2008 First SMS ! " Na Vangpha Hi "....

Hausienmuan Munluo

“Kumtha melna mu a, hanmual lam gel lou a na um leh mi vangpha na hi, khovel ah kumchin in mi asang sang in mualliam a, a insung mi asang sang in kumtha ni in hanmual a koi e khat gel leh sun in kumtha vaidawn uhi, nang tua te sang in na vang pha zaw hi.” Chin Achan in 12:01pm di vel in hing SMS hi.

Adih hi ka hinkhua peisa 2007 kum ka gel chiang in ka thil bawl hoi leh ka vang phatna te gel leh mupha lou in ka vang siatna hasat ka thua nate bou ka lung ah hing lang paipai a mivangsia bang in ka ki koi a kei leh kei ka ki sugenthei mama hi. Hinanleh gari a accident a maivun a liamna ma pawn lang belbol mikhat ka mu in mihing lah a zong pa itt dia mivangpha kahi chin lung ka gel…

Na hinkhuo sung a galtai kichi bang e na thei kha nai lou a, suangkul na lut nai lou a jep a na um nai lou leh leitung a mihing 500 Million te sang in mivang pha zaw na hi. Na inn sung a daikaih a zan khova galvil dan a na um nai lou a na naupa leh na upa ahei zaip(pocket) a damdoi tang poimo lou na mu nai lou a, khamthei Nos.4 bang e chi mukha nai lou leh dugaw nai lou na hi leh khovel a mihing 200 mIllion te sang a mivangpha zaw na hi chin UNODC in na bil kawm ah hing gen hi. Na nu leh na pa, na u leh nau ten damlou na zia a Crocin a ne mun sim ua Doctor gen damdoi lei na a sum na sen tam sim leh zong kingai se nai sin mivang pha na hi, UNODC in damdoi khamthei tang ne tam bang in gen hi: Cannabis -marihuana, hashish mihing 162 million in neh a, ATS -amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, methcathinone mihing 35 million in ne in, opium, morphine, heroin, synthetic opiates, kichite million 16 in na uhi- tualeh midang 13 million in cocaine ne uhi. Na hinkhua a hasat na tampi tua kichi in lungkham kisa in na hindan hasa nasah ni in lungkham sim mivang pha na hi, na hinkhua damdoi tang leh khamthei ten ahing control khatai…? Midang million 200 te sang a na hin khua nuam zaw mama ahi.

Chizatna bei a, lungsim zauthong lou a bieh-in sung a na tou thei a pasian na biah thei nah lai leh leitung a mihing 3 Billion te sang a vang pha zaw na hi. Khovel ah pasian be ut tampi um nanleh ahinkhua zau na zia in bethei lou in chizadna ngen in dim mi te sang in nang na vang pha zaw nalai hi. Na tah sa tung a puan na sil leh na teeng a, phalbi dap nuai a genthei kisa in vot/dap sa nanle chinpuan sil ding na nei nalai a, nuamtah a na ihmut thei leh khovel a mihing 70% sang a hausa zaw nalai na hi, nang mi vang pha na hi.

Inn kuan damlai teng toh kumtha na mang khawm thei a, biah-inn a leengkhawm na bawl thei a Hospital lam lung gel na nei lou leh nang khovel sangtam tah te sang a vangpha zaw na hi, mitamtah ten nichin in Hospital ah sina maitua ua adamlai te zong lunggim in hospital mai ah lunggel neithei lou in a koi e khat buaipi in um uh nang tambang na tua lou leh kum 2007 a mivang pha mama na hi chi ki thei in, mihing in lung gel sang tah inei ua hinaleh pasian in thil atangtung sah a pasian programe tangtung na hi chin na koi e khat in ahing gen pia zouta.

Na kholaite ua Bomb paw ding zauna nei pum a lampi a na va nai lou a, hei lang e apat thautang hing leeng in na lu akha ding na zau nai lou leh khovel a mihing 80 million val te sang in na vang pha zaw chin UN world crime in hing gen hi. Khovel mite kithat tua sawm in nichin kisui ua, ei khovel mi hilou imah..? mi vang pha na hi zia ahi zaw hi. Ni chin bomb paw in mi si zing a khat vei lam a Pakistan a ningahni dated si nu Pi Benazir Bhutto zong vengtu tampi tah nei na leh si na in zau lou in bomb in asi ve leh, nag bang ding a tam bang a gim neitah a tha hi lou, Pi Bhutto in Pakistan ahing zot/lut kiani in ama deisah tu sangtam tah ten vaidawn na nei ua tuanah zong tha sawm ahi in bomb suh paw hi a mihing 140 val in sina atua na sim kha a nang in migam buaidan na chi thei leh amaute sang a mi vang pha zaw na hi. Kum teng in bomb a si leh thauvui thautang a si mihing 10 million ding velte sang a vang pha zaw na hi.

Na naunu pasal khat in abawl siat nai lou a zanvot nuai a apuante ama ut thu lou a sutsah a aum nai lou leh na inn kuan ua mi vang pha na hi uh Delhi khopi sung a kum 2007 in numei bawl siat na Rape na 581 um chin Delhi police ten gen uhi. Na inn a na gouman pha te gupia ana um lou a, na inn sung a na itt na in sung mikhat ahing kitha pia nai lou leh kipah in Delhi khopi sung a mi Lakhs bang zat te sang a vangpha zaw na hi, na khosung/vengsung a bangma lungphawng thei ding aum lou leh vangpha ihi uh Delhi khopi sung mai ah zong kum 2007 in criminal cases 53,244 um hi ei tua te sang in I vangpha zaw.

Na in vengpa ahei na in veng nu puansil leh khedap bu na eng zia a vangsia kisa a na hasiat leh kigel pha in khovel ah mihing puansil zou lou dim set in um a khedap lei zou lou a dim hi amaute dinna ah ding le chin bang na chi diai..? Na kap diai ahi lou leh na nu na maw sah na lai diai..? Na buai na te thei in hina leh na vangphat na zong thei in chin ka loi pan hing gen kha hi, tam dih mama va. 2007 in igam ah sina tua tam ding a, galzau a tai tam in neh dng nei lou a lung kham tam ding hi hinanleh nag tua na umna a pat a na inn sung mkite tua siat, galtai, si leh suangkul lut chi thute na za kha nai lou a um na hi leh mi vang pha na hi.

