I Was There!!

L. T. Ngaihte

The Author: Mr. Leivang Thawnkhokam Ngaihte, popularly known as L. T. Ngaihte or, simply as ELTY during his student days, is one the Founding Members of the Zomi Christian Fellowship, Delhi. He joined Government service in 1984 after obtaining his Master Degree from Delhi University. Presently he is Second Secretary in the Embassy of India, Amman (Jordan). He had worked in Italy, Mauritius and Hong Kong before and visited few other countries. He and his wife, Kho-khawl with their two sons-Mung and Lun are always a keen supporter of Zomi movement and its dream of uniting all the Jo antecedents into one happy family.

It is well known that Delhi provides an address, but never permanence. No one is indispensable to Delhi; each of us serves a purpose, and once the purpose is served, we give way to others. We arrived here with dreams and aspirations but essentially, we are visitors, each in our different ways seeking some favour from this ever-changing Delhi. Like an unfaithful mistress, Delhi favours or scorns as it pleases, whimsically. To a few, she grants favours but, most, of course, receive no favours at all. They were cruelly spurned; arriving with hopes, they struggle, as we all do, and then, disheartenened and disappointed, they abandon Delhi to its own, as they, in turn return to their own. The cycle goes on. The lure of Delhi pulls many from distant parts of India, some gain, some lose, finally most return.

Life, of Course, Goes On

About 70 long years after the British rulers founded a place called New Delhi in the northern part of India and made it as the capital of India, a few of us from Manipur came to that place. One of our politicians, Pu (Late) N. Gouzagin from Bungmual town, was voted to Parliament as Lok Sabha member as well around this time. He was given a ministerial bungalow at 7-Canning Lane at the heart of New Delhi having 11 big rooms even though he was not a minister. If my memory served me correct, there were only 6 families from Manipur at that time outside the ambit of Delhi Mizo Inkhawm. They are: Pu N. Gouzagin, (Canning Lane), Pu V. Dongzathang (Chanakyapuri), Pu T. Gwite (Pragati Vihar), Pu Lianzago (Andrews Ganj), Pu Frankie Gangte (Lodhi Colony), Pu Thangsianmung Lethil (Palam Colony) and Pu N. Tuankhankhup (K. G. Marg). A handful of students added the population in early 1981, the author of this article was one of them.

Being used to attend Church on Sundays, almost every one of us would rushed to 7 Canning Lane, knowingly or otherwise, urged by visible or invisible spirits (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and would indulge in what can be called community talking. By late 1981, a regular get-together was started at 7 Canning Lane, and it came to be known as Delhi Inkuan Kikhop (DIK). Since the name mentioned ‘inkuan’ meaning ‘family’ and as only few families were in Delhi, one friend of mind who was doing his LLB at that time once commented to me saying he ought to feel an outsider as he was a bachelor! A lawyer’s point of view, one should say. This was the first sign of our typical separatist mentality. If you count yourself out of the ‘family’, then you are. At the same time, if you count in, again, you are. The meeting was actively participated not only by those of us from Manipur but also some other students.

In fact, even some of our very active members were non-Zomi speakers hailing from states like Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Sunday School for children was started with this author as its teacher in the dining room of the MP, sitting around the oval shaped dining table. In the middle of 1982, under the auspicious of DIK, a Bible camp was organized at 7 Canning Lane. Dr. Khaizalian now in Forest Service was the camp Director and the writers of this article its Secretary. Three very well-known gospel preachers from Manipur - Rev. Lalngaisang, Rev. Ginneithang Ngaihte and Rev. Suankhanthang preached the gospels concentrating on Salvation to the odd 40 or so campers.

This was the first Bible Camp organized by the Zomis in Delhi. The preachers, unlike present day gospel preachers, traveled from Manipur to Delhi and back by a surface route and had no complaint at all. One barometer to capture the sound and light of the DIK meeting was that, celebrations like, Christmas were attended even by conservative Church of Christ members participating in the celebrations through out the night. But the problem with community singing with Pu Late N. Gouzagin was that whenever he thought that the singing was good, he would stand up, urging the others at the same time to follow suit through the movement of his hands and when everyone was up standing, he would raise both his hands and when the song finally come to an end, he would growl out loudly followed by hilarious guffaws. This disco-style action was believed to have killed whatever little ‘holy spirits’ being built up during the course of the singing. Only the-not-so-holy spirits survived such luxury for a short time before they go down slumbering log and stock.

