As I wandered through the mountains of Mizoram, I came across something truly fascinating — actually, it was my driver who pointed it out to me. It was a vegetable shop, but unlike any I had seen before. The difference was that it didn’t have a vendor — the shop was completely unmanned.

Vegetable Shops

It was a small wooden shack, with vegetables neatly arranged and hanging according to their measure. A Paytm number was displayed prominently, and beside it hung a small wooden box where customers could drop the money. The prices for each variety of vegetable were clearly written on the bags. You could simply pick up what you wanted and pay by either scanning the code or placing the cash in the box.

This amazed me. It reflected an incredible level of trust among the locals. Everyone believed in honesty, virtue, and goodness — and to my surprise, I was told that nobody had ever stolen from this shop.

This phenomenon really got me thinking. It showed how high the level of human consciousness is in these remote mountain regions. The locals are simple, innocent people leading humble lives, and everyone respects one another. No one steals from anyone else — it’s as if the farther you go into the hills, the purer human nature becomes.

People here don’t need much. Most children play in football fields; local schools organize games, and younger kids play tug-of-war. There are many churches in the area, as most of the tribal population has converted to Christianity — a clear sign of the influence of missionaries here. Interestingly, Gold Flake cigarettes are quite common, but I found it difficult to find my own brand in this part of the world!

This little vegetable shop without a vendor truly blew my mind. It showed me how deeply honest and trustworthy the people of Mizoram are. There must be an exceptionally low level of crime here — the community seems to live in perfect harmony.