Tam 2008 a ka SMS mu masah pen hing thot tu Achan in bang tan lung gel anei a tam bang a ahing thot ade aw, Delhi a 24th December 2007 a ka loi hoi mama Kimi in lungkham zia a ahing na mualliam san nua a tua zong mahini kikhailum in ahing lung sgim sah dia nua a tam bang sms ka mu in January 2007 – December sung a kahing khua te aban ban in hing lang in aw mi vangpha kana hi petma ve chin ka chimo na teng bei phial in kipahna ka nei hi. Nang zong 2007 kum a na vangphat na teng geltha voi tam nungah nou Achan SMS adih dan na hing thei deu deu ding a khovel a mihing 70% te sang a vangpha zaw na hidan na hing thei ding hi, tua zou chiang in tam Achan SMS aphat tuamdan tam kalai gel apat na thei ta ding. Achan in SMS ahing thot in zaan khovot nuai a lung gim kisa a um himaleng ka mit a luanhite val sit set in ka umna leh inn lam a ka inkuante ka mitlha ah hing lang in kumtha mang lop nonlou pa mittui val pum in van a alsi leh tung solha entou in ka kam apat awsua hing pawt in Kumtha chibai…!hing chi khia a vangpha kahidan ka hing kithei khiat in kum 2007 ka ngaitha asua hi. Tam Achan SMS ka loipa kung a ka gen pia zou in ama bangma bawl lou hamlou a siptah a um pa hing kap khia in van tung lam en in Kimi. Kumtha chibai..chin hing kap khia hi.

Source: Huikhisiang

NE Support Centre & Helpline condemns Mumbai Molestation | Justice still denied to minor North East Girl Molested in Gurgaon

North East Support Centre & Helpline

North East Support Centre & Helpline condemns Mumbai Molestation and demanded culprits must be booked and punished. A north east 17 year old girl still denied justice even after appealing to National Commission for Women and case registered.

A minor girl of 17 years old who is doing a designing course was molested repeatedly by her landlord in Gurgaon, Haryana. After failing the repeated attempt to rape, the house owner, in frustration threw out the girl along with her sister and cousin from the house without any reason at midnight. The North East Support Centre & Helpline went to lodge an FIR at Gurgaon Police station today, but the police denied even registering it.

On December 2, 2007 at around 9.30 pm , the owner came and molested her knowing that she was alone. He tried to lure her and forced to use her. When she denied, he tried to strangulate her. On December 9, she was again attacked by the lustful owner who is already married and has two children. He molested her and tried to rape her but the attempt was failed as the girl raised alarm and brought attention to the outsiders. On December 11, at around 7.30 pm, house owner went inside and molested her. Luckily she was not alone that day; her cousin was inside the bathroom taking a bath. On hearing the shriek from the girl, the cousin came out and saw their owner running out of the room.

The next day without any notice or reason they were thrown out of the house along with their belongings. "Some of our belongings are still locked in that room" Victim's sister said "The owner even slapped my cousin and threatened to use violence to my friends who came to help us in shifting." On being asked why she did not inform the police when the owner first tried to rape her, victim confessed that she was terribly afraid, humiliated and ashamed.

The fact finding team with the help of Dr. John Dayal - member of National Integration Council met Assistant Commissioner Police thereafter med Commissioner Police, DLF Gurgaon on December 15, 2007. The Fact Finding team were told that a case (FIR No 552 of 2007 Police Station DLF, Gurgaon District, Haryana) under the section of 354, 376, 511 IPC sec 3-33-89 Sc/St Act was registered and culprit will be arrested soon.

On December 16, 2007 Ms Girija Vyas, Chairperson, National Commission for Women, New Delhi was informed about the case in a memorandum submitted by Dr. John Dayal.

Till the time filing this report the culprit is roaming free without arrest. The minor victim is denied justice and her belongings are still under the custody of the culprit.

North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to North East People and tribal communities of other states.

Release by

Mr. M. Chandra
Spokes Person
9868184939

[NESC Discussion Forum]

Good governance is the need of the hour

By Aditi Ranjan (Lal)

The concept of “governance” is not new. It is as old as human civilization. Simply put “governance” means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). Governance can be used in several perspectives such as corporate governance, international governance, national governance and local governance. Since Governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented, an analysis of governance focuses on the formal and informal factors involved in decision-making and implementing the decisions made and the formal and informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the decision.

Governance can be taken as a process by which a management guides an institution in the fulfilment of its mission and protects its assets over the course of time. Fundamental to good governance is the ability of individual managers to work with each other to accomplish an effective balance between strategic and operational responsibilities of the organization and elicit the best performance of individuals. The challenge for those in governance positions, therefore, is to employ the perpective and experience of management to maximize their overall contribution to performance. The saying ‘uneasy was the mind which wears the crown’ is applicable to all the managers whether pertaining to big or small organization. Those who are at the helm of affairs are expected to challenge the system (small or big), find the alternatives, select the best solution and implement that solution in the interest of organisation whether big (National Government/State Government/Big Companies) or small.

The challenge for all societies is to create a system of governance that promotes, supports and sustains human development — especially for the poorest of poor. But the search for a clearly defined concept of governance has just begun. Governance can be seen as the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country’s affairs at all its levels. It comprises the mechanisms, processes and institutions, through which citizens and groups communicate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their requirements and mediate their differences.

Recently the terms “governance” and “good governance” are being increasingly used in development prose. Bad governance is being increasingly regarded as one of the root causes of all evil within our societies. Major donors and international financial institutions are increasingly providing their aid and loans on the condition that reforms ensuring “good governance” are undertaken. Good governance has eight major constituents such as ‘accountable’, ‘transparent’, ‘participatory’, ‘consensus oriented’, ‘responsive’, ‘effective and efficient’, ‘equitable and inclusive’, and the ‘rule of law’. It assures that corruption is checked, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable ones in society are the guiding factors in decision-making. It is formulated according to the variable needs of society. Accountability is a key prerequisite of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders.

Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media in practice, though, it may sometimes be necessary to place limits on the principle of transparency. In doing so, it may be helpful to distinguish information as a commodity from information as a process. For example, intellectual property rights may need to be protected in order to encourage innovation and invention; but decision making on the establishment of intellectual property and rights thereto (i.e. to whom they are granted and why) should be transparent.

The principle of participation derives from an acceptance that people are at the heart of development. They are not only the ultimate beneficiaries of development, but are also the agents of development.

There are several factors and many view points in a given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result through deeper understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community it’s aiming to serve.

Good governance requires institutions and processes that serve all stakeholders within a reasonable pre-defined time-frame. Just as processes and institutions do, good governance produces results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment.

All men and women have equal opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being. A society’s well being depends on ensuring that all its members feel they have a stake in it and do not feel the sense of being excluded from the mainstream of society.

Legal frameworks should be fair and enforced impartially, particularly the laws on human rights. Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. In this context it is imperative to look upon the governance of NGOs also as they have important role to play in the arena of civil society.

