest of the country.

Plans for the Bairabi-Sairang railway line was first set in motion in September 1999. The project was declared a “National Project” in 2008-09 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone on November 29, 2014. 

The 51.38 km Bhairabi-Sairang line features 48 tunnels spanning 12,853 meters and 142 bridges, including a towering 104-meter-high bridge. The route passes through four distinct sections between Bairabi and Sairang.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma has announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the railway line on September 13, 2025, with preparations already underway. However, there is growing uncertainty over whether the inauguration will happen at all.

On the afternoon of August 12, 2025, a small group of farmers gathered on the raised platform of the Aizawl Press Club in Treasury Square.

Within the hour, the state learned of their startling claim: for the past 14 years, they had not received a single rupee in compensation for land acquired by the railways for the construction of the Sairang–Bairabi railway line.

The farmers warned that they would fence off their land and also warned that they would boycott the inauguration if their demands were not met by the month of August. 

According to official records, the Northeast Frontier Railways had completed the land acquisition process by 2014-2015 and started construction in 2015-16.

Zothanpari, one of the affected landowners, told EastMojo that she had traveled to Delhi three times and to Guwahati four times to meet railway officials and push for the compensation she is owed.

According to her, 14 individuals have not received their full compensation, and among them, four claim they have not received a single rupee for the land acquired for the railway project.

“Both the railways and the Aizawl DC office keep shifting the blame onto each other, and we don’t know how else to move forward. We’ve turned to the media out of desperation. All we want is what is rightfully ours,” Zothanpari said.

She recalled the first land survey conducted on August 28, 2011. “Since then, I’ve waited 14 years. I had a large garden full of teak trees. By the time they began digging the land, the trees were already fully grown. When I asked if we could take them, they told us a survey had been done, and that compensation would be given, so the land was no longer ours.”

Now 45 years old, Zothanpari said she had invested heavily in planting and maintaining the roughly 1,000 teak trees on her land. Today, she estimates they would have fetched her well over ₹1 crore.

During her trips to Delhi and Guwahati, Zothanpari was told by railway officials that compensation had been fully disbursed according to their calculations.

However, the amount of land acquired and the compensation paid did not seem to match up. “They told me that if this issue continued, they might not be able to complete the project and would have to spend all their efforts on resolving compensation,” she said.

When she approached the Aizawl DC office, she was informed that the sanctioned compensation amount had not yet reached them.

This discrepancy raised serious questions for Zothanpari and her fellow landowners about whether the compensation had been properly distributed to the rightful recipients.

In a meeting with the Aizawl DC office, she requested that they trace all individuals who had received compensation from the start to ensure it had been allocated correctly.

“From what I can see, the officials are not brave enough to reveal the truth,” she said.

A spot verification by top officials was conducted on August 19, but as this report was being filed, the results were still unknown.

During the process, Zothanpari met with the Railways Chief Engineer, General Manager, and Chief Administrative Officer.

“At one point, I was so frustrated that I shouted at the railway deputy officer, saying, ‘Stop telling us lies. We have waited 14 years, give us what is rightfully ours, including the accrued interest,’” she recalled.

The amount owed to Zothanpari stands at ₹25 lakh, excluding interest.

“Without our rightful compensation given to us, we are not going to allow the railway to service. I will protect my land and fence it if we are not paid by this month,” she said. 

What has driven farmers like Zothanpari to threaten a boycott is over a decade of frustration and unfulfilled promises. Similarly, T Remlalnghaka has been pushed to the brink of desperation.

He claims his land, which includes a teak garden, is worth over ₹1 crore. “This land has been in our family since the time of our fathers. While I now earn a living by driving cabs, the land remains invaluable to us, and this delay has deeply affected my family,” he said.

Remlalnghaka lives in Sairang with his mother, wife, and four children. “What I really want is to build a home for my family. As my children grow older, their education costs are rising, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage,” he added.

His eldest child recently completed a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, another finished 12th grade, while the younger two are still in school.

“I have to pay for my children’s education and our vehicle loan. And during the monsoon, when the roads are unusable, we struggle even more. If we had received our rightful compensation, it would have helped us make much-needed progress. At this point, I don’t know what to expect, I can only pray,” he said.

Responding to the concerns raised against the government, Aizawl DC Er. Lalhriapuia told EastMojo, “If farmers believe there has been any wrongdoing in the compensation allotment, they should file an FIR. We are eager to investigate and identify any miscalculations.”

He emphasized that the matter is being taken very seriously, and top officials have been dispatched for spot verification. “So far, what we’ve observed points to issues of overlapping land ownership.”

Lalhriapuia explained the complex ownership situation: there are 67 LSC holders covering a total of 59 hectares, 57 periodic patta owners covering around 30 hectares, 47 house pass owners, one land lease owner granted land through a DC permit when Mizoram was still a district under Assam, and 27 VC pass owners.

According to the railways, there has been no increase in land area compared to the compensation claims made by the 14 owners. The railway had initially budgeted ₹340 crore for compensation but has already paid over ₹500 crore, which is a significant sum.

The verification process for the 14 disputed lands began on August 19 and is taking longer than expected. Authorities have seized all 124 VC minute books from Sairang. For instance, one landowner among the 14 claiming unpaid compensation appears to have the same land registered under another VC pass owner.

There are also discrepancies involving signatures between those on the VC passes and those in the VC minute books.

“What we want is for the rightful owners to receive their compensation. We believe that everyone who feels their land has been taken, including these 14 individuals, should be compensated. However, we cannot act beyond the law or what is documented officially. We are bound by the law,” he said.

The Aizawl DC expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved before the inauguration, pending the results of the spot verification. “I don’t think there will be any problem. It appears to be, more or less, a case of overlapping land ownership,” he added.

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