Friday, March 23, 2007

Asiengthou Kitênna

By- Tungnung, Zamlunmang Zou

Tam I thulû, asiengthou kitênna ichi, Delhi a umte di’n poimaw sêngsih nanleh nikhat nichie nam lamkai dîngte ihi man un, ngaidan themkhat nei poimaw kasa hi. Tam ngaidante adih kim sipsep hi kachi sih a, ahoijaw dîng ahikha leh china tawh hing kigiel ahi.

Tulai dânsiengthoua kitên dânte adih leh ipupa tawndân isahkha leh hilai zanglou, mângkângte tawndan kilasawn in tuasânga huoisejaw a kibawl suh dêp nalai. Thupitah a kitên jieha lawching leh Pasian kipâ hisamlou in, Ama deina banga siengthou leh jâtât ahi theina di’a dânsiengthou poimaw ahijaw hi.

Lietute: Ahi dîng mawng banga kitêng chin in mounu-le-moupa lietu ichi phuot uh, hei a hing kipan leh koite’n anapatkhiet uh e chî etchien poimaw hi. Tapidaw hing lût chîllai in mângkâng misionaryte’n tapidaw suoh masa, kitêng dîngte mipi-le-Pasian mâi a akitênsah sawm chieng un, amawl nalai, ipi-le-pute’n zumnân nala uhi. Tuachi’n a lawmhoipên tuoh uh zum selna di’n apang tuoh u’ah anadingsah uhi. Hun hingpeijel in tampên ahi dîng mawng leh I tawndân bang in kipawng jui denta hi. Tulai lah koi kizum chi umnawnlou a, poimaw nawnlou himei lou di? Tuachia a têchî dîng ichi leh Pasian thau nilsa, Pastor ahilou leh kitêng tegêl nu-le-pate khel a hoi koi aum diei? Laitheideute’n tamte atheisiem nailoute mopsawn hunta ahi.

Moupuon: Kitênna puon chia ina ngaisâng uh, a dânsiengthou sâng in tahsa tung kizepna I ngaisâng jawta uhi. Moupuon siljoulou di thou thou dânsiengthou a kitên bange aphattuomna chipawl bang ki um theita. Moupuon chi’a I ngaisâng, puonvâm setsot, zol ngîngêite sillou a, eima jât puonte sil a kitên thei ahilam theilou in, khenkhat in, neilou sâsâ’n eima kizepna dîng gêntâlou, alietute adîng zong neilou pum pum in kiguon vevaw nalai hi. Kitên chienga moupa leh aliepa’n coat suit kibang silteitei dîng hi sese lou, tualeh mounu leh alienu’n zong puonvâm setsot akibang sese sil a pâh chituomtuom tawi sese dîng chi hikhol loudan ahi. Tampen Bible a zong umlou, itawndân a zong umlou. Tua kipiehtua zieha ki îtna khangdeu chi zong hituon lou, kikhen dîng kisate zong kikhen nawnlou chi umtuom lou hi. Kipieh lou jieha kikhen zong um tuomlou. Zungbu kipiehtuo sâng in siengthouna leh ginumna kipetuo theilei manpha jaw tham diing dan ahi.

Ajângkhai: Tulai michin eima nâtawh kibuoi chiet theita, hun awng nei kitam nawnlou ahiman in, ei jî/pasal nei dîng jieha midang hun gûhsah/suhbuoi chite ngol vai asuohta hi. Kitêng dîng tegel innkuon toh Pastor in a’ng uopleh huntawh tham hi. Nidanglai bang a gam lapipi apat mi kidelsah chite tulai peisêng nawnlou ahita hi. Jîngtha, Nitatha ahilouleh naikâl kimkhat sunga zong kitênna jawthei tham ahi. Eima kitên jieha miteng suhbuoi chite tawpsan hun ahita hi.

Kijawltai: Khenkhat dân siengthou chingjou kisalou in ana kijawltai tama uleh, atamjawte pen tam atung a jieh ahideu tângpi hi. Aneijou leh a meikhu liendeute’n ‘UL’ jêna ji leh pasal nei, nei-le-lam tâhlatna ni’a kizangta, I gam sung I et chienga lah tua bang kibawl kim jou naisamlou ahiman in, joulou nanâhna chu, mi bawldân vatup teitei eima kisuhmuolphouna suohthei ahi man in, abailam leh ajângkhaipen Jânsienthou (kijawltai) alampi umsun asuohta hi.

Tuabân ah, nu-le-pa khenkhatte leuleu lah, ama’u thulou thu salou, a tate’n ngaijawng a’ng nei leh, kitênsawm zong hinailou napi uh, hitheilou dih chi’a PONG sapawl, tuami tawh nakitên leh khumi, tuomi zong hing chithei sih vateh, ki inn khen di himei, hing thei nave chin chipawl. Nungâh-le-tangval kâl a kingaina khangsah thei changchang. Tuate’n ahunlou a kijawltaina tunthei giep hi.

Amanpha leh Manphalou Numei

(A prologue to Ladies Seminar)

Laisienthou in numei khu pasal panpitu di’a siem ahidan I mu hi. Hinanleh tulai khovel ah pasal sang a piljaw leh bawltheijaw tamtah mu in a umta hi. Pasal kithuopi diing hinawnlou in pasal lamkai thei diing khop khovel in neita ahiman in Pasian min I phat ahi. Khutsiem man, laisiem man leh nasep hat man a numei manpha ahi si’a, a ngaisutna lungtang manpha ahijaw bou hi. Numei manpha leh manphalou khen telna tam anei a bang in en vai:1.Numei manpha in a pasal lungthah tah, humpi nelkai hawh vapum bang hinanleh zaidam tah in ajawl lungdam thei a, nunneemna tawh bangkim ajou thei hi. Hinanleh numei ngol in a kam hat a ajaw sawm teitei man in thuo lou ding tanpha athulaw hi.2.Numei manpha in anuolang leh amalangte kingaina tah in ahuoikhawm a, a mailang akhuol tinten hi. Hinanleh numei ngol in a sutuo a, anuolang akhuoljaw a, ki mudana apiengsah hi.3.Numei manha khu a pasal, a tate’n a ngai ua, a kuung a um nuom asa uhi. Hinanleh numei ngolte apawtdoh chieng un a pasal leh a tate hing huoi huoi in akithei uhi.4.Numei manpha in mi dang pasalte sang in ama pasal apataat/noutawi a, hinanleh numei ngol in mi dangte pasal a noutawi jaw a, ama apa agense leng hi.5.Numei manpha in insung hahsaatna atuo chieng unleh a pasal, atate a hamuon a, numei ngol in vang lungkhamna puogih a belap sem sem hi.6.Numei manpha in adihna zong a pasal, atate thujawtheina diing ahipou leh ama mawhna’n a koi thei a, numei ngol in ahileh a dihna a puongdoh sawm tei tei hi.7.Numei manpha in a insung a um nuom asa a, numei ngol in kholai dung a um kawi nuom asa hi.8.Numei manpha in a thuguuh chinteng a pasal ahil a, numei ngol in a pasal jaahpha louna midangte kuung ah ahil hi.9.Numei manpha in mi agense ngeisih a, thu aguuh a gensawn zong aching sih hi. Numei ngol in vang thusie gensawn nuom asa a, kotzing a tou in amu chinteng kuung ah aban gensawn hi.10.Numei manha in a leenglate a sukipa a, numei ngol in vang chiente khamching khat akipuodohsah jel jawbou hi.11.Numei manpha in a pasal vaikuon-vaitun athei a, hoitah nou nou in ana vaidawn leng hi. Hinanleh numei ngol in vang theipha in zong anei sih hi.12. Numei manha in a pasal mitoh ahoulim chieng in apoimaw vawt lou leh a kam ava keeh sih a, hinanleh numei ngol in ahileh poimaw lou pipi in ava kikum thaw hi.Numei manpha leh numei ngol khenchet theina I neita ua, bang dinmun ah I ding uai, hei pen ah nang na um ei. Kumpi David in numei gilou khat toh tenkhawm sang in Biehinn vum a ten anuomjaw hi anachi te lah a pankha diing kiveng lei adei huoi hi.

Lawching ikisah nua a zong lawsap thei tham ahi

Tungnung, Zamlunmang Zou

“……….kithoina leh keelnguoi thaute sang in zong Athu ngaikhieh khu ahoizaw hi…….. ” I Samuel 15:22

Lawching ikisah zaw a lawsapkia chipen sil tungtheite lah a zong atheisiemhah leh koima tunga tung di’a adei huoilou vawt khat ahi. Lawchinna bailam tah in koima’n inga sih ua, hamsa pi’a genthei tah a inga uh ahi chiet hi. Hinanleh lawching kisa a I thaltou laitah in vangsietna’n hing phaguih henlen lawsam kia talei, bang I ngaisun diing uai? Mihing henna toh puohsiem hamsa pikhat hiding un ka gingta hi. Silk hat pou pou a hoisa pen suhsiet anuom a, hinanleh tua suhsiet a umpen siemtha kia khu silbailam ahi vawt sih chi ithei chiet uhi. Lawching napi’a bangzieh a lawsam suh kia thei a um. Azieh hi di’a I upmaw themkhat anei ah I talang hi.

Tamte khu

Pasian thupieh nelsiehna:

I Samuel 15:10 ah, Pasian in, “Saul leeng a kana pansah kakisieh hi” achi hi. Bangjieh a tabang lawm lawm a Pasian kisieh adiei? Israelte Aigupta apat a’ng pawt lai ua Amalek mite’n ana gawt genthei zieh un, Pasian in Malek mite that chimit a khat zong hinkhoilou di’n Leengpa Saul thu ana pieh hi. (I Samuel 15:2). Tua banga thupieh hinanleh Saul in Amalek mite leengpa Agag leh ganhing thau tah tahte Gilgal a Pasian mai a kithoina di’n ahing kai hi (I Samuel 15:21-22). Leengpa Saul pen lawching kisatah a hing kinuale kia hinanleh Pasian thupiehte a nit lou man in nuol in a umta hi. Israelte leengpa hinapat kaidoh in um a, atawp ah lawsam in ama leh ama akithat hi.Ki-uahsahna: Pasian in leitung siemchil apat ana huot mamate lah a khat khu ki-uahsahna ahi. Lucifer, Jiinglam tapa kichipa zong angel vansawlsiengte lah a lienpen hinanleh a’ng ki-uahsah tah chieng in leitunga totkhiet in a um hi. Mi ki-uangsahte leh kithupisahte kai ngiem in a um diing a, hinanleh mi kingiemsahte peh tawisaang in a um diing anachi hi. Leengpa Nebukadnezzar in, “Leeng inkuonte teenna leh ka leeng thupina diing a kathahatna a kalamkhiet tam Babilon athupi hilou amah” Daniel 4:30 chi’a ki-uangsahtah mai a a leeng innpi tung a a um laitah in van apat awging khat in, “……….na leenggam abeita….” Daniel 4:30 achisuh ek hi. Mihing I’ng ki-uahsah chieng in I kietngiemna diing agamla nawnsih china ahi. PM lui, NDA lamkai Vajpayee leh akai zatamte zong chingkia kinem a ki-uangsahtah a election campaign apei lai un, suh ngiem in um ua, asimmawte uh tawisaang in a um law hi.

