Laltluangliana Khiangte

Laltluangliana Khiangte is an Indian scholar, playwright and poet of Mizo literature. He is the principal of the Serampore College and a former professor of the North Eastern Hill University. He is a recipient of the Pu Buanga Award, the highest literary award of the Mizo Academy of Letters. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2006, for his contributions to Indian literature.

Laltluangliana Khiangte was born in a Christian family to Tlanghmingthanga, a Church elder, and Darngeni Khawlhring,a school teacher, on 28 June 1961 in the northeast Indian state of Manipur and did his schooling locally during which time he was also involved with the Sunday School activities of the local church. He secured a master's degree in English literature (MA) from the North Eastern Hill University and continued his studies there to obtain a doctoral degree (PhD) in 1991. He also secured the degree of DLitt from the Washington International University in 1999. He started his career as a lecturer of English literature at Government Hrangbana College and later, moved to Government Aizawl College. In 1985, he joined the Pachhunga University College as a faculty member of the Department of Mizo Studies. He was appointed as Reader of the Post Graduate Department of Mizo at the Mizoram campus of the North Eastern Hill University and rose to the position of a professor in 2005. He worked as the Dean of School of Education and Humanities of the Mizoram University for a while after which he joined Serampore College as its Principal.

Khiangte, a former editor of the literary journal,Thu Leh Hla, is also a former member of the Executive Council of the Mizoram University and is a member of the Indian Folklore Congress. He has been associated with the Sahitya Akademi and the Sangeet Natak Akademi as a member of their general councils and is a former vice president of the All India Literary Forum. He has published 20 books and 20 booklets and is the author of over 30 plays. He has also written essays and literary criticisms, including A Study of the Mizo Novel and Mizo Drama. His book, Folktales of Mizoram, is a collection of Mizo folklore. Some of his books are prescribed texts for academic education and his works have been translated into many Indian languages. His play, Chharmawia has been adapted as a television series and was broadcast by Doordarshan.

Khiangte is married to Lalramhluni (Mahluni) and the couple has four sons. The family lives in Aizawl, the capital city of Mizoram.

Khiangte was awarded the Book of the Year by the Mizo Academy of Letters for his play, Pasalṭha Khuangchera in 1997. He is a three time winner of the Lelte Best Writer Award, winning it in 2001 through 2003. He received the Rashtriya Lok Bhasa Sanman in 2003 and the Bharat Adivasi Sanman in 2005 and the Distinguished Playwright Award, in between. The Government of India awarded him with the civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Mizo Academy of Letters honoured him again in 2010, with the Pu Buanga Award, the highest literary award of the Academy, given once in five years. He is also a recipient of the K. Zawla Award in Literature (2007) and Khuangchera Award (2008).

• Laltluangliana Khiangte (1993). Mizo Drama. South Asia Books. p. 226. ISBN 978-0836458114. 
• Laltluangliana Khiangte (2003). "Folktales of Mizoram". Indian Folklore Research Journal. 
• Laltluangliana Khiangte (2014). A Study of the Mizo Novel. Pothi. p. 190. ISBN 978-8184653953.