The forces of globalization and (re) emergence of civil society, among others, have brought about a phenomenon where Governments, albeit grudgingly, have started accepting the role of non-governmental organizations in the governance of society. Having realized that Government alone cannot cope up with today’s increasingly complex socio-economic challenge, Government around the world has embraced various types of NGOs as policy partners in many public policy areas. Increased prominence and greater influence expose NGOs to increased demand for governance from a wide variety of stakeholders: donors, beneficiaries, staffs, and partners among others, to effectively undertake tasks that were once considered an exclusive domain of the state.

At all levels of development, a flourishing NGO community (San fraudulent) essential to effective and efficient civil society. In the poorest countries, individuals pool their labour and modest financial resources to sustain more complex economic activities. In more developed countries, the organizational structures of NGOs become more formal, and participation broadens and deepens. Associations of NGOs may even be formed. Frequently, people working together for their economic interests will also seek out the support of Government.

The NGO community need to perform following functions: encourage official aid agencies and Government Ministries to adopt successful approaches developed in the NGO community; serve as a conduit for new technology and practices; educate the public as to their rights and entitlements under Government programmes; attune official programmes to public needs by acting as a conduit for public opinion and local experience; provide efficient operational collaboration with Government agencies and aid donors; influence development policies of national and international institutions, including support for decentralization and municipal reforms; and help national and local Governments and donors fashion for effective development strategy through strengthening institutions, staff training and improving management capacity.

Thus the NGO community have to rise above their myopic interests and need to embrace the eight guiding principles of good governance and ingrain these in their system. Conceptually, the eight vital constituents of governance specified here tend to be mutually supportive and reinforcing. Interrelated, these core characteristics are mutually reinforcing and cannot stand-alone. For example, accessible information means more transparency, broader participation and more effective decision-making. Broad participation contributes both to the exchange of information needed for effective decision-making and for the legitimacy of those decisions. Legitimacy, in turn, leads to effective implementation and encourages further participation. It is time when good governance is superlative but tricky to achieve. Very few countries and societies have come close in achieving good governance holistically. To ensure sustainable human development, moving towards this superlative state with the aim of making it a reality is extremely precondition in favour of all civil societies.

[TSE]

Shall we introduce a new law for effective prevention and control of HIV/AIDS

By Dr Khomdon Singh Lisam

At present three epidemics are sweeping right across the world — epidemic of HIV infections, epidemic of AIDS and epidemic of Discrimination and Stigmatization. HIV/AIDS is associated with drug addiction, prostitution, homosexuality, which are all illegal activities. But it has also a great impact on innocent housewives, spouses of IDUs, women and children. No sector of economy can escape the demographic, medical, social, economic and developmental consequences of AIDS.

Our 150 years of experience with the criminal laws have failed to eradicate prostitution or homosexuality or drug use in any part of the world. The functions of criminal law are four fold :­

1. Incapacitation: Incapacitation means imprisoning those convicted of crimes in order to prevent them from harming others. But in case of HIV/AIDS, it has the opposite effect. There is mounting evidence that risky behaviours are very common in the prison environment although the prison authorities tend to deny this fact. Homosexuality and continued drug use is still very common in the prison set-up. Risky activities within prisons may contribute to further HIV transmission both inside and outside prisons.

2. Rehabilitation: The objective is to enable the individuals to change their future behaviour so as to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. But criminal prosecutions and penalties does not serve any rehabilitation function for majority of offenders in case of HIV/AIDS, Human behaviours such as sexual activity or drug taking behaviour are complex and very difficult to change through blunt tools such as criminal punishments.

3. Retribution: This is punishment for punishment’s sake after an offence is committed. Retribution has nothing to do with protecting public preventing HIV transmission or risky behaviour.

4. Deterrence: The most important goal of the criminal law in the context of a disease epidemic is deterrence. It is believed that the threat of criminal sanction will prevent people from taking unreasonable risks that could transmit the HIV virus. But lessons from history tell us that criminalizing sexual practices outside marriage or needle sharing practices do have any significant general deterrent effect in preventing HIV transmission.

Guiding Principles for use of law in the context of HIV/AIDS:

Therefore the guiding principles for use of laws must be based on the following:­

1. Available scientific facts and evidence should be the basis for determining the type of legal response to HIV/AIDS epidemic.

2. Prevention of HIV must be the primary objective of the legal response. Criminal law policy must not sacrifice HIV prevention in pursuit of other goals.

3. Legal policy must respect privacy, confidentiality, human dignity and human rights of people with HIV/AIDS.

4. The principle of non-discrimination and equality before law and principles of use process of laws should be respected.

5. Infringements of human rights must be adequately justified.

Traditional legal response to an epidemic:

The traditional response to any epidemic is based upon the ethic that the rights of the infected or at risk individual must be sacrificed to the rights of the wider community. People used to say: ‘A virus has no rights’. However, the lesson from two decades of HIV/AIDS is that the interest of the wider community depends upon respect for the rights of the infected and affected individual. There is no society in which sex workers, injecting drug users male homosexuals are not mariginalised, stigmatized and generally dis-empowered. Empowerment means giving them the same ability to control life and social, economic conditions as is possessed by the dominant groups in society. The negative image of the drug users is that their only motivation is, the source of their next ‘fix’. But my experience for more than ten years with the drug users tells that drug users are also smart people. They can organize outreach programmes, which have demonstrated their ability to take control of their life and caring for their peers as any other group in the society HIV is not an easy virus to contract, that is not spread casually. Indeed transmission of the virus is very much a personal act.

We must therefore examine whether the existing legal mechanisms are helping or hindering smooth and proper implementation of the AIDS Control programme. What recommendations can be drawn up to make the law more responsive and help in the effective implementation of the AIDS Control programme? How can we use law to overcome the existing discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS? How can we use law to empower women to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS? Can legislation assist in strategies for effective implementation of the HIV/AIDS Control programme? The law must promote an environment that enables, encourages and sustains voluntary behavioural change and care and support of those affected.

Legal Issues in Manipur:

* Whether individuals can be compelled to undergo testing for HIV?

* Do we require a law to protect the confidentiality of a person’s HIV status?

* Do we require a law to legalise needle syringe exchange programme, condom, distribution, social marketing of condoms, advertising of condoms in electronic media etc?

* Shall we allow medical doctors to conduct routine HIV testing among patients undergoing surgery, on admission, inpatients, during pregnancy etc?

— to be contd

[TSE]

Wisest men of the east

By Lunminthang Haokip

January 1, 2008: An impulsive man who doesn’t know much about motor-mechanism once bought a third-hand motor-car without consulting a mechanic. After a week’s smooth-ride, at every turning the doors of the vehicle flapped like the wings of a bird at take-off point. Made poorer by tens of thousands of hard-earned rupees by the new ‘status symbol’, the Sukh-ram of yore became a Dukhi-ram overnight. Ignorant of the ‘accident’ the old ominous four-wheeler met on the offended owner’s notional highway, curious neighbours kept enquiring, “How’s the condition of your car?”. “Well”, said our irritated man with a sigh of grief, “All the parts are making noise except the horn”.