Mani Mimal kimuongna: Mipi phasah pen Pasian phasah ahi dungjui in mipi deina bang a gamtaang lou a mani bawltheina , hanta leh siemnate suonga ikiletsahpi chieng in, lawchingsa hinanlei zong lawsapna lampi zuui ana kihi nuom leng hi. Tam igenna in, tulai siltungte en zuoi lei. Iraq a USte gamtatdan ah, US in apilna, asiemna leh agaalthuom neite uh kimuongpi a, UN thutannate nitlou a Iraq a’ng doulai un, baakhat vut sa’n a’ng nawthop ua, President Bush in, “gaalzaw ahita, gaal zawna ei a ahita hi” chi’n a puongkhie hi. Hinanleh, tuni chieng a siltungte hoitah in ngaisut in suut lei, gaal jou hizawlou in, gaal lel ahita uhi. Gaalzaw ahita achilai a gaalkaap sepia shite saang in aphuongkhiet nua a shina tuo alethum le li in atam zawta uhi. Khovel mudana leeng lukhuh uh ahita hi. Goliath, Philistine gaalsat hangsanpa zong ama thahatna leh siemna kisuongpi nanleh Pasian muong a thupi khat kuopa mai ah singluong saatlia abang bep hi. Proverb in nangma theigilna guoh muong sinlen Pasian ah kinga zing in achi mawng hi.Kideeh-zawlouna: Mi hing silkhat pou pou a kideeh-zawlouna ziehin lawsapna chituom tuom tampi a um hi. Kideeh-zawlouna I chi, ne-le-dawn a kideeh-zawlouna, tahsa utna apat kideeh-zawlouna, lungsim ngaisutna apat kideeh-zawlouna leh adang chi tampi a um hi. Tam kideeh-zawlouna I chi, alawchingsate mai puona hilou in, alawching nailoute lawchin zawlouna bulpi khat ahi. Leengpa David zong atahsa utna leh a lungsim ngaisutna apat akideeh-zawlouna zieh in a inn sung ha buoina leh lawsapna thupitah atung hi.Lawching ikisah laitah a lawching den diing kahi chingam koima I umsih a, zong lawchingden vang chingam diing I um sih hi. Lawchingden nuomte’n Pasian thupiehte nit a, ki ngiemkhitna toh kideeh zoutah a hinkhuo zah dan kisin angai hi.

MENDING OUR PUNCTUALITY IS A VIRTUE

By Tungnung, Zamlunmang Zou

It’s something that our parents taught us against; the teacher at school was extremely critical about and something that instances indiscipline. Yes, getting late! Not being punctual is something that all of us experience at some point in time. It grows into a problem only when it becomes a recurring phenomenon. Nevertheless, the paradigms have shifted of late. In most places, unlike in the olden days, we are not monitored for the work scheduled we keep; the quality and the end result achieved are important. What we are, however, evaluated on is being on time for meetings and other important occasions. Every time we are late, we made an impression of being careless, not being sensitive to other people’s time and worst of all not respecting others. This impression, if strengthened over a period of time, can be more damaging to our career then anything else. The other factor is that when we are late, we try to either conjure up the most absurd of excuses or make ourselves invisible-hardly the ideal thing to do. The more invisible you try to be, the more conspicuous your delay becomes; and the more excuses you make, the chances of your getting trap grow more.Being late to work/meeting is a serious problem, especially if it happens more than a couple of time. Tardiness is not a trait tolerated for too long, and it will certainly come up during your performance review. The first most obvious sign of professional in punctuality. And, if you were otherwise, you’d better learnt to be, at a quickest possible time. It sounds simple but developing a good habit in the hardest things to do. Psychologists have proffered a reward-penalty solution for the problem. Every time you reached your engagement spot on time, congratulate and reward yourself after the event. A reprimand should be penalty enough for reaching late. This process of conditioning when followed over a period of time will eventually infused punctuality. Try out some simple tricks like aiming to reach five to ten minutes earlier, especially in important occasion and at your working place. Have the courtesy to call in advance and inform about thew delay: This will saveyou the embarrassment in front of your colleagues, it also shows that you have respect for the time commitments of the others in the group who are being held up because of your indiscipline. Punctuality is a virtue that is stressed to redundancy during our school days. While impost in childhood, it is only when we entered serious work environment that we realized it is an important component of success and reputation wherever we go, it is never too late to make punctuality a good habit.

What if you ‘died’ tonight

Have you ever thought about it? what would happen to you? where would you go? Where would you spend eternity? some would say we can't know for sure others say they "hope" they will go to Heaven but the Good News is WE CAN KNOW! That's right ... we CAN know, I KNOW and I want to share with you how you too can KNOW Do we have to go to a certain church? NO Do we have to be baptized? NO Do we have to follow a certain set of rules? NO What if I am a "good person" ... will that do it? NO All these things are nice, they are good things, but they won't get us into Heaven! Let's look at what God says .... after all, it's His Heaven and He should be able to tell us how to get there, wouldn't you agree?God tells us in His Word, the Bible, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) How many have sinned? ALL have sinned, that includes you! That means you have to realize and admit you are a sinner. There is a penalty that must be paid for sin. "For the wages of sin is death"(Romans 6:23)This death is called the second death and Revelation 21:8 tells us what it is and who will go. "The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" The second death is eternal separation from God in a literal HELL! We read the word murderers, and also liars. A person only has to murder once to be a murderer, as well as a liar only must lie once to be a liar. The above verse says ALL LIARS, that just above covers everyone. So is there any hope for Heaven?The answer is YES!!! This is the Good News! "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) Jesus was the pure sacrifice who shed His blood to pay the sacrifice, before a holy God, for your sin and mine. He says ... "I am the way, the truth and the lifeno man cometh unto the Father but by me." John 14:6)God wants to give you the gift of Eternal Life in Heaven. There is nothing you can do to earn it, you don't deserve it, but IT IS YOURS! All you have to do is accept it. "But the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Christ Jesus the Lord" (Romans 6:23)Why would God do that? Again, we find our answer in the Bible. John 3:16-18 16."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."Accept God's FREE GIFT of salvation, believe that Jesus is Lord and ask Him to save you from sin and give you Eternal Life. Romans 10:9-10, 13 9 "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."Remember I said, you CAN know for sure, that is because God says ... "These things have I written unto youthat believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life." (1 John 5:13)Call upon the Lord Jesus now in prayer. Tell Him that you believe that He is the Son of God and you believe that He died and rose from the dead for you, and that right now you want to receive Him into your life as your personal savior.

Pasian Biahna leh Miuzik

Laisiengthou a I mu bang in miuzik kichi Pasian vanzah thupi tah, hoi leh nasem thei mamatelah a khat ahi. Lungkham ni, kipa ni leh bawl khat pou pou I nei chieng a I ngaithupi pen leh mi sulim theipente lah a khat khu MIUZIK ana hi kiu kiau mawh hi. Khangnote’n tua miuzik poimawhna thei ahiman un khapet jen in sa zuazuah ta uhi.Biehpiehna miuzik poimaw dan: Miuzik in Pasian phatna ah poimawna lienpi anei tawn tung hi. Laisiengthou sung ah miuzik kigenna hunkhoptah um a, lungkham-mangbang, kap-le-mau a umte kipasah thei, tualeh kipate kipana subuching thei khat ana hi hi. Pasian biehna miuzik apoimaw dan tam munte ahmuthei inum hi. Job 38:7, Gen. 31:27, Ex. 15:1, I Sam. 18:16&17, I Chr. 15:16; 23:5, II Chr. 30:21 leh adang dang ah zong muthei ahi.Miuzik nasep thei dan: Miusik in mihingte kipasah thei a, a suhat thei hi. Ngaisutna a khelthei a, da a kap leh maute zong akipa sah thei hi. Mi lungtom leh lungthah beite nangawn a lungkim sah thei hi. Kumpi Saul lungsim buaina vengsah tu khu miuzik ahi (I Sam 16:23). Mihingte bou hilou, ganhingte nangawn thujaw thei khop a silbawl thei miuzik ana hilaizang hi. Thu-le-la mai in zong na asem thei nahi, hinanleh miuzik tawh a’ng kithuo chieng in a lim theilou pa/nu zong lim thei a, khut bengtheilou pa/nu in zong khut hing beng thei ta hi. Vanlam a a khut domkaang ngamloute’n zong Pasian hagau in miuzik azah chieng in kikou in a khut vanlam a hing domkang thei a, mit siingsa la sa ngamloute’n zong lusu geeugeeu in lasah dan hing sin thei uhi. Kikhopna miuzik umna leh um louna munte tong leh laam in akikhie hi.Tua bang a sil bawl thei leh poimaw khangnote’n tupa nei ahileh, department dangte’n I mawh et et sam diing amah? A limtu diing leh a jaal joutu diing ngen lah ihi chietsam ua, khangnote tavuan, ama un hing ngaitua nava chi’n I ngansia na lailai diing uh amah? A koi akoi mawhpuohna hi in ka thei hi. Tua ahiman in ZCF a department chin in I ipte uh sawt chiet in ahoideu khat leidoh lei koi a diing lah hituom lou a maw? Pankhawm khu hatna lah ahi ngal a………………..