By early 1982, the term ‘Zomi’ became the talk of the town amongst the members. Senior students at that time like, Pu Lal Dena, Pu S. Thangkhangin Ngaihte, Pu L. S. Gangte, Pu Lalam Hangshing, Pu Chochon Hangshing, Pu Holkholun Lhungdim from JNU, and Pu Chinzahau Taitom from IARI etc. were responsible for the resurrection of the term ‘Zomi’. Presumably, this ‘awakening’ was immediately followed by the formation of a rather high-sounding ALZOSA (All Zomi Students’ Association) at the residence of (Late) Pu N. Gouzagin. An innocuous looking term ‘on experimental basis’ immediately followed the resolution. This was another indication of what is to come in the future by way of doubting Thomases. There was even a walkout staged by two students from JNU over the use of the term ‘Zomi’ during the heated debate and I was lucky enough to play the role of a peacemaker and persuaded them to come back into the meeting.

Another significant incident was that a meeting of students from a particular community was convened discreetly by a certain hardliner the same night believing once that the term ‘Zomi’ would swallow up the whole community in one go. Alas, he was proved to be hundred times wrong. This is the third indication that the term ‘Zomi’ is relevant and could pose problems for conservative nationalists.

In this way and under the given situation, the ‘Fellowship’ was born and brought up. When the term of Pu N. Gouzagin expired as an MP, the ‘Fellowship’ was shifted to different places including the residences of Pu Lianzago at Andrews Ganj (later on Pu Khatchin), Pu T. Thangzalian at Vasant Vihar ( later on Pu Biakthang) and Pu V. Dongzathang at Chanakyapuri besides others. When the number of member increased manifolds, it was decided to approach the Free Church in Parliament Street. I remember having written a formal letter to the then Parishes who had kindly agreed to allot the vacant period on every alternate Sunday. During this period, it was simply called ‘Delhi Zomi Fellowship’, perhaps after well known Delhi Mizo Inkhawm.

However, the ‘Fellowship’ got its present name as late as in 1985. It was decided to name ‘Delhi Zomi Christian Fellowship’ through a resolution passed in the Executive Meeting held at the residence of Pu Lian Za Go. A brief leaflet was issued on this subject by the author of this article in his capacity as the Secretary. The meeting was also attended incidentally by (Late) Pu Khup Za Go on his way to Indonesia. It was he who dedicated the name to the Almighty and providentially, he later on became its first fulltime Pastor and God has taken his life while serving the Fellowship. He was indeed the man chosen by God to revive the Fellowship and accordingly, God must have thought it fit to anoint the Fellowship with his blood. May his departed soul be in peace!

It is well said that when a group or an organization swells beyond a hundred, people in it stop listening to the world; they are so busy talking to, and about, each other. The Zomis in Delhi is a good example of this phenomenon. The lesson is that once we made the initial mistake, little we do afterward is right. Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said ‘If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to go to the forest to gather wood, saw it and nail the planks together. Instead teach them the desire for the sea’. The group of people who first arrived in Delhi and tried to unite all the Zomis had failed to learnt the above counseling. However, every idea needs a face to make it a popular hit. Until I left Delhi for Milan (Italy) on my first tour of duty in late 1986, the Fellowship was the only meeting Forum for the Zomis in Delhi. But, soon after, the usual communalists, our very own spiritual middle class group, started to play their favorite games. Thus, a series of meeting Forums in the disguise of the communal identities in Manipur started to grow rapidly in Delhi. The success of such communal politics is once again the main reason for the failure to the Zomi Unity in general and to the Fellowship in particular.

Today as we gather to celebrate the 25th year of the Fellowship, I congratulate those members who support the Fellowship through thick and thin, and in blood and spirit. They have successfully nurture the malnourished toddler to become a respectful personality and proved all along to the world, without an iota of doubt, that God indeed has been with the Fellowship. May He continue to be with the Fellowship. In fact, the Fellowship is the only thing that attains permanence in Delhi and it will not leave the capital of India till the last Zomi left the face of the earth.

For me I am content to say I was there because, I know that God is still there and He is not going to abandon the Fellowship unlike me and many of us in the past. To Him the Glory, forever and ever, Amen.