Vizol Vitso-n Koso (16 November 1914 – 3 March 2008) was an Indian politician from
Nagaland
Nagaland () is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the ...
who served as the
4th Chief Minister of Nagaland twice from February 1974 until March 1975 and November 1977 until April 1980. He became the Chief Minister of Nagaland as part of the
United Democratic Front (Nagaland).
Early life
Vizol Koso was born on 16 November 1914 to a
Southern Angami
Southern Angami or ''Japfüphiki'' is a geo-cultural region located in the southern part of Kohima District in the state of Nagaland in India with a portion of its territory also lying across the inter-state border in the Senapati District of Ma ...
family from
Viswema
Viswema (), is a Southern Angami Naga people, Naga village located 22 km south of Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, India. With a resident population of 7417, it is the second biggest village in the state and is part of the contiguous buil ...
.
He did his initial education from Mission High School,
Kohima
Kohima (; Angami Naga: ''Kewhira'' ()), is the capital of the Northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. With a resident population of almost 100,000, it is the second largest city in the state. Originally known as ''Kewhira'', Kohima was founded i ...
.
He did his matriculation from Government High School,
Shillong
Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a p ...
.
In 1951, he graduated from
St. Edmund's College,
Shillong
Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a p ...
.
During the Second World War, Vizol joined the
Royal Indian Air Force
The Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) was the aerial force of British India and later the Dominion of India. Along with the Indian Army, and Royal Indian Navy, it was one of the Armed Forces of British Indian Empire.
The Indian Air Force was ...
and served until 1946.
After the war, he served as a private teacher in
John High School, Viswema.
From 1953 to 1956, he served as the Principal of the Naga National High School, Kohima. He was imprisoned twice—1956 and 1957 on political grounds. He also served as the Vice President of the
Naga People's Convention from 1957 to 1960.
He was also one of the founding members of the
Kohima Science College, Jotsoma in 1961.
Vizol was elected a member of the first Nagaland Assembly in
February 1964 from the
Southern Angami-II (Vidhan Sabha constituency) constituency as a Naga National Democratic Party candidate (later became the
Nagaland People's Council) and later became the leader of the Opposition
till it resigned en bloc after a ceasefire agreement was signed in September 1964. He did not contest the second state elections in
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
** Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
.
Peace initiatives
In 1966, Vizol was part of the five member-Nagaland Peace Commission formed in Kohima as an initiative of the
Nagaland Baptist Church Council
The Nagaland Baptist Church Council is a Baptist Christian organization based in Nagaland, India. It is affiliated with the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India and the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is located in Kohima, t ...
. It passed a resolution asking government authorities and public to strengthen peace work in Nagaland. Along with Vizol,
Nabakrushna Choudhuri
Nabakrushna Choudhuri (23 November 1901 – 24 June 1984) was an Indian politician and activist. He served as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Odisha. He was a freedom fighter who participated in the Non-cooperation Movement, the Civil Di ...
,
Lakshmi N. Menon,
Mayangnokcha Ao
Mayangnokcha Ao (1901–1988) was an Indian educationist and writer from Nagaland and the founder, vice president of the Naga National Council.
Early life
Hailing from the Ao Naga tribe, born in Changki village, Nagaland, he was the first gr ...
, and Nivukha were part of the commission. They met the Naga underground leaders at Chedema.
First term as Chief Minister (1974–1975)
He was re-elected in
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of President of the United States, United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom K ...
from the
Southern Angami-II constituency, and was unanimously chosen as the leader of
United Democratic Front party and was appointed the Chief Minister of Nagaland.
The government later collapsed due to defections. Following political instability, President’s rule was imposed in the state on March 22, 1975.
Second term as Chief Minister (1977–1980)
Vizol was again re-elected uncontested to the Nagaland Assembly in
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrati ...
and became the Chief Minister for the second time but it again collapsed in 1980.
Post Chief Ministership
In the subsequent two general elections in
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., Un ...
and
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airpor ...
, Vizol failed to get elected.
In the
1989 elections, he kept out of the fray but led the newly formed Nagaland People’s Council, the new name of Naga National Democratic Party, currently as
Naga People's Front
The Naga People's Front (NPF) is a regional political party in Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh . It headed the Nagaland government with the Bharatiya Janata Party, as part of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland from 2003 to 2018. NP ...
(NPF),
as the party Chairman. He contested the
1989 Lok Sabha election, but lost to Congress candidate
Shikiho Sema. He was a member of the
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, wikisource:Constitution of India/Part V#Article 80, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legisl ...
from 1992 to 1997
and also a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Communication, Energy, Gas, Afforestation and Eco-development.
He was the founding member of the Nagaland State Branch of the
Indian Red Cross Society
The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is a voluntary humanitarian organization to protect human life and health based in India. It is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and shares the Fundamental Principles of the Intern ...
in 1982, and served as its Chairman till he resigned in 2004, on health grounds.
He was known to lead a life of simplicity, honesty and peace loving, which he showed in his way of living to be emulated by others.
Death
Vizol died on 3 March 2008 at 07:10
Indian Standard Time
Indian Standard Time (IST), sometimes also called India Standard Time, is the time zone observed throughout India, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments. In military and av ...
(
UTC+05:30), at his personal residence in
Daklane Ward, Kohima after a prolonged illness and his remains were laid to rest at Viswema.
Personal life
Family
Vizol married Razoulhou–ü in 1948. Together the couple had two daughters and four sons.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Angami, Vizol
Naga people
Chief Ministers of Nagaland
1914 births
2008 deaths
Nagaland MLAs 1974–1975
Nagaland MLAs 1977–1982
Rajya Sabha members from Nagaland
Indian military personnel of World War II
People from Viswema
People from Kohima