Lessons From Wise Men of the East


Lessons From Wise Men of the EastI thupi uh a huntawh kituakloh nasah zongh um ingh, ahih zongh in sim suk suk lecin tulai hun a zat theih ahihlam na phawk pan phet diing hi.Pasian neite Munkhat ah: Laisiengthou thuktak a suite’n mipil thumte agenna ua’h, gambupkhat chiet Kumpi ahih ban ua’h aksi lam siem hidan in gen uh hi. Kumpi bek hiloh, aksi lam siemte’n zongh ahinna ua Jesu aneih tek chieng un, mun tuom tuom, gamla pipi apan Jesu be diing in ong peikhawm theih uhi. Tua ahih leh, ei lawi in Jesu neih taktak loh ihi diem le? A’ihk’eh nei khinsa neinawnloh thak ihi d’uam? Ki ngaihsun thak ni.Lungsim pumpi toh Jesu nuojui: Bethlehem zuon a mipilte a lungsim/ngaituona teng utoh Pasian mapuina ahsi ajuui lai un lamkaal ah buoina bangma tuoh lou uhi. Hinanleh Pasian mapuina ginglel a milien/milal leh meikhuliente a’ng gintaat zawhtah un Pasian in kiphuol mangsan hi. Athangse thei Pasian in anuo ijuui na’h ginglel loukei a ijuui laisie’n lamzang tah in ima hingpui zing diing a, hinanleh Ama saanga milien milal maipha isui nini’n hing kiphuol mangsan pei diing hi.Koi ah a om ua: Sina guom, Kumpi Herod dawkaan a a gammang sung un maban a amaipha etman uh leh Pasian puina aginlel man ua sil hing tung diingte atheipha ban sih uhi. Hinanleh a umna uh dih nawnlou ahi chi a’ng kiphawkhiet chieng un, “eite zong khiat hiloh a eite ong zong khia” Pasian ong kilangh nawn pah hi. Sina khuuh, khelna a iki buol laisie’n Pasian kimu theiloh a, hinanleh tua khelna mun a um ihi lam ih hong kiphawk khiak cieng in, hing pei aw kata chie ei angkawi diing in akhut ana jaah gige hi.Pasian Biakna’h: Bawngbuk sung a tunh ciang un zahtaakna lianpi tawh kingiamkhiat tak in khup dilsuk ua, sil manpha tampi tawh biahpiakna neih uh hi. Pasian biakna’h kingaingiamna leh maitam sillat tuam tuamte ban ah, zahtaaktak a biak apawimawh dan ensak hi.Heisung ah na um ei: Vansawlsiengte tungtawn in Joseph in a umna uh si theina mun leh munjau huoi ahidan a thei man in a jaan a jaan in naungee leh a nu mun tuom ah kituon mangpi hi. Tuni’n na umna, touna leh lupna munte nang leh na innkuonte a diing in bitna mun ahinai? Tate a di’a si theina mun amah? Hoitah a kivel chien hun laitah ahi.Maipha suiman: Mipil thumte’n Pasian puina khellam a Kumpi Herod theina amuongjaw man un naungeeh nempi’n silawh hi. Tuni’n nalamkaina’h Pasian dong lou in mihing, meikhuliente na masuon jaw kha amah. Lamkai khat ihileh Pasian maipha suitinten khu nampi a diing a damna hijaw diing hi.Khupsitna: Pasian nua ijuina’h ginglel loutah leh kingiemkhiet tah a juithu Ama deidan ahi. Koi maipha suida kon vai. Pasian muong leh Ama maipha sui jou pou lei I mailam vangjaw diing hi.

Homiletics Paradigm Shift

Homiletics Paradigm Shift kichi akim sipsep a letdoh diing hitalei I laidal in dailou diing ahi man in “sakhawdan a gamtat khawhei kilawm etchetna” chilei dih pen diing in ka gingta hi.Biehna lam ah tu’a I umdan uh saang in tuachideuleh chi diing atam nalai hi. Biehna toh kisai siemphat diing tampite lah ah, speaker/thugen diingte di’a theituoh tamlou khat gen juoi vai. Biehpiehna/kikhopna hunpi tang diing nahileh theidi’a poimaw khenkhatte:01. Thupi: Na thugen diing thu nangma’n na lungsim a na gennuom tinten thu adhi diing ahi. Na thugen tungtawn a tua thupi khu nabulphu zing a na pampawt san lou diing ahi.02. Thumapui: Thugen diing teng in thumapui gen teitei diing china hi sese lou ahi. Hinanleh na thupi toh kizawitawn, tualeh pansia phudetna di’a poimaw khat ahi. Thumapui chi’a kaalkhat sunga navaasuh navaatou nateng genngailou dan ahi. Thumapui ahileh zong na thupi toh kituo, angaikhete’n nathugen sawm athei bailam na diing uh chithu ahi.03. Chinla leh Chinla louthu: Pulpit a thugen di’a nading chieng in nang kisuongla thu, chitlana leh siemlounate gendi’a hing kiguot ahilou man in tuatte genda kon in. Chingla nakisah leh dinlou mei apha hilou amah? Nang nasiem hi, ching hi chie hing kiguot hilou ahiman in nakisah kholna bang in kigen in. Na chitlanate nagen saang in lungdamthu tun in.04. Thulai: Thumapui nagenta le zong thulai luutdan siem in. Na thumapui toh kijawitawn in na thupi luutdan theichien in. Na thugen diing ahun leh amun zil hing umnava chisin len, na thupi di’a nateel apat gendi’a poimaw nasah teng giel diim diem in, tuachilou in buoikhavateh.05. Thukhupsitna: Thukhupsitna ah, na thupi tualeh na thugen teng teng tomkin in genthakia inlen, atawpna ah nangma thukhietna toh hun jou in.06. Aw Gin: Thu nagen chieng in mi atam leh na aw suo ngaisah deu inlen, hinanleh mi tam khollou ahi leh ahuntawh in kikou in. Mi tampi kikhawm a nangma jakhop a thu nagen leh nathugente vaailah a zun thah zong bang joulou diing ahi.

Na nasepna tawp sawm; Zothai enkhalou?

By- Luther T. Zoulunmang“
Lunneu, mi’n a’ng musit ua, a’ng ningbawl chieng un zong lungthah peilou, kamdam zang phot, thuophot ham ham. Tuachia a’ng kiphatsah teitei ulepen, phak-phak-phak chie ziel chai suh ding himei, nathei ei?”.Tam atung a Lunneute puta kithu hilna nang zong na zah thei ahi chi zong ki thei lou? Delhi a private nasem atamjawte’n,“Ka nasepna hâsa, ka boss nu/pa gilou, thuo hâsa kitawp mei ning, nasepna ding tam, ki mula sihva” na chi kha maithei hi. Nasepna suinop kha naven, a hoijaw zong mukha navechin aw, hinanleh nasepna khat a detdou tah a pang mi khat in sawtlou nung in kukalman aga kilaw valien bou u ei! Lawchinna di’a thuohâtna ngai, kukalna umlouna ah lawchinna mel mukha hilou. Hahsa vevaw nânleh thuothei thuomaw in thuophot inlen, hithei nawn mamasih nachi chieng in, tam anei ate bawl in.Nasty Boss: It is the foremost reason for people to quite their jobs. It is perfectly understandable if you have an abusive or mean boss. But, it’s equally demanding to work for a boss who does not involve you in the company’s plans, assignments and who neither appreciates the staff’s efforts not nurtures individual talents.You need to talk to your manager about these issues. A good manager will sort out the problem, and see that you fit in elsewhere. But, if you are so disgusted with the boss that you are determined to leave, still see the HR person before you actually leave, he may have a remedy.Stuck in a groove: If you feel the job has become monotonous and there are no chances of promotion or even bringing any imagination to the job, you might consider looking for a place in another department of your organization.
Hard work has no recognition: Despite of all the hard work you put in, you don’t think your boss recognizes your efforts. To improve the situation, tell your boss you would like his feedback on your work regularly so you can improve and impress him.Overwork and exhaustion: It is true, cost cutting is forcing organizations to reduce the number of employees, resulting in one person doing the job of many. As a result, you feel exhausted and drained. If this is the scenario, quality of work suffers, and the drained. If this is the scenario, quality of work suffers, and the organization gets a bad name, particularly if it is into customer service. Wrong career choice: If you have chosen the wrong career, regret seeps in when you go in to the work. You hate the job, the kind of people you work with and the activities you are involved in. If you don’t like the profession you’ve got into, the easiest solution is to quit. But it could also be that you like the job but not the ambience. If that’s your problem, change the environment, not the profession. But if you are sure you need a career change, try doing the following;Take time to find out where your interest is,(i.e. meet people who are in your field of interest), find out how to get into the field, read the latest in the profession, make a realistic timeline and then act on it, at last you’ll find Lunneu’s Pupu Buddha head beneath water.Right job, Wrong boss: The job is right, feels right and you are enthusing by it. But, the boss is a misfit. You can help yourself by finding out just what bothers you about this job. Is it controllable? Can the problem be fixed? Think of easy options in the organization before taking the final decision of leaving it.More over not out: Relocate to a different department instead of leaving the organization. You only need a different manager not a different work address. The least amount of changes in your life and you will see the deference very soon.

The scaterred Zos in the world

By Tungnung Zamlunmang Zou

The so called Zo ethnic group nicknamed by other vested interest who by virtue of military power named them in different nomenclatures such as Kuki, Chin and Lushai (Mizo, Zou, Lakhel) who occupied vast areas – say Chindwin River in the east, Haflong in the north, Akyab in the south and Brahmaputra in the west. The Zos for lack of political consciousness could not raise their heads under the sword of divide and rule policy adopted by the British Imperialism.

Since time immemorial the so-called Zos also had their suzerainty in Chin Hills under Pu Hauchinkhup, in the present Mizoram (Lushai Hills) under Sailo Chiefs, in Manipur Hills the Guite, the Manlun, the Thadou chiefs occupied the hill portion of the present Manipur State. This goes on until the advent of the British Imperialism. The British expedition completed in 1890 and started dividing the Zo territory into a number of sectors to suit their administrative jurisdictions.

The root word ZoFrom the mouthpiece of our grand parents, it is learnt that the people of Zo hailed from the first three Zo brother Songthu alias Chongthu, Songza and Zahong who first dwelt in a cave known by the people as Khul or Chhinlung or Sinlung or Khur somewhere in China but the exact location is not yet traceable by an scholars in the world. One Burmese diplomat Dr. Vumkhohau says that Zo comes from the word Zo and thus all races, clans of this particular group of Tibeto-Burman directly descended from our ancestor Zo. The same opinion was held by Pu Khupzathang (Capt), a Zo genealogist who writes a book ‘Zo Khang Suutna Liabu’.According to a Burmese scholar Thantun, Tibeto-Burmans probably once inhabited the T’ao valley of Kansu province, once the North West of China.

Because of many disturbances made by the Chinese, the Zos might have moved to the north east of Tibet. The Chin under Chinese in 200 BC made further depredations and in order to avoid them, the Zos traveled across ridges and forests and move further south. The journey probably took hundreds of years and eventually they come to the border of Tibet and Burma.