Christ-less Christmas: The modern-day Christmas celebration presents a dissimilarly similar situation. It has everything in it but Christ. All over the country, Christmas means different things to different groups of people. To the filthy rich purse-proud citizenry, it is a time to surprise the members of one’s nuclear family with lavish gifts in the form of latest designer-types in winter-wear. Exotic items are presented to those who matter in one’s scheme of things in the name of Christmas; but the motive usually is ulterior and an insult to Christ. The shop-keepers eagerly get cracking vying with one another to further fatten their bank balances by exploiting to the hilt the recklessly extravagant bent of mind most Christians indulge themselves in during the season that heralds the birth of the manger-born Saviour.

Joy To The Seller: It is indeed, “joy to the world of unscrupulous bourgeois businessmen” dealing in consumer-durables. On the other hand, pathetic real-life scenes of bickering over money-matters are enacted with irregular regularity in the homes of the lowly-paid proletariat class. Human wants and needs multiply with the setting-in of the coldest season. Heaters and charcoal burn holes in the father’s pocket. Nevertheless, the means to buy are inevitably inadequate for the un-revised pay-structure. There is an urgent pressure from school authorities that fees be cleared before the finals.

If the children get through, bigger headache awaits the parents at admission time. Uniforms, text-books and demands for ad-inspired elitist commodities are enough to keep the parental head hot throughout the wintry chill. The spirit of consumerism is one of the prices our Lord paid for on the Cross. If we will not cut our coat according to our cloth, woe unto us, we are falling deep into a domestic debt-trap. Christmas is no time for buying but for searching and giving. Are you glamour-bound or Christ-bound?

Meat and Drink: The Wise men of the East were a class apart from their contemporaries. Their undaunted determination to meet the new-born Jesus firmly took all other fleshly thoughts into captivity. In contrast, the Wise men of this century consider Christmas as a nice time to throw parties of soft-meat and hard-drinks when they are not thronging eateries offering choicest gourmet-food. We don’t blame them. Even the country-folk shivering in tattered attire inside a shanty battered by communal flare-up of the not-so-recent past, whose stock of paddy is barely sufficient to see them through Christmas, would, without batting an eyelid, generously contribute to the advance and Post-Christmas feasts of purely non-vege variety.

They are the ones who raise a shrill voice of dissent against decent proposals to celebrate ‘Emmanuel’s birth without the ‘flesh and garlic’ of Egypt. Making it at the annual dish-co-munching eat-together of the village is taken as a matter of ‘prestige’ when there is no prestige left in the impoverished household. Why should cattle tremble in every Birth-anniversary of the true Joy-Giver?

Indifferent Jerusalem: In the backblocks as well as in the city by-lanes, Christmas is a amorally associated with undue pomp and gaiety that have nothing to do with the birth, breeding and beatitudes of Lord Jesus. Even Jerusalem was in such a state. Down the ages, the prophets foretold the birth of the Messiah-to-be which the people of the biggest Jewish city couldn’t possibly be unaware of. But when the star-guided Magi broke the Good News of the millennium in the holy city, not a soul bothered to mill around and go along with them to Bethlehem, lying a mere seven miles away. Some staying nearest to church are farthest from God. How often people react repulsively to humble invitations to hear the Word of God?

Settlers of Jerusalem took the Magi and their other-worldly queries to be a little round-the-bend and queer. But their quintessential quest could no be quenched by the quacking quibble around town. It’s sad that they were alone in their meritorious mission to meet the Messiah. Till today, real followers of Jesus find themselves isolated, ridiculed, persecuted and hated by the world. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15; 18,19)”. Whatever the hurdle, at the end of the day, it’s richly rewarding to serve Lord Jesus. You’ll soon feel cheated and used when you serve worldly men. Let our adversaries spew a venom of vitriolic vilification, we’ll not budge. If they will not go to heaven with us, we must not go to hellfire with them.

Insecurity of the Usurper: “ ………. When Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him (Mt. 2:3)”. Herod was an Edomite. He was appointed king of Judea because he enjoyed the favour of the then Roman rulers like Augustus and Wise men halted at Herod’s head quarter and unknowingly hassled the hedonic monarch with queries about the hallowed “King of the Jews”. Loathe to see any human hanker for his throne, Herod hammered out a heinous half-baked plot to nip the heir-apparent in the bud. Here’s a classic example of the insecurity of mortal men who gain positions by hook or by crook. King Saul was after the blood of David, the shepherd boy, because his subject hailed David as a greater war-hero.

The elder brother felt threatened by the return of the prodigal son. The main occupation of every big boss is to mind the business of his own immediate deputy. Touchy jealousy is typical of down-sliding rulers. Nearing retirement, and haunted by the lonely lack-luster isolation ahead of him, an outgoing employer had no compunction in making the professional lives of his own staff difficult because he is troubled in advance by the latter’s progressive prospects even after his impending oblivion.

Other-Worldly Kingdom: Herod harboured a hidden hang-up that the Messiah may meddle with his secular interests. The incorrigible sinner also thinks the Gospel is going to make life tight, terse and throttling that would deprive him of the joys and pleasures. Nothing can be farther from the truth than such a superimposed supposition. The life of Jesus is an open book for all to read. He has no stake whatsoever to claim in the wicked kingdom of Herod nor in the commercial credits of Harrod’s (the gigantic departmental store and pride of London). Those who oppose Him do not know that He alone can ruffle and soothe the upheavals of the heart like hot iron pressing flat crumpled dresses to shape.

“When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy (Mt. 2:10).”

No Gift Too Dear: What are you wise for? For yourself or for your Lord? The wisdom of the Wise men of the East had as its top priority the feverish cross-country search to find the Son of God. They had to trudge along vast stretches of parched desert-land enduring patiently adverse weather and perverse demeanour. But their craving to meet their Lord was too compelling that no distance was too far, no danger too risky, no cost to high and, no gift too dear. No matter what their sartorial get-up was, God was pleased with sincerity of their mental make-up and brought down heavenly set-up. A bright star made a special appearance to take them afar to Jerusalem where it disappeared. At Bethlehem they were at their wit’s end, but not at their faith’s, as to the exact birthplace of the Saviour. Then, the star reappeared and helped them locate the blessed manger.