The term Zo is an ancient and historical name of the Zo ethnic groups. Before the Zo society evolved into clans-base organization and segmentation, historical records referred them as Yaw, Jo, Chou, and Zhou. The Shan Dynasty’s Chronicles proves this. The Pong (Shan/Tai) kings annals from 80 AD—1604 Ad clearly mentioned the Zo district and the Zos respectively.In the year 862 AD, a Chinese historian, Fan Ch’o Hao in his book already used the word Zo to call a peculiar ethnic group of people. Another scholar, a Catholic Father Vincent, in his book published in 1783 used the word Zo to mention a group of people who have the same practice of livings. Sir Henry Yulu’s narrative of the Mission to the court of Ava in 1885 showed the Chindwin plains and west of the Chindwin River as Zo district. FK Lehman, a renowned Social Anthropologist in this book ‘Structure of the Chin Society’ reiterated the fact that the so called Kuki-Chin linguistic groups has a special term for themselves which appeared as Zo, Yo etc.Dr. Vumkhohau, a Zo scholar and diplomat from Burma, in his profile of the ‘Burmese Frontier Man’ has affirmed that we called ourselves Zo from time immemorial. There are different theories regarding the etymology of the root word Zo.The Zos known by other as Kuki in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam; Chin in Burma and Lushai in Mizoram, Tripura and other Zo occupied areas. Nevertheless, they are the same people descended by Zo. No writers or scholars could make any distinctive classification of division of these people based on custom culture, usages and the way of living. S Carey and Tuck says that there can be no doubt that the Chins and the Kukis, are one and the same race, for their appearance, manners, customs and languages all this conclusion (The Chin Hills, p-155).

Further, we can prove the ethnical oneness of the scattered Zos by the same tongues they use, God-Pasian, sky-van, fire-mei, father-pa, mother-nu, grandfather-pu, grandmother-pi, water-tui, king-leengpa etc.A legend records that, like the other nations, Zo too have their own lands and scripts in olden days, which is very much similar to that of eastern nations like Burmese, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. But it is very said to mention that it (the script) was stolen by a dog as it was written on scrolling dry leather.Hence, the genesis of Zo comes from the word Zo and no men born on earth could question as yet.

The words Kuki, Chin and Lushai as we mentioned in the above have neither any bearing on the culture of these peoples nor have any historical originality except these people have ethnical oneness and lived like one people as that of old Anglicans. But with the passages of time, these people lost their identity of nationhood as divisive forces acted upon them terribly say the Shan, the Burmese, the Chinese, and at last the British Imperialism who subjugated them in the last part of the 19th century.

The Rise & Fall of Zos

Metternich says that ‘The man who made history have no time to write it’. Very indeed, the Zo leaders who made the Zo history are not known till date but we inherit the fruits of their past actions, good or bad.Though no one can exactly traced the whereabouts of its (Zo) existence, it is believe and accepted that these people did lived, raised and fall like other nations. Most of the Zo thinkers and researchers opined the rise and fall of the Zos in this way:They (Zos) belong to Tibeto-Burman which is of Mongolian stock. The common belief is that Zo first lived in China, before the birth of Christ, probably during the Chou (Zhou) dynasty. In due course of time, these people were harassed by the Chinese kings and ultimately they had to quite China, then moved towards the South west and settled in upper Burma known as Yaw Valley, along the Chindwin River. They reached Yaw valley-upper Chindwin extending up to Kabaw valley sometime in the eight century AD. During their occupation of this Yaw valley, they knew how to cultivate the modern practice of wet-rice field. When they approached from south west of China up to Kabaw valley, they faced no warlords, except some skirmishes with the expeditions of the Shan States, who then begin their infiltration in the upper Burma towards the end of the 13th century. In due course of time, they extended their home rule upto Khampat, and thereby started to have their kingdom without any threat from any quarters. They lived happily and joyfully for about a couple of centuries, i.e. from the 13th to the 15th century. At the beginning of the 15th century AD, they confronted a threat from the Shans who aimed at expanding their suzerainty. The Zos were the second people to face the onslaught of the Thai imperialist who moved upward with their mighty Tai (Thai) force marauding the Burmese and Zos on their way to Assam. This was the first heyday of the Zos so far as we traced the old records of the Zo history.Then, they moved about further south upto the present Chin Hills and started settling in the hill regions, which was then No Man’s Land. After leaving Khampat kingdom, it appears that there was none to trumpet their conscience. From there they scattered all along the hill ranges in different directions, divided into clan-based leadership, which is rampant. Some Zos settled in the Chin Hills and made Tonjang as their head quarter under the leadership of Pu Khanthuam. Some of them moved further southwest called Lushai hills.

Zoland Location:

The area occupied by the Zo country, as per the memorandum of ZORO submitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (UNO) on May 20, 1995 the area confines between 92’ and 95' E longitude and 20' and 25' N latitude. The whole area is roughly about 1, 45,600 sq kms.Area: Specifically the Zoland cover the Lushai hills (now Mizoram, India), the Chin Hills in Burma, the hills of South and west of Manipur, Jampui and Sakham ranges in Tripura, India. Hill tracts of Chittagong in Bangladesh, Arakan, Upper and Lower Chindwin River including Saigang division and Kale-Kabaw valley in Burma.Population: The estimated population of Zos as per the 1991 census was about 50, 00,000. It is clear that after a decade it must have increased to many folds. Who knows may be more than a 100 lakhs.

Some Major tribes of Zo:

As per the memorandum submitted to the British Government on April 22, 1947 by the Mizo Union, it included 47 major tribes namely; Aimol, Anal, Bawng, Baite, Bawngzo, Chiru, Chawhte, Chawrai, Chongthu, Chawngthu, Darlawng, Dawn, Fanai, Hmar, Hrangkhawl, Hnamte, Kaihpen, Khumi, Khiang, Khiangte, Khawlhring, Kawm, Lushei, Lakher, Langrawng, Mualthuam, Miria, Ngente, Paite, Pawi, Purum, Pangkhua, Pangte, Paute, Pawite, Ralte, Renthlei, Thadou, Tarau, Tikhup, Tlanglau, Tlau, Vangchhia, Vaiphei, Zou, Zawngte, Gangte.

Kum Zabi 21 a Zo Suonte leh e-tongshan Forum

By T. Zamlunmang Zou

Khovel khantou dungjui in pilna leh siemna, ki tongshan tuona leh kikawm tuona, tualeh vangla melmu theina chituom tuom ahing suodoh jel hi. Mun tuom tuom, gam tuom tuom apat ki tongshan theina chi tampi um a, tuate lah a e-tongshan forum (electronic communication forum) khu tulai khovel a kihazah mamate lah a khat ahi. Electronic tungtawn a kihou theina jaat tuom tuom umte lah ah, e-tongshan forum I uar gen nuom sese hi.

E-tongshan forum I chi, tulai a japi kihou limna leh thu-le-la kikupna in aki zang taangpi hi. Khovel pumlum ah, tam e-tongshan forum ahileh nasep suina, mailam hinkhuo siltup leh deite suina mun, tualeh lungluutna kibang honkhat kihou limna ahi.E-tongshan forum tuom tuom umte a member hitheina ding in, e-mail khat pou pou nei ngai a, tua kikupna (forum)te I zop diing chieng in, tua forum enkaitu (moderator) phalna ngai sese pawl a um a, angai sese lou pawl zong a um thou hi. Tua forumte site luut photphot lechin, abanpen nangma’n apoimaw dungjui in naki bawl thei pai diing hi.

E-tongshan kizahpatna enjuoi talei, gingtaat saangin a sawt nai lawm lawm sihi. Kum 1969 lai vel in hing kithedal panbep a, 1980 leh 1990 lai vel apat michin, gamchin in apoimawna hing thei in hazah in ahing kizang panta hi. Forum thupi leh atampen lawi a thei khu, technology lam, Computer Games lam leh politics lam ahi dieh hi. Hinanleh forum poimaw isah jat jat eima’n zong bawl thei ahi. Mawh tambawl a zong phatuom lou, khat inei a tuakhu hoitah a izah thei chiet leh ahoipen ahi.Tam e-tongshan kikupna a lai nathot chieng in, tua kikupna a member jousie’n na laithot amu chiet diing ua, zong asim thei chiet diing uhi. Tua ahiman in discussion forum kichi hi. Mimal a nathot nuom ahileh vang, nangma e-mail leh na thot diingpa e-mail bou nazah ngai van, hinanleh japi’n asim diing leh amu diing ua hoinasah ahileh pen e-tongshan kikupna ma zah ahoipen leh ajaupen khat ahingsuohta hi.

Tuni chieng in eilah ah zong, atampi kihi naisih nanleh, hunkhoptah in e-tongshan kikupna poimaw dan leh ahoidan kithei panpanta a, manphatah in ki zang thei panta hi. Tuatham lou in forum hunkhoptah zong kineita hi. Tua I forumte ah nang zong hing luut mawng mawng lechin, na gintaat lou thupoimaw leh natheipha lou, imi isa khovel pumpi a umte na ki tongshan pi theita ding hi.

Zo suonte’n tulai tah a aki zang thupi diehte bang bang forum ahiei en juoi vai:

01. Zou Workshophttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZouWorkshop/join
Atup leh a ngiimte: ZOU CRITICAL AND CREATIVE WORKSHOP (ZCW) tup-le-nimte ahileh tam a nuai a bang ahi: 1) Zou-te tanchin thuh tah a suina-le-kanna di'a record leh "dolian"(document) tuamtuam kaikhawmna, 2) Khovel a laibu minthang tahtahte (classics) Zoukam a lekhiat a, tuachi'a eima ham a thu-le-la phuah lam a khantouna piansah ding, 3) Khovel mun tuamtuam a Zou tate lah a ngaidan kikupna leh houlimna neikhawm theina ding, 4) Zou sung tawh kisai thuthang leh a kisai seeng vateh lou thusua-te zong kizahsah theina ding, 5) Zou minam sung a Community Development (Khotang Khantouna) lam a kalsang tawi theina di'a mimal leh pawlpi tuamtuam apat ngaidan, theina, leh siamna-te sunkhawm thei na ding. [ZouWorkshop member nahi utleh, JOIN THIS GROUP ah na e-mail ID toh lut in len, link-te abanban in zui in. Tami toh kisai a Problem na neileh, zouworkshopnews@yahoo.co.uk ah hing theisah in].

02. ZHLChttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/zhlc/join
Tami group pen leitungbup a om ei Zo te ii Lailam leh Tawndan khanto nading ki pawlna ZHLC (Zo History and Literature Committee) thu kizatna lemtan nading in August 17,'04 ni-in South Korea branch pan a kibawl hi.

03. Zokhangnohttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/zokhangno/join
Tacibangaa Zokhangno e-Group cia kipawlna thu mapui in eite pen PuZo suan leh hah ZO tahtahte ih hi vuh a, minam dangte sangaa ih san zawh nading vuh lung deina bulpi ahi. Ih omna ciet vuh pan; Pasien-thu, leitung-thu ahi'n, theina, muna, pilna, siemna leh ih minam aa dia phat-tuamna ih mu tapo kikumin mi nam dangte sang aa ih ki khaito zawh na ding ci ahia tacibang ngaituana zosie pen eimatut piding ahi ih bieh ih Mangpa tung vua ih tauden ding vuh ahi bo hi. Tuban kum 50 cieng aa, Puzo suan ei ZOte in leitungah ahau pen, apil pen, aminthangpen leh bang kim ah a thupi pen te i-tan nading vun lungsim ki pumkhat-in ih minam a ding aa, na i-sep ciet ding vuh ahi bou hi..

06. Zokuawmthawnhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/zomi/join
ZOKUAWMTHAWN is a group site for the Zou's and by the Zou's. It aims to : (i) develop the Zou literature(ii) communicate and bring intimacy among the Zou-community. Please visit ZOKUAWMTHAWN website: www.zokuawmthawn.cjb.net

07. ZONEThttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/zomi/join
ZONET is a network of Zomis across the world founded in April,2000. Its mission is to build and promote mutual understanding and trust between the Zomi indigenous peoples who are called by different names such as Chin,Kuki or Lushei, ...etc. ZONET members can freely post message and exchange their views/opinions on the upcoming issues or international news on this ZONET list.

08. Kuki Forumhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/kukiforum/join
This is an online forum for all Kukis and other concerned friends around the world. Everyone who visits this homepage is encouraged to visit the Kuki International Forum (KIF) website at www.kukiforum.com and get access to the basic facts of the KUKI people. If you have any difficulty in joining the group, you can reach the moderator at kukiforum_moderator@yahoo.com.

Khupsitna: Tam bang a sil um thei ahita leh, adiah in Lamka khopi a um, pawlpi leh mimal chin in tam atung ate zang in, inlam thu theinuom leh sakhi tuidu bang a ana ngaah zing muntuom tuom a um I mipite toh kithu jadan khat sin lei phattuomna tampi muthei a hing um di’n ka lam en hi. Sakho thu hita hen aw, khotaang thu hita ven, khat pou pou hitaleh zong, ki jasah jel jel lei hoiva kachi hi.

Zuu-le-sa, khamthei toh I buol leng leh??

By T. Zamlunmang Zou

Zo-le-zuu!?! Zumhuoi salou?? I tuachi louta un tuachi’n hing kichi phiengsan sih mava. Hei sung ah um in, bang nasepna sem in, bang dinmun sang tah tah tu naanlei zong zuu ma in I nua hing zuui valeh khop lou in, I ma kaai zing leh I lampi’a ei kipalpuosah zingtu khu giltah a I ngaisut chieng in zuu ma nahi ngeng ngong valon hi.Sep khat, bawl khat I nei leh lah zuu, I kipa ni, I da ni chi’a zuu a um lou leh I vaiguon uh lawching lou bang khop a ngai sun, lung kim thei mama lou. Mipi mai a I din dileh zuu, insung leh khotaang a I lungkim lou ni chiah zuu, nungah khat I heel a I zaw lou leh lah zuu, tangval khat in a’ng khen leh zuu, ni-le-thum I kisuhtuo leh zuu, meeting I zaw leh zuu, kilawikhawmna khat a I tel dileh amasa pen a I koi zuu, Zo-le-zuu, bang la?????????

Zuu a ki hamuon leh nousiet chi-le-nam kihi valon nalai. Bang chi chieng a zuu-le-sa, khamtheite haamsiet lawkhum thei diing ita diei? Kikhopna khat nei talei lah Pasian kuung a thumna toh hun patna kinei sam, hinanleh a tawpna khu “round table” kihisah zeel. “Though the beginning is small, the end will be great” chi hinawnlou in, “though the beginning is great, the end is shameful” chi thei khop in I gam taangta uhi. Hoi tah a ngaisun kha nailou I diei? Bang zataa a zumhuoi leh bang zataa a bawlkhiel ita uai?“Madu, beer mei mei hibou, zuu zong chita sih, mi officerte’n khovel changkaang dungjui a, a ngeina bang a abawl uleh, nou naupangte’n bang e na geen lih leh uh, sip khiin khien un” chite lah I nu muon huoi tah tahte uh kamsuo hita. Nu manpha, Pasian guoljawlna giil-a-gaa tate mai a I pasal zuu dawn hasot thei kitam sim khopta ma ma, khantouna lamkhat a I khangtou mama un ka thei hi. Hinanleh khangtouna dih ahileh ahilou vang, tunuo kum ni/thum zaw chieng in a hing kilang pai ta ding hi. Tualeh mah ah, a hasot mei a hunsah lou in, “an kam tuina di’n kamkhat, kam ni veel kichiem mei mei hen oh. Tua madu leh beerte pi mi’n niengtui dawn a adawn uh hibou zuh a” chi’n adu a du hinapi aduloute ma ma bang in vachiem teisam hi.

Zuoilah! Nu-le-pa zuu dawn, tate’n mitphe lou keei in khuot sung apat hing luong suh vahieu, a san kilkelte a na en en ta mei uh. Tate lungsim ah bang a um diei? Simtute’n ngaisun vai. “Khovel bukimna chep thei thei chep a, neh thei thei neh dih. Bangma bawl loute mi ching lou, mi phalana khat ahi. Nungah-tangval khat I hi sam leh asia, apha sil chinteng nungah, tangvaal lai a chep suoh diing ahi” chite lah tulai lia-le-taangte kamsuo hita geet zeel. Zuu-le-khamthei chituom tuom chepkha khu, bukimna leh guol tungtuonna bang in I koita uhi. Tuate bawl zieh a bukimna leh guol tungtuonna tah tah ahi nadiei. Ahisihleh, tuote khoilou zieh a mi chinglou leh miphala khat kihi kon a diei leh? Tuabang a ngaisutna nei a tulai a khangdawng melhoi tah tah muolliem zung zungte pi, guol tungtuong hita kon ve un maw.

Guol tung tuong a si hoi a si I chi ngam diei? Tuate bawllou zieh a guol nuoinetna leh phalana lawm lawm um di’n ka gingta sih hi. Khat vei na khoi leh, “asia lah hilawm lawm lou a, a limit I thei pou leh,” china toh ni vei, thum vei, li vei in hing jui van, nangma’n na dawn, na nee laisiepen, na tha na zung in pang sam van, hinanleh zuu-le-khamthei in nang a’ng ne chieng in, addicted to zuu chipen nangma a diing ahita hi. Tuachieh tawp ut in kisie vanguut lei zong, akikhel lampang ahita hi. Tuachieh, a guol tungtuong pa/nu hita ve chin.Koima I kikaap tuomna hilou in, Zo interest a kigeen ahi, a zadaa I umkha leh, a lai gielpa tung a lung nuommaw lou in, bangzieh a I zadaa mah chin eima kingaisun vai. I zadaana san pen suidoh in, aw tuachi ama veleh chi’n lamdihlou apat lamdih zui isawm diing hi.

Buui Amat Kuon a tawp

Delhi khopi a buui kuo tou a college kai, buui amat kuon a toupeinawnlou a tawpsan, innlam a kinuole san. College kaikai in sepna suithei diing dinmun a I um chienga innlam a kinuole jel, Degree jaw, sepna suina di’a I lungsim ahiem laitah a innlam a bang sepna sui di’a ikeengte uh manlaang sah I diei? Mi’n mun gamla pipi apat Delhi khopi sepna suina di’a a’ng del vevaw lai ua, e’n bang khela a innlam ituachi del uh. Innlam pen ngai diing hina, ahi’n ngaaidan chituom tuom a um hi. Innlam ingaai tah tah leh tua I ngaite Delhi khopi a teendet pi diing dan ngaisut jaw diing ahi.Lamka/Manipur a khietla diing talua um in ka thei sih hi. Aleh Lamka khopi digest nailou khat idi uai maw? Lamka khopi, Zokhopi chi’a iki letsahpi phuot uh enchienvai awle. “ Manipur khopite lah a the second biggest town hinanleh jaat kaal buoina toh kikhen ngeilou, jaat jaat a kidaidannate China kul baang banga detdou, mani jaat ngainatna leh kithangsietna ngen a dim, chi-le-sa kituol delna, sisan naisan kisuona mun, jaat chin in mani nampi sepai helpawl kinei chiet, kituoldel di’a mansa ngen, midang sepsa ne di’a a lawl uh haan kihong bang ngen tang, lemna, muonna leh bitna kichilah manglam a zong matpha hi mal mal lou, Siemna suina saang a thauvui thautang leina sum teng ki zahna, sepna muna diing chilah van a gaa bang, NGO meimei a sepmunte zong a jaat level a hawmguol ngai, anei joujou lalna. Tan a bang del a inn lam naw del la? Na buui kuo taw hoitah in kitaw thih theh in aw, Maikawi.