At times we get bogged down by the woes and cares of this conflict-riddled expanse between two poles and get pushed off our divine rocker. Are you drifting away towards an aimless and aid-less life? Do you cease to get a holy kick out of reading the Scripture? If you do, you had lost sight of your star. Crucified and resurrected for our sins Jesus Himself becomes the indispensable light-giver today. Happiness will continue to elude you unless you repent, set things right and on bended knees, travail in passionate prayer that the Star may re-emerge to show you what you sought and missed. The Star is the symbol of God’s reassuring presence. Keeping track of it will slowly but surely lead you to heavenly bliss.

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him : and when they presented unto Him gifts; gold and frankincense, and myrrh (Mt.2:11)”.

He Matters Most: Faithful obedience to God’s Word only can land you up onto the higher experience of conversion. Spiritual brokenness in true conversion will fill your heart with ‘joy unspeakable’ that the Wise men tasted at the birth of the ‘Young Child’. In both cases one meets one’s Lord and nothing else matters. Such an excited lifting of the spirit will manifest itself in complete surrender to and compassionate worship of the Lord. If that’s not happening, lesser things will. It’s said the years a woman subtracts from her actual age are never lost, they are added to a rival-lady’s age.

If you fail to psyche yourself to adore the Prince of Peace, you’ll get effortlessly mesmerized by the ‘princes of this world’. If you skip Church meetings on the Lord’s day, you’ll end up doing something horrible that you’ll surely repent for.. A wretched villager who’s wardrobe poverty had nearly reduced to the straps of his underwear, with Rs.50/- in hand, bunked Sunday service to buy a few kgs. of rice from the market. There thinking he would multiply his purchasing-power, the gambling fool risked his hard-earned capital in a gamble-of-dice (Lagao) and lost. Poor fellow, he looked up, beat his forehead lamenting, “oh! I should’ve purchased the rice first”.

Time To Give: You can’t take chances with your spiritual salvation, it’s far far better to follow the Star than make bids to be on par with the Czars of this universe. We don’t have to go on to shop till you drop or deck up our houses with glittering stuff in the name of Christmas. The Son of the poor carpenter of Nazareth will certainly feel ill-at-ease in the midst of ostentatious display of wealth. If anything, Christmas is the time to give. The Wise men, apart from their hearts, presented gold, frankincense and myrrh to the ‘New-born-Child’. Usually gifted to kings, the gold symbolized a tribute to the ‘Kingship’ of Jesus. Frankincense was offered to the ‘deity’ of Christ for they honoured God with the smoke of incense; and myrrh as to a Man who should die, for myrrh, otherwise was used in embalming dead bodies. The Magi gave everything they had to Jesus and underlined their spiritual presence in every Christmas observance.

Victory Can Be Yours: What are you going to offer your Lord this season? The inn of Bethlehem had no room for Him. Christ today is looking out for a place to enter inside your heart. Are the chambers of your heart fully occupied by the world and sin? ‘He who knew no sin became sin’ that sin in us may be conquered. Nothing will please your Savior more than total and absolute forsaking of the sin-nature in you. The victory of the Cross will at once be effective in your life the moment you receive assurance of salvation through repentance. Not before that. If you are triumphant over sin, the Holy Spirit, as was done to the Magi, will lead you to the Holy Star and you will develop an insatiable urge to give your all to the Lord; Herods and Harrods notwithstanding.

=================================

The writer is an Additional Deputy Commissioner under the government of Manipur, a northeast state of India.

www.kukiforum.com

My Struggle With A Myth

M V Guite

I have never even in my wildest dreams imagined that I would someday be haunted day in and day out by a two-word phrase I used to dismiss as mere hearsay. I feel as if I have been dreaming time and again the very dream I dreamt of the other night so much so that it turns out to be more than a dream – a reality.

I hate to admit but can’t help doubting the truth or falsity of the phrase Paite Khonungpil (hereinafter the phrase). Nothing can be more despicable than such a word linked to an ethnic group; it’s a rather humiliating utterance to percolate one's ears. I wonder who attached it to the Paites in the first place. Or is it that our forefathers were well aware of their ignorance that they called themselves thus out of desperation? I reckon not. I’d be more than happy if somebody could enlighten me as to the etymology of the phrase and, perhaps, the reason(s) behind it.


Strange and insulting as it may seem, the phrase’s worth pondering inasmuch as it is hard to shrug off as mere annoyance. Khonungpility, or whatever you may call it, may be defined as a belated realization of the worth or utility of a thing or chance when it no longer serves the purpose for which it is being created, intended or given. It means to come to one's sense later, rather than sooner. One who is khonungpil would allow a once-in-a-lifetime chance to slip by and, therefore, would never have another to grab it back. Once lost, it’s gone for good; it can neither be retaken nor retrieved, not even at the eleventh hour.

In terms of awareness, or lack thereof, khonungpility may be of three types, the third being our main focus. First, there is total absence of awareness on the part of the doer in that that this or that can be the bait of a tempter never enters his head. He’s as innocent as a lamb. His action, therefore, is more or less justified; but fate is too blind to perceive this innocence. Second, the doer is standing at the crossroads between good and evil – entangled in a rather insoluble dilemma. He just couldn’t figure out which one of the paths leads to his destination. His action, therefore, is partly condemned and partly justified; but fate is too dumb to fathom the dilemma. In either case, he’ll not get away scot-free. Sadly enough, fate seldom takes into account the innocence or dilemma of the doer when meting out punishments. Lastly, and most importantly, there is not a scrap of evidence to prove that the actor is unaware of the possible ramifications of his actions – thievery, deception, adultery, murder, drunkenness, drug abuse, procrastination, and so on. Nor is the simple reality that these could be the tricks of a seducer unknown to him. He does it on purpose as if he were shielded from disaster. What sort of forgiveness could he plead for? Even the devils would be taken aback.

It must be borne in mind here that a misdeed and its outcome alone is not enough to constitute the proper application of the term. There has to be a more or less negative impact or influence either on the actor or others or both so much so that the action or lack thereof is regretted. To show any sign of penitence, fear, distress and guilt for having done something that could have been avoided is more than enough to prove that one is khonungpil. On the other hand, if a person doesn’t, in any way, show any sign of repentance or guilt for the misdeed he has committed but rather takes pride in it, he cannot be dubbed a khonungpil. Hence, it’s a relative term.