Missile: Geen minthang mulkimhuoi gaalthuom

Kum zabi 21 hun a kidouna phuol hivateh lou a innmun apat kikaap thei vazuouna, gam changkaangte’n aki muonpi mama uh, nuclear bomb kaapkhiet theina di’a vanzah, nuclear bomb akigenkha leh minlawh a um zing “Missile” thu gen diing ihi. Nuclear bomb kichi haattah leh sil bawlthei tah hinanleh, missile ulou in, bangmatan atung jou sih hi. Tua ahileh missile kichi bang ahi talawm lawm diei. Scientific kamteng zahna tampi un diing ahiman in tuate pen Zokam dan a koisuh di’n iki theisah masa hi.Missile kichi ahileh thaneitah leh kintah a kikaapdoh gaalvan zah chikhat ahi. Aleensau dan zaat tuom chiet hi. Suong sephana apat saili kaapphana tan zong hithei a, ummun apat gambup dang khat tan zong leeng tung thei gaalvan ahi. Missile kichi chituom tuom a um hi. Tuate ahileh guided missile, aerodynamic missile, cruise missile, ballistic missile chite ahi. Tuale anei ah I get thei dandan in I gensuh nimnem diing hi.Guided Missile: Guided ahileh atomkim in, “puihuoi/etkol” chi ahi. Guided Missile ichi chieng in Missile puihuoi thei a um china ahi ngeng ngong hi. Tam missile ahileh gaalte panmun kaapna di’a hoi mama ahi. Kaapkhiet a umsa a tuhna diing mun atuh masang a I deibang a heikawi thei ahi. Tam pen rocket chiding hinapi’n nuclear bomb pawthei a bawl ahiman in missile chi in a um hi.Aerodynamic Missile (AM): Aero kichi huikhuo china ahi’a, dynamic ichi kia chieng in thahat ahilouleh thagumnei china ahi. Aerodynamic Missile kichi huikhuo a gaalvan thahattah a kaapdoh chilei theisiem huoi pen di’n ka gingta hi. Tam AM ahileh huikhuo a kikaapdoh gaalvan, atupna mun tangtah a kaaptu ahi. AM chi 4(li) in khen thei hi. Tam chi lite ahileh ataangpi’n naitah a gaalte panmun kaapna zah diing ahi deu hi. Chi lite ahileh;(i). Air-to-air missile: Huikhuo apat huikhuo a kidouna zah thei leh leenna leh leengna leenglai kikaaptuona a zah diing ahi deu hi.(ii). Surface-to-air missile: Leitung apat huoikhuo a vanleeng leengte kaapna diing ahi.(iii). Air-to-surface missile: Huoikhuo apat leitung a gamtaangte kaapna hi.(iv). Surface-to-surface missile: Leitung a umte leh leitung a ute kikaap tuona diing a vahzahte ahi hi.Cruise Missile (CM): Cruise Missile ahileh tembawhpi apat ahilou leh vanleeng apat kaapkhiet ahi deu hi. Tam cruise missle ahileh atahsa a bomb umsa, I dei bang bang a puihuoi thei missile ahi. Tam cruise missile in vanleeng bang in haa anei a, tuaziehin sau tahtah aleeng thei hi. Mani kipuihuoi vanleeng zong akichi hi. Nuclear bomb sese hilou, apuozaah thei siltampi puoh a, tupna mun alou theilou a kaapkha tei tei issile ahi. Aleenghat dan ahileh thawmging (sound) toh kibangphiel ahi. Radar (silsuidohtu) in amat ahilouleh amu manlouna di’n ngiem nounou in leeng zet zet hi.Ballistic Missile (BM): Ballistic (Vanthamzawl apat lei lailung silbawltheina dungzui a kesuh) Missile in haa anei sih hi. Cruise Missile bangloutah in tapen ahileh khatvei kaapkhiet a a um nana naah leh puihuoi thei ahinawn sih a, vanthamzawl apat atupmun tangtah in a bawsuh vevaw hi. Mun gamlapi kaap I utleh van saangtah apat kaap angai hi. Tualou in zong, leitung apat kaap a, asaang theitawp a kuuitou vingveng a, hunkuomtah apha chieng a hingkesuh kia dia zong kaap thei ahi. Tuakhu ahi leilailung in atawpsuhkia ichina khu. USte’n ballistic missile khu chi 4 (li) in akhen uhi.(i) Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM): ICBM ahileh tunitan a missle hatpen leh gamla tungjou pen ahi nalai hi. Inter-continental chipen gambup (continent) khat apat gambut dangkhat tan kaap tung thei china ahi. Kilometre 5500 saanga gamla zaw tan a zong kaap tung thei ahi. Tua hileh US apat India tan noptah a tung thei china ahi.(ii) . Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM): tam ahileh kilometre 3000 apat 5500 tan kaap tungthei ahi. UK apat India leh akim apam noptah a kaap khathei china ahi zeel hi.(iii) Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM): Tami’n kilometre 1000 apat 3000 kikaap tan noptah in akaap thei tham hi.(iv) Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM): Tami’n ahileh kilometre 1000 tan noptah leh muitang tah in akaap thei hi. Continent khat leh khat kikaap thei tham china ahi kie tageet hi.India in Missile aneite: Midang gam apat leisawn hilou, India in akhutsiemna leh apilna liiulieu a alamkhiet, issile hunkhoptah aneita hi. Gaal dou diing hitalei zong kiuonpi kham ching mamata hi.Agni Missile kichi IRBM, kilometre 3000 leh 5500 kikaal a nuomna mun un kaap theina anei hi. Tam Agni ahileh Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) panlaahna nuoi a siemkhiet ahi. Abahiengte ahileh; Agni-I leh Agni-II kilometre 700-800 leh kilometre 2000-2500 tan huompha a kaap leeng theite ahi. Agni-III ahileh bawlzaw sa diem ahita a, hinanleh etchetna (test) bawl nailou ahiman in taalat in aum nai tadi sih hi. Tam Agni-III in kilometre 3500 apat 4000 tan noptah in tung thei diing a, angiimna munte dihtah in kapkha thei diing hi.Agni bang a nuclear gaalvan tawkawi thei diing adang tampi zong nei hi. Prithvi in km 1000 tan huop a, Akash (surface-to-surface), Trishul (surface-to-air) leh Nag (anti tank) te zong mansa diem a koi ahi chietta uhi. Apoimaw bang a zah thei di’n kimansa diim diem ahita hi.Tam missile to kisai a laigel ahina ah, Zokam a genkhiet theilou tampi Mangkam um a, tuate I thei tawhtawh a hing kiguoltuoh ahiman in, simhah leh theihah abang hi. Ta bang lai I’ng geltam chieng in I literature uh hing khang lien di’n lam etna kanei hi.

The Zou as a Minority Community

The Zou tribe is a less well-known indigenous community living along Indo-Burma frontier. In India, Zous are officially recognized as a "Scheduled Tribe" within the state of Manipur (See List of Scheduled Tribes of India, Modification 1956). Though there are no official figures, the Zou population in India is estimated to be around 20,000 to 25,000. The community is concentrated in Churachandpur and Chandel districts of Manipur in North-East India. The Zou language is one of the prescribed MIL (Major Indian Languages) in the high schools and higher secondary schools of Manipur. The Zou community has a script of its own known as "Zolai". Zou youngsters learn their script as a piece of curiosity; but the Roman script is the official script used by the Zomis of Burma and India. Bible translations in the Zomi language too adopted the Roman script and it served their purpose very well. The bulk of Zo people or Zomis lived in the Chin Hills of Upper Burma. With a slight variation in spelling convention, the Burmese Zous called themselves "Zo". The Indian Zou and Burmese Zo belong to the same dialectal community. The Zou dialectal group is only a branch of the larger Chin-Kuki-Lushai ethnic group. Like their ethnic Mizo cousins, the Zous are a tribal Christian community undergoing profound social change and modernization since mid-20th century.

Historical Background

The early history of the Zou people is lost in myths and legends. Linguistic and racial evidence suggest the Indo-Chinese origin of the people. Linguists classified the Zomi language as "Tibeto-Burman". Perhaps one of the earliest recorded references to Zomi as a people is found in the travel account of an Italian missionary called Father Vencentius Sangermano who resided at Ava and Rangoon from 1783 to 1806. In his widely circulated memoir, Sangermano recorded his observation of the Zomis at the beginning of the nineteenth century A.D., writing: “To the east of the Chin mountains, ... is a petty nation called Jo [Yaw]. They are supposed to have been Chien … These Jò generally pass for necromancers and sorcerers, and are for this reason feared by the Burmese, who dare not ill-treat them for fear of their revenging themselves by some enchantment” (Sangermano 1833: 43).

Since it was recognisable to the Italian observer that the Zomis ‘are supposed to have been Chien [Chin]’, the context suggests that Sangermano was referring to the same group of people later known as Chin-Kuki-Lushais, of whom the Zomi tribe is a historical component today.

In South-east Asia, there had been dynasties, places and people that bear the label, Zou - with spelling variations. However, no definite connection can be established between such terms.

The American Baptist missionary, J.H. Cope, made an attempt to trace the pre-colonial history of the Chin Hills in a church journal, Tedim Thu Kizakna Lai. [1] The journal (edited by Cope) provides a glimpse of the Zomis in Chin Hills before the arrival of British imperialism. Under the Manlun chiefs - Manlun is the name of a clan of the Zotes who are a subtribe of the Zomis, had a bitter struggle with the Kamhau-Suktes over the control of the hill tracts between Manipur (India) and Chin hills (Burma). Inter-village raids were frequent; but they never resulted in decisive victory. The fortification of Tedim village by Kamhau finally gave him the upper hand over his Zote rivals. British records about the Zomis became available towards the end of the nineteenth century.

Upper Burma (including the Chin hills) was officially annexed by the British at the end of the Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885-1887). On 28 September 1892, the Political Officer of Chin Hills submitted ‘a scheme in detail for the future administration of the Chin Hills’ (NAI 1892). The Yoe (Zo) - this must have been the Zotes mentioned above - was enumerated as one of the five tribes inhabiting the Northern Chin Hills. The others were Nwite (Guite), Thado and Kamhow (Kamhau), and Siyin (Sihzang). Not only these five tribes but all those who inhabited the region which is now called Chin State in Burma, along with all the tribes known as Mizos in Mizoram State in India and Paites in Manipur State in India, are one and the smae Zomis. The Zomi tribe was placed under the jurisdiction of the Tedim post; but the new scheme of boundary demarcation proposed to ‘award’ majority of the Zomi population to Manipur in India. British interest in revenue collection in the Chin Hills produced statistical information for Zomi villages. Official statistics for the year 1893 showed that the Zomi tribe consisted of nineteen villages and 630 households, inhabiting a tract lying between 60 and 90 miles north and north-west of Fort White. The tribe had the second largest number of villages in Northern Chin Hills, next only to the Thado tribe (See NAI 1893).

The Etymology of Zou

Oral tradition maintains that the Zomis hailed from the first three Zomi brothers - Songthu alias Chongthu, Songza and Zahong. Zomi origin myth accounts their first home in a Cave variously known as "Khul" or "Chhinlung", "Sinlung" or Khur. This site is near a village called Saizang in the so-called Chin State in North Western part of Burma, where the descendants of Songthu became Thawmte tribe. This site can be verified by evidence to support such a claim. In fact, Thawmte Tribe has a story of how their ancestors from Songthu lived there for at least nine generations until one of his offsprings Mang Sum.

Vum Kho Hau says that all the Zomi clans of this particular Tibeto-Burman group descended from a common ancestor. The same opinion was held by Capt. Pu Khupzathang, a Zomi genealogist who authored Zo Khang Suutna Laibu (Genealogy of the Zomis). He constructs an elaborate genealogical tree to substantiate his case. Current ethnonationalist sentiments too in favour of such geanological interpretation.