One seems to be caught between hope and suspicion as to the applicability of khonungpility: hopeful in the sense that it is better to be khonungpil than never; suspicious in that it can mean the other way round. It is, in fact, much better to be late than never, but not always. If the state of being late could still be viewed as BETTER, it goes without saying that it’s NOT LATE AT ALL. ‘Khonung’ means ‘khonung’, not ‘zekai’; it’s something that takes place beyond what is generally considered as late. Apart from being a waste of time, energy and money, it is more than likely that you get the worst of a kind left behind by the non-khonungpils. For not doing what you can do today in spite of being aware of the morrow being a dry day, you are forced to resort to a black, an overpriced one. You wish you had burned the midnight oils and cleared the most arduous yet coveted examination....but at the age of 30s. Turning a deaf ear to the call of a rubber can make you pluck an unripe fruit and/or contract a deadly STD. These are some of the many curses of khonungpility in their simplest forms. The fact that I am a sorrier victim of the same does not deter me from voicing my concerns. Let fate take its own course.

That you have been saved solely because you have just had a 777 scrawled on your forehead on the Day of Judgment is one thing. You’re just in time, not late – saved by the mercy of a sink-or-swim option – a sheer stroke of luck. But, that you beg for mercy with utmost remorse in hell is a totally different one – the ultimate wrath of khonungpility beyond the eleventh hour – eternal grief. Worse, everyday is a Judgment Day, for nobody can foresee even a second into the future. The famous ‘better late than never’ excuse seems to hold no value in this instance. You ought to pay the piper for being khonungpil, sooner or later. It’s just a matter of when. How the hell are we going to endure by means of fortitude and solace so powerful a belated phenomenon as the curse of khonungpility beyond the eleventh hour!

We are living in a world where tears and laughter go side by side; and life’s like a mimosa (pudica) whose smile fades with a whiff of tragedy and braces up with a glint of sunlight. A fundamental part of the whole matter of the vicissitudes of life is designed by human beings. Putting aside the natural aspects of fate such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, famines, accidental blunder and so on, fate and khonungpility are like the two sides of a double-edged sword. We make our own destiny through our actions and call it fate. We ignore the impending catastrophe of our deeds and consider ourselves unlucky, desolated and cursed when it is we ourselves who are allowing all this to happen. Pain does come, but it doesn’t stay put save for a numb scar; but the scars of khonungpility seldom fade – some would last even beyond the end of the world.

“Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over.” - Anonymous



Every dawn brings with it a new chance, every chance is accompanied by a choice, and every choice has an inevitable consequence. The course of human life is so designed in such a way that nobody is freed from temptations and tribulations, immune from punishments and penalties; nor is anyone devoid of a chance to lead a joyous life. It’s how we pick our choice that counts rather than what comes in our way and seduces us; and what matters most is the beyond-control reality of its outcome. There is none so unfortunate as one who chooses to suffer the pangs of khonungpility. Once you get into it, there’s an undeniable force that not only sucks but traps you like a fly in a well-contrived spider’s web, ready to be devoured.


I knew I shouldn't have done that or gone there. I knew I should've left no stone unturned to reach my dreams with flying colours. But I couldn't make myself do right despite repeated motherly calls from within me begging – ‘No, please, that's a trap’. I started out with the small stuff until I was finally hooked on the most disastrous one out there. No matter which way I turned my head, I often slipped back into my old ways striving to quench a never-ever-satiable thirst, and turned to the Almighty only in the days of distress and despair. It was as though I was compelled to go to it like a moth is to a flame. I would at times blame curiosity, friends and circumstances when it is I myself who made the first move. I would put off things for a tomorrow that never comes, a tomorrow that's a yesterday now, and a tomorrow that's still a tomorrow – there's hardly any today! No today means no task fulfilled, no mission accomplished. I would often let myself sink into deep contemplation in the middle of the night and resolve to start life anew the following day, but to no avail as if all my nerves were snatched away by daybreak like dewdrops exsiccated by the morning sun. While days were like rays of hope to others, mine seemed to be darker than the darkest of dark nights. No wonder I now eke out a living turning mangled voices into words while the entire city lies in sweet slumber. If I were to liken myself to a living creature other than human beings, it would be none other than a 'khuangbai' rather than a 'miksi', except that I haven't completely gulped down myself. What I'm doomed to suffer is fine with me; at least that’s what I ought to pay for being stubborn. But what would become of my kith and kin and folks due to my wickedness is rather hard to swallow. It’s better to not expect and receive than to expect but denied.


I take delight in watching children playing in the parks but would only end up wondering if they would ever be as unhappy as I am. Do I find the world so fascinating to the extent that I am anxious to invite someone to share the pleasure with? I wish I have the guts to divulge my ‘wish’ to remain a bachelor the rest of my life than father a like-father-like-son son. What's left in me to want to procreate and love when I couldn't even take care of myself? Would I not be hurt even if he were half as bad or twice as good as I am? To expect anything good from him would be like putting a heavy load on his shoulders which I myself couldn't inch even a single pace – I’d take that as yet another sin. Would it be wrong to say that he who begets an offspring does so with the vow that he would fight tooth and nail to make sure he be there when the roll is called up yonder? Would it not be prudent of me to undertake a journey to lifelong celibacy than risk a soul in the jaws of death while I can still prevent it? Are the pleasures of marriage, joy and hope of bringing up a child to be a support in old age worth the risk for me? What’s the probability that he would be among the ‘Many are called, but few are chosen’ group? Would I not be moved a bit if I were given a chance to behold my own worst enemy on earth howling in tormented agony in the Lake of Fire? It isn’t surprising some parents back home lament the malaise that it’s better (or more profitable) to rear a piglet than raise an obstinate son. It seems our land is plagued by what we may as well call it a ‘pig-or-son’ syndrome. How confident am I then that I wouldn’t be caught in the grip of this syndrome when my parents have fallen prey to it? By the way, I don’t necessarily put into action what I preach (believe). That’s it exactly! Had I, I wouldn’t have been what I am today, for I do know what’s right or wrong: the honest yet ugly truth is – the lure is too tempting to resist for a feeble heart like me. Chi lailai le, would he be able to tame the temptations that I myself couldn’t? Thank God, I still draw my breath, and the gate of hope is not yet closed although not as wide-open as it used to be!


I used to blame our Creator for placing us in that corner of the earth. I used to blame our Nature for its scarcity of resources, rugged topography and geographical isolation. I used to blame our forefathers for their apparent ignorance, backwardness and superstition. I used to blame our leaders for not leading us the way I thought they should. I used to blame destiny for any misfortune that has befallen us. But, alas! Have I ever shed a single drop of tear for my Motherland? Have I ever sacrificed a single drop of blood for her freedom? Have I ever broken out a single droplet of sweat for her prosperity? Have I ever uttered a single word of prayer to the Almighty for her safety? If it were not for the stupidity of some folks like me, our Motherland would have towered over other nations like a shadow exaggerated by the setting sun.




Way back in the hills and woods

In the midst of verdant nature

Wrapped in an aura of innocence

Enraptured by its blissful ambience

As a lonesome boy I would wander

With a catapult and pellets and angles

Along the meandering Paldai Brook

I could still behold my boyish self

Wading through the ankle-to-knee-deep Brook

That babbled along its narrow course

With no cares and concerns or worries

Onto a warmer, calmer and pacific body

Little did I smell a rat then that

In just a few years’ time or so

I would be ushered in a new world

That’s rather quick at finding faults

And glutted with trials and troubles and

Ups and downs and twists and turns



Gone are the days and nights

Of joyous hours and euphoric moments

Of ceaseless canorous songs of cicadas

When slip-ups could be mended

Mistakes solved with warnings

And cries never went unheard

Dreams were as real as real gets

What a friend to have in nature

That never ever envies nor turns foe

If I could make one last wish

I would relive my boyhood life

Along the edges of the Paldai Brook

Where the trials of fate back then

Were as fragile and tender as saplings

And the depths of my misdeeds

As shallow as the Brook itself

Oh! The waters of those days would have

By now danced on the laps of Mother Sea



To err is human, and so is to long for the past; but to give up all hopes because of the past is utter inhumanness. One who does not leave room in his heart for the past is no better off than an Alzheimer. Happiest is a man who remembers the good, forgets the bad and hopes for the best. For such person can stay calm even in the midst of what appears to be a cataclysm for the common man. A brook may run dry in winter, but it reinvigorates itself and regains its shape with the onset of spring; it does face obstacles when the going gets rough, but never ceases till it finds a way out. They say fate drags along the unwilling and leads the willing. If that’s so, who would prefer to be trailed along a rugged surface by a bullock cart when he could walk behind it with little or no effort at all? Let fate take the lead, and let’s seize whatever opportunity that comes along the way. It's no use crying over spilled milk. No amount of penitence and repentance would make Penglam's ‘bitter butter better.’ Let bygones be bygones. A chance lost is a chance lost, yet it is not as bad as it seems if at any point in time we are able to make the better use of the loss through experience. It’s the future that counts. “Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia.” – Charles M. Schulz. The world’s stuffed with opportunities of various sorts. So, no matter how great the consequences of our mistakes might be, let’s not lose heart but face facts, and march (as our identity implies) with redefined outlooks, ideologies, visions and approach towards a greener pasture, a higher ground.

“In order to keep anything cultural, logical, or ideological, you have to reinvent the reality of it.” – Ani DiFranco



The reality of the phrase lies not in which follows or precedes which – whether it’s apt or not – but in the cause-and-effect chain of influence khonungpility exerts upon an individual, society or the world as a whole. We are what we are because of our past deeds, desires and decisions. The role of khonungpility in shaping the future of a society can never be overlooked. It’s as certain as two is the sum of one plus one, and as sure as birds soar and fishes swim. ‘For want of a nail…the kingdom was lost.’ The end justifies the means. One might be of the opinion that, by volunteering my time to such a word, I am making a mountain out of a mole hill, or inviting trouble out of nothing, or uncovering the awkward birthmark of a pretty damsel. Call me a pessimist, self-critical, if you dare. Who cares? Life itself is sometimes ironic in that we may move around the same place the entire year yet stumble along the well-trodden path. The world’s a land of baffling paradoxes, yet hope lies within the enigma for the tireless seekers. The word, of course, sounds loathsome and disgusting insofar as it belittles or affronts the dignity of a person or class of persons. Be that as it may, it’s not without merit. Can there be a master when there’s none to serve him? The have-nots don't have, so that the haves may have. Life’s precious for the simple reason that it’s short and bound to perish. If a single misdeed ruins a whole life, can failure be a pillar of success? Khonungpility, in essence, is a mistake – intentional or unintentional blunder. But the only mistakes are those from which we learn nothing. It can be reformatory as well as corrective. One who has never committed a mistake is at constant risk of falling into a bottomless pit.


I still believe more than ever that the benefit of the term far outweighs its awkwardness. I consider myself unearthing a hidden treasure long forgotten, or amnestying a misjudged and ostracized innocent fellow of bygone ages. Khonungpility, to me, is like a red-flag bearer who alerts the driver of a broken railway track, thereby preventing a dreadful disaster. We ignore the air we breathe in until it turns foul or is thin. Mother Earth would have been a better place to live in had the potential hazards of global warming been as impending in the past as it is today. The icecaps are melting, sea levels are rising, diseases are spreading, the earth is blazing, and the world is losing her charms and appeals – all but for want of a harbinger, a messenger from another world that had borne the brunt of khonungpility. Must we turn a blind eye to the imminent nemesis posed by the not-so-unusual twice-a-century flowering phenomenon? Have we! Must we allow those young generations of ours to meet the same fate for no fault of theirs? In other words, must we pave the way for the ghosts of the phrase to reign supreme over us?


“The mind is slow to unlearn what it learnt early.” - Seneca the Elder


Had it not been for the sake of ‘nostalgia’, the very thought of the phrase would have been like a stab through the heart no physician can cure. Be it tragedy or blessing, victory or failure, fact or hearsay, anything that is handed down – either orally or in black and white, or both – from one generation to another, becomes part and parcel of one's life, one's cultural trait . It flows along with the blood and would never deviate from it even if sunflowers turn away from the sun. Lore has it that by mistaking it for a lake, the G~tes dove into a thick fog/mist and drowned (maybe half a dozen times faster than they would have had it been a lake!). The story is far-fetched, inane and completely insubstantial. You don’t have to think twice or be a genius to prove its inauthenticity – even a dullard would dismiss it as a white lie. But it will linger in the minds of those who are glued to it until the entire tribe is swept away from the surface of the earth. The same goes for Z~ Naptolh. No matter how hard you try to ignore your belief in the possibility that sneezing is the outcome of criticism, the very action or sound of it would serve as a loyal reminder of same once in a while. A colleague of mine let loose a couple of sneezes the other day and jestingly put the blame on me to which I shot back with jocose sarcasm, “Had that been the case, you’d have sneezed a dozen times or more, not just twice.” Same is the case with the phrase.


Albeit replete with famines, battles, forced or voluntary migrations, cultural assimilations, juvenile delinquencies, etc., the Paites’ past is not barren of deeds worthy of praising. (I should delimit myself to the Paites for I’ve never come across Zomi khonungpil). From handicrafts through welfare to literature, they don’t lag behind their tribal counterparts. In spite of their minority status, they have grabbed hold of the opportunities the world could offer; ascended in the social ladder as high a speed as their wisdom could lead to; and spread as far away as the globe could allow. The best is yet to come.