At another level, Zo (literally meaning "highland") has a geographical as well as genealogical connotations. In fact, local poets get inspiration from the hilly landscape of the Zo habitat; they are never tired of praising the beauty of their vales, dales and hills. Even after centuries of shifting cultivation devastated the land of the Zomis, the romantic tradition of praising their "beautiful" hills still continues.

The term Zo is an indigenous usage that dates back to antiquity, or (at least) pre-modern history. Before the Zomi society evolved from clan-based lineages to tribe-based identity, historical records referred them as Yaw, Jo, Chou, and Zhou. Such references are found in the Shan (Pong) Chronicles from AD 80 —1604.

Today the term Zo is used in a rather confusing way in Manipur (India) and the Chin Hills of Burma. While colonial records referred to the Zo tribe variously as ‘Yo’ or ‘Yaw’, the Zomi community living in Manipur inscribed their name rather stylishly as ‘Jou’. The first Christian church established by the Zomi tribe in Manipur was called Jou Christian Association (JCA) on 20 February 1954 . But the Government of India officially recognised the name of this tribe as ‘Zou’ in 1956. Sometimes, the term Zomi is also used interchangeably with the word Zou so that the apex political organisation of the Zo is called United Zomi Organisation (UZO). To add to this confusion of terms, the Zos in Myanmar called themselves ‘Zomi’ , which is actually a generic term used to replace the hyphenated term, Chin-Kuki-Lushai in current academic and political discourse. The term ‘Zomi’ is a collective name by which the Tedim s of Myanmar, the Paite and Vaiphei of Manipur generally identified themselves. Noting at the very outset, the variations in spelling and usage of the terms Zo, Zou, and Zomi to mean the same people - the Zomi tribe - in certain geographical contexts on the one hand, and also as a generic term to refer to the larger Chin-Kuki-Lushai ethnic group on the other, will save us unnecessary confusion later. This conflicting usage of the same term (signifier) for different meanings (significance) has been highlighted by a Zo scholar, Sing Khaw Khai:

“While all clans and families belonging to the tribe who call their chief Topa designated themselves with ‘Yo’ or ‘Zo’, they in turn apply their common name to a particular clan. The Yos [Zous] are most unique in the sense of the name they bear and the culture they practice in reflection of the ancient Zo tradition … No proper study has yet been made as to why the generic Yo as spelt in former literature was applied to them”’ (Khai 1995: 22).

Speculations on Zou Origin

"Zou" or "Zo" as a generic name

According to a Burmese scholar Thantun, Tibeto-Burmans probably once inhabited the T’ao valley of Kansu province in north-west China. Because of frequent Chinese incursions, the Zomis might have moved to the north east of Tibet around 200 BC. In order to avoid them, the Zomis traveled across ridges and forests and move further south. The journey probably took hundreds of years and eventually landed in Upper Burma. But it is difficult to substantiate such claims with hard evidence.

In the year 862 AD, a Chinese historian, Fan Ch’o Hao in his book already used the word Zo to call a peculiar ethnic group of people. Another scholar, a Catholic Father Vincent, in his book published in 1783 mentioned a group of people known as Zo. Sir Henry Yule’s narrative of the Mission to the court of Ava in 1885 showed the Chindwin plains and the area west of Chindwin River as Zo district. FK Lehman, a renowned Social Anthropologist in this book ‘Structure of the Chin Society’ reiterated the fact that the so called Kuki-Chin linguistic groups have a special term for themselves variously spelt as Zo, Yo etc.

Dr. Vumkhohau, a Zo scholar and diplomat from Burma, in his profile of the ‘Burmese Frontier Man’ has affirmed that "we called ourselves Zomi from time immemorial". There are different theories regarding the etymology of the root word Zo. The Zomi ethnic community is known by others as Kuki in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam; Chin in Burma and Lushai in Mizoram, Tripura and other Zomi occupied areas. B.S. Carey and Tuck says that there can be no doubt that the Chins and the Kukis, are one and the same race; for their appearance, manners, customs and languages point to this conclusion.

The words Kuki, Chin and Lushai have neither any bearing on the culture of these peoples. In the absence of a centralized state formation, the Zo people or Zomis were vulnerable to their formidable neighbours, the Shan, the Burmese, and finally British imperialism subjugated them during the late 19th century.

The South-East Asian Connection

Metternich says that ‘The man who made history have no time to write it’. Indeed, the story and legacy of the Zo is less well-known even today. Though Zo history is still sketchy and static, they clearly belong to Tibeto-Burman lingistic group which is of Mongolian stock. The possible link between the Indo-Burma Zomis and the Zhou dynasty (c.1050-771 BC) in Western China [2] has been an intriguing question for some time. The Zhou in ancient China are thought to have originated from the areas west to the Shang strongholds, possibly Shangxi and Gansu provinces (Braghin 1998: 279). However, there is not enough evidence at present to establish the link between the Zhou dynasty and the Indo-Burmese Zou.

Another speculation was that the Zo came from Yunnan province of China (cf. "Yao" people of Yunnan) [3] before they were harassed and driven south by the Mongol invasion into Upper Burma along the Chindwin River. They reached Yaw valley-upper Chindwin extending up to Kabaw valley sometime in the eight century AD. In this Yaw valley, they practiced wet-rice cultivation and gave up their nomadic life. When they approached from south west China up to Kabaw valley, they faced no warlords, except some skirmishes with the expeditions of the Shan States, who then begin their infiltration in the Upper Burma following the Irrawaddy river towards the end of the 13th century (Aung-Thwin 1996).

In due course of time, they settled around Khampat, and established their kingdom which survived from the 13th to the 15th century AD. At the beginning of the 15th century AD, they confronted a threat from the Shans who aimed at expanding their suzerainty. The Zomis were the second people to face the onslaught of the Thai imperialist who moved upward with their mighty Tai (Thai) force marauding the Burmese and Zomis on their way to Assam.

Then, they moved about further south up to the present Chin Hills and started settling in the hill regions, which was then No Man’s Land. After leaving Khampat kingdom, it appears that there was none to trumpet their conscience. From there they scattered all along the hill ranges in different directions, divided into clan-based leadership. Some Zomis settled in the Chin Hills and made Tonzang as their headquarters under the leadership of Pu Khanthuam.

Legacy of Anti-colonial Resistance: Zou Gal (1917-19)

The Zo tribe joined the so-called ‘Kuki Rising’ in Manipur against the British from 1917 to 1919. Hiangtam and Gotengkot Forts were two main centres of resistance among the Zomis. Pu Do Ngul Taithul was the chief of Gotengkot, which was a fairly big and fortified Zo village. Captain Steadman was the man responsible for suppressing Gotengkot with considerable casualties on both sides. The Zo tribe was a non-Thado tribe to have participated in this abortive, yet bold attempt to oust the white imperialist from Manipur, even as a local folk song composed on the occasion of the revolt runs in the Zou dialect as follows:

Tuizum Mangkang kiil bang hing khang/ Zota kual zil bang liing e/ Pianna ka gamlei hi e! phal si'ng e!/ Ka naamtem hiam a, i Zogamlei laal kanaw/ Sansii’n zeel e!/ Ngalliam vontawi ka laulou lai e.
Free translation:

The seafaring White Imperialist coils like the ‘kill’ plant,Tremors of earthquake do quiver the Zo world,’Tis the land of my birth: I shall not part with it!Stain’d with blood is my SwordThat has routed the adversaries of Zoland,I shall yet fight with the wild Boar, injured [4].

This folk song of the Zou dialect, reflecting the collective mind of the natives, indicated that the anti-imperial fervour was very high in 1918; and interestingly the Britishers were compared by the native mind with the wild Boar, or with a native wild creeper-plant called ‘kill’. Independent India justifiably took pride in its legacy of colonial resistance. In Manipur, the Palace uprising and Rani Gaidinlieu's movement are relatively well-known. However, the "Kuki Rising" and the participation of the Zou tribe was less well-known. There stands a dilapidated, tin-roofed hall called "Zogal Memorial Hall" at Zoveng, Churachandpur (Manipur) built in honour of the Zomis who fought against British colonizers. The anti-colonial legacy of the Zou is a tribute to the multi-etnnic people of Manipur itself. However, the dilapidated condition of Zogal Memorial Hall reflects the lack of official patronage for its shared history and collective memory.

Zous in Manipur: A Tribe in Transition

Crisis of traditional religion (Sakhua)

The Zou people resisted the British Raj and its colonial culture, including Christian conversion. The Maharajah of Manipur too did not permit Christian missionaries to work in the Imphal valley. However, a missionary called Watkin Roberts arrived at Senvawn village in the southern hills of Manipur in 1910. The Zou community did not come directly in contact with any Western missionary. While their neighbouring communities converted to Christianity, the Zous clung on to their traditional religion called Sakhua. The old Sakhua used to be self-sufficient; but the Zou colonial encounter resulted in cracks in the old system. Things began to fall apart. The experience of many young Zomis as a labour corps in World War I made them more open to Western education. The NEIG Mission Compound at Old Churachand (Suangpi) became the centre of literate culture in southern Manipur since 1930. By the time of India's independence, many neo-literates among the Zomis were convinced about the power of Western education and medicine: the native mind somehow perceived such objects as synonymous with Christianity itself.

Local Church Movement under JCA

The new Zou Christian converts joined different dialectal groups, especially the Paite and Thado Christian groups. To stem the tide of this social crisis, some intelligent Zou youngsters organised on 20 Feb. 1954 the first Zou Conference at Daizang village. The JCA (Jou Christian Association) conference deliberated on issues related to the social and religious life of the community. The JCA agenda was not exclusively religious. Besides Pu Kamzakhup, the pillars of the JCA in its initial days were the three educated figures of Pu Thawng Hang, Pu Sem Khua Pau, and Pu Kai Za Kham. The trio leaders were still students at Imphal at that point of time, and they were entrusted with the task of drafting a ‘Constitution’ for JCA, which was finally adopted at the Daizang assembly.

However, there seemed to be a lot of spade work before the JCA assembly could be convened on 20 February 1954. A preliminary meeting was held at Tuaitengphai village on the occasion of ‘Haitha’ (First Fruit) festival in which the villages of Daizang, Boh Lui and Khiang Lam were scheduled to participate; but the last two did not turned up. A migrant from Mawngawn village, Pu Kam Za Khup became a resident of Daizang village since 1951. His arrival in Daizang made that village a hub of Christian activities in the 1950s. Despite his humble occupation as a peasant, Kam Za Khup appeared to be a born reformer. He was consumed with zeal to initiate a local church movement among his tribespeople – the Zou dialect community. When he moved into Daizang in 1951, there were reportedly just four Christian villages out of the total sixty-six Zou villages. Enthused with the challenge of initiating a new movement, this layman would share his social vision with his confident named Thawng Za Khup. Both jointly managed to bring the village elders for a public discussion at Tuaitengphai in 1952. But nothing concrete came out of the meeting. Still undaunted, Pu Kam Za Khup continued his campaign for a cause close to his heart. The reformist duo (Kam Za Khup and Thawng Za Khup) would excitedly talk about their future project even while working in the wet rice field. The first important outcome of all those untiring discussion and persuasion was the staging of a partially successful joint meeting between Daizang and Tuaitengphai in 1953. That, in turn, provided a solid foundation for a more spectacular success. It actually became a prelude to the historic JCA meeting at Daizang on 20 February 1954 (see JCA Minute Book).

Finally, one may wonder: where did Pu Kam Za Khup catch his Gospel fire? The clue lies in his early residence at Mawngawn village. The social environment of Mawngawn in the 1940s – swept by waves of Christian conversion – must have contributed significantly to the making of this Zou social reformer.

Patriarchy and the tribal Christianity

Contrary to the charges of de-tribilasation by some scholars, the Zous today perserve the best part of their traditional culture through their indigenous local church. Their customary laws related to marriage practices have been institutionalized by the church. Their tribal musical instrument (khuang made of wood and animal skin) is an integral part of church music. The Bible translations and hymnals preserved the best part of their traditional vacabulary harnessed to a different purpose.

Access to modern education since the 1950s and 60s empowered some Zou women in the "secular" sphere and the job market. But ironically women are still discriminated in the "secred" sphere of the church on gender basis. The Zou society, despite Christian conversion, still staunchly maintains its old patriarchal structure. The first generation of educated Zomi women like Ms. Khan Niang and Ms. Geneve Vung Za Mawi championed the cause of female education as late as the 1970s (Lalnunmawi 1996). A handful of Zou women (eg. Ms. Dim Kho Chin, Ms. Ning Hoih Kim, Ms. Ngai Vung, etc) graduated in theology in the 1980s. There is limited space for women theologians within the formal church structure which is jealously guarded as a privileged male enclave. The church hierarchy still excludes women from any position of authority and "ordained" offices like that of ministers or elders. Despite the advances made by women in the secular world, a recent study suggests that the status of women has been degraded (not upgraded) within the patriarchal world of the tribal church (cf. Downs 1996: 80-81). For instance, the tribal church never condemn and always condone domestic violence (including wife beating & child abuse) despite all the talks about building "Christian family". Women's right to use the pulpit was grudgingly granted, or sometimes denied . Female employment within the salaried jobs of the two main Zou churches (Presbyterian & Lutheran) is a pathetic 3 per cent or thereabouts.

However, women are encouraged in fundraising projects where they have made excellent contributions through innovative strategies like antang pham (handful of rice collection), thabituh (annual labour targets), veipung (profitable micro-investment), etc. The money collected by ladies are seldom invested in projects that benefit women as a specific group.

Journals in Zou language

"Zopatong" - A monthly news magazine publised at Zomi Colony, Churachandpur, Manipur (India)
"Khristian Tangkou" - A Christian journal published by the Zo Presbyterian Synod, Churachandpur, Manipur.

"Gospel Tangkou" - A Christian journal published by the Manipur Evangelical Lutheran Church

References

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Boycott Of NH – 39

By T. Gouzadou

During the days when Manipur was a Union Territory, our political leaders joined hands demanding Statehood for Manipur. There were frequent hartals, relay-hunger strikes, arrests, lathi-charges, firings, and normal activities remained paralyzed most of the time. Their demand for responsible Government was granted on the 21st January, 1972 when Manipur became a full-fledged State headed by a Governor. The aspirations of the people were fulfilled one after the other: from Part C State (1949-56) to Union Territory (1957-71) and from Union Territory to Statehood (1972 onwards). We have to be grateful to the Government of India for it. It is a sad fact that even after thirty years of Statehood we have not been able to make Manipur a land of peace and joy because most of us cannot feel that Manipur is our native land and the people living in Manipur are our brothers and sisters. Deterioration of law and order in our State has compelled us to request the Central Government for protection of our National Highways. Is it wrong to say that we are not able to exercise the power given to a full-fledged State?From Article 246(3) and Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, it is seen that the Legislature of any State has exclusive power to make laws for such State or any part thereof with respect to any of the matters enumerated in List II in the Seventh Schedule referred to as State List. Serial No. 1 and 2 of the State List are reproduced below to show that maintenance law and order is the responsibility of the State Government:1. Public order (but not including the use of naval, military or air force or any other armed forces of the Union, or of any other force subject to the control of the Union or of any contingent or unit thereof in aid of civil power).2. Police, including railway and village police.The AMUCO has rightly said that it is wrong to assume that sufferings of the people will be cured by not taking the route passing through Nagaland (vide The Sangai Express, 7-10-02 issue). The immediate effect of the boycott of NH-39 is that prices of essential commodities are rising rapidly. The poor suffer the most. LPG distributors are no longer in a position to supply LPG to their consumers. Those who want to go to any place outside Manipur are in trouble. It is true that our forefathers could live without depending on others. That age has gone. Today we cannot remain isolated for many reasons. The decision of the UCM to stop plying vehicles through Nagaland does not affect the people of Nagaland but it affects the people of Manipur. If the boycott of NH-39 goes on, the miseries of the people will create hatred amongst the different communities of Manipur which shall weaken the territorial integrity of Manipur. We have to create peace to strengthen the territorial integrity of our beautiful State. It is requested that this important issue may kindly be considered again carefully by all those who advocate boycott of NH-39.Demanding immediate creation of a National Highway Protection Force is necessary, but it will take time for the Government to create such a force. To open many security posts along the NH-39 must be useful, but it must be remembered that the armed miscreants can move to any place to loot trucks and buses. Therefore the people have to be united to stop looting and harassing the passengers on the National Highways. The All Manipur Christian Organization (AMCO) and the NGOs can play a very important role in extending cooperation to the Government to ensure that the National Highways are safe for everyone. The Chief Minister and the Director General of Police may kindly contact their counterparts in Nagaland as often as necessary to prevent the miscreants from committing crimes on the NH-39. Nagaland is our neighbor, and we have to maintain good relation with the people and the Government of Nagaland. It is the will of God that we have to pass through Nagaland to go to other States. He who does not want to maintain good relation with his neighbor is a proud man. The following Bible verses are quoted to show that God is against anyone who is proud, ‘Behold I come against thee, O proud one, saith the Lord, the God of hosts: for thy day is come, the time of thy visitation. And the proud one shall fall, he shall fall down and there shall be none to lift him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him’ (Jeremiah 50:31-32).

Who Owns Manipur?

By T. Gouzadou
Love of money begets corruption which ruins the people. Manipur's statehood is now more than 30 years old. With the passage of time the Government has become weaker, gradually resulting in deterioration of law and order. There is no faithfulness or love in Manipur, our native land, and we do not acknowledge God. We make promises and break them. We lie, murder, steal, and commit adultery. Crimes increases. There is one murder after another. Government is no longer able to even pay salaries to government servants regularly.Rishang Keishing, MP and former Chief Minister has rightly said, "No Chief Minister of the past and the present have lived up to the people’s expectation. Instead, all of them have built houses in New Delhi, Calcutta etc." The words quoted above reveal that the main target of our politicians of the past and the present is to become MLAs and Ministers by any means to enable them to amass wealth at the cost of the people whom they represent because they do not consider Manipur as their own.
Legislators are lawmakers but the performances of our legislators prove that they are lawbreakers as well. Due to their failure to enforce rule of law and impartial administration they have to bow to underground organization from time to time. In a family, eating by one member does not fill the stomach of another. In like manner, the wealth amassed by politicians and Government employees through corruption cannot develop Manipur. Anyone who takes bribe is an enemy of the society and such corrupt person is worse than a drug addict.Before Independence, the Indian Civil Service (ICS) was called the steel frame of the British Empire and the best bureaucracy in the world. It is said that the ICS officers had no interest in making money for themselves and they were content with their pay. It was their incorruptibility which had enabled the British nation to build the British Empire where the sun never sets. We have to imitate the noble qualities of the British to save Manipur.When Rajagopalachari, the first and the last Indian Governor-General of India (1948-50), succeeded Mountbatten the latter said to his Indian successor that he did not think that East and West Pakistan would remain united for 25 years. Rajaji agreed. As predicted, within 25 years of Pakistan Independence, the East Pakistan became Bangladesh on December 15, 1971. This had happened because the people of West Pakistan could not consider the people of East Pakistan as their own people. We must learn from the mistakes of the people of West Pakistan.Hospitals, dispensaries, schools, colleges, offices of different departments show that the number of Government employees who work honestly with missionary zeal is too small. There is no longer a bus service on Tipaimukh Road from Churachandpur to Tipaimukh. Government schools located in the interior villages are no longer schools in the true sense of the word. Development schemes appear to have been kept in abeyance. Instead of trying to improve the present state of affairs, the political classes are crying for Sixth Schedule or UT for hill areas of Manipur. Unless the people improve their moral quality, Sixth Schedule or UT, if granted, will bring greater misery to the people.A few centuries ago, Negroes were slaves of the white people in the United States. Negroes are no longer slaves, and they consider the America as their homeland. In like manner, it will be a wise policy for us to extend full co-operation to the Government and consider Manipur as our homeland instead of fighting the Government for independence. God has given Manipur for all of us who live in Manipur, and He can disown us if we do not want to amend our mentality. The word ‘Manipuri’ means inhabitants of Manipur. What holds a society together is not force or even laws but moral persuasion? Love is the only means for our unity. If we hate one another and if we cannot consider Manipur as our own, how can we maintain emotional and territorial integrity of Manipur?A patriot is a person who loves his country. Mother India wants us to be patriots. A patriot must earn his livelihood by honest means, he must content with his pay, he must be loyal to his profession, and he must be a loyal citizen.Duties towards State authorities as written in the Holy Bible are reproduced below for compliance: "Everyone must obey State authorities, because no authority exists without God’s permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God. Whoever opposes the existing authority opposes what God has ordered; and anyone who does so will bring judgment on himself. For rulers are not to be feared by those who do good but by those who do evil. Would you like to be unafraid of the man in authority? Then do what is good, and he will praise you, because he is God’s servant working for your good. But if you do evil, then be afraid of him, because his power to punish you is real. He is God’s servant and carries out God’s punishment on those who do evil. For this reason you must obey the authorities – not just because of God’s punishment, but also as a matter of conscience" (Romans 13:1-5). Let us worship God in loving Manipur and the people of Manipur.