Howsoever disdainful the phrase might seem, it has been and will always be my prized possession so long as the sun shines in the Zogam Sky. If a khonungpil society can rise to such a social status, why should I be ashamed of my identity, of my thatch-roof hut under whose shelter I have the fortune of being born and nurtured? What do the Paites lack which their counterparts have? Every society is, in some way or the other, khonungpil, for nobody is perfect – no man’s born an angler, no culture’s born civilized. Attributing such a derogatory term as this to a specific social group is as partial as the reason a mother has for choosing a rather odd birthday gift for one of her twins. If the Paites were the only khonungpil society in the world, they would have become extinct and vanished like the dodos whose simplicity had cost them their lives.


Lastly, but not the least, if I were the only fish in a brook, or if all the fishes in it were like me, the phrase would have been rightly apt. Add to this, and to quote Wiki, “The Paites are mainly shy, introvert people …” What better example could there be than myself! Nevertheless, we know perfectly well that a brook, however pure and fresh and cold and sweet it might be, is by far too meagre to dilute the salinity of a sea.

Thus, one can come to a conclusion and prove beyond doubt that the phrase is a myth. There is no greater a myth than this; nor is there any myth that teaches greater a lesson than this. I hope we are not too late in realizing this, lest….

PS: The definitions, opinions, and examples given above are pure person l feelings and expressions – not intended to/ for anyone specific.

www.zogam.com

Govt. Jobs vs BPOs

Joyful Tonsing

Govt. job leh private kikaal khau kikantuahna, mun tuamtuam ah kinialna nasatak ana omta hi. Govt. a semten lah govt.sepna mah hoih ahi chi, private a semte’n lah tulai in private a hoih zota chin pang tinten uhi. A nih tuaktuak a semkha ka hihna ah kenle ka ngaihdan tamlou kon salkhe zek di.

Nidang lai in I neulai khawng in bel govt. sepna lou sepna dang ana om khollou hi. 1990s bullam apat Pu Manmohan Singh in economic policy thak hon phuankhia a, liberalization leh privatization hon patkhiak apat in private companies tuamtuam hong kipankhe zungzung hi.

Hiai toh kiton in private jobs pung hulhul in govt. ah sepna kiam hiaihiai hi. 1980s laikhawng leh 1990s bullam khawng in kumteng in Civil Service ah post 800/900 bang awng gige a, tuni chiang in 300/400 kan awng nawnlou hi. Huaiziak in lehkhasiam lah pung hulhul ahihna ah miteng in govt. sepna kinei thei nawn lou hi.

Nehruvian socialism nuai a ana khangkhia nu-le-pate kinepna pen ahihleh ka tate lai hong siam di ua, govt. sepna hoihtak hon mu di ua chih ahimai. Govt. sepna lou bang sepna taktak a en thei nailou tamtak ki omlai mawk hi. Hiai ngaihdan pen i paihkhiak uh ahunta hi. Ahitak in tulai in lehkhasiam taktak ten govt. sepna sang in ah private companies, MNCs leh PSUs khawng a delh zota uhi.

Kum 2000 vel apat in BPO/Call Centers hong kithang mahmah a, eimi tamtak le hiai line ah ina lut zungzung ua, govt. lam a lut i tawm dedeuhta uhi. Govt. a sepna nei atamzo ten hiai BPO a semte muniam mawk un kathei hi, mi bangzah hiam toh ka houlim khakna uapan in. BPO a semte laisim peihlou, a nuam-nuam ut leh kichangkangsak dan a mupawl tamtak om hi. BPO a semte’n lah govt. nasem te thadah, nasem lou a loh lala, nasep siam/tam ziak hilou a kum bangzah hiam sepnung chia kaisang zel chiin mu zel uhi.


BPO a semte pen laisim peihlou/lai siamlou hivek tuanlou in sim ut mahmah himahleh sumle-pai haksat ziak a mahni utthu le hituanlou a a lou theilou ahihziak a sem le tampi om hi. Min honest tak a a nekzonna uh va gensiat sak mawk pen thildik hi’n ka koih kei. Pa Thangzamuan Hauzel in SSPP Net a a gelh “....... It is the last resort of those who have failed in other fields.”,chih sang in ken chu..”It is the first step towards TUAILAI MAHNI KITOUDELH” ka chi ut zaw hi a chihkha dik kasa mahmah ve. Alehlam ah govt. nasemte le nasep di neilou/tawm, kum bangzah hiam chinnung a kaisang zel chihpen le dikkim khollou zel. Govt. nasemte le a sem vanglak ten sem petmah, private ate sang ale sem tamzo pawl le tam mahmah hi.

Huai ban ah kaisanna toh kisai inle time-bound promotion zo bangtan hiam ah om mahleh a sang lam a hong hih chiang in Annual Confidential Report (ACR) poimoh mahmah zel hi. Hiai tuh nasem peihlou/competent loute bel sangpi tungthei tuanlou di uhi.


BPO/Private sector hin govt. sector hileh hoihna leh hoihlouhna anei tuak tuak uh. Hiai a hoih a, hiai a hoihkei chihdi a omtuankei. Govt. a a hoihna ahihle job security a hipen in kathei a, huaiban ah bangtan hiam chu na service sawt/tom dungzui in na kaisang ngeingei di. Hiaite ban ah benefits tuamtuam LTC, CGHS ban ah na tate Central Schools ah fee tawmchik seng in na kaisak thei di. BPO neu chikchik ten hichibang allowances.perks te nei khollou uhi. Himahleh BPO lian taktak te allowances bel govt. sector a sang a hoihzo pawl leng om veve hi. BPO te ah job security omlou, na competent keileh ut hunhun a tawpsak theih nahi. BPOs te disadvantage na khat ahihle a tangpi in night shift ahia, hiai pen damtheihna lam khoihkha ut mahmah hi. Govt. ah bel ki pawng tawpsak chihpen om mawkmawk lou hi.

Himahleh govt.nasepna ah competence/hard work pen a incentive omlou a, sem petmah te toh a sem hetloute loh kibang , na nasepna taihmakna leh competence in na career progression ah gen neipha taktak lou hi. BPOs ah nasem hoihte incentive bang om in hiai in motivation hon pethei hi.

Huai ban ah a kuhkal leh competent te adin career progression hat mahmah hi. Loh bangle a competent leh taima tea din pung hat mahmah hi. BPO liandeuh khenkhat bang in a employee te uh adin MBA zilna dia sponsorship pia chihkhawng bang om hi. January 1, 2004 apan govt. in New Pension Scheme (NPS) hon patkhiak apat in govt. sector a attractive na kiam deuh in ka thei hi. Hiai dungzui in Govt. sector ah le pension kha contributory ahita. BPO a semte’n le na company un pension plan a neihkei lele nang-le-nang in company tuamtuam e.g. ICICI, HDFC, MetLife chihte khawng pension plan join theile a hoih mahmah di, tax save nakhat lah hi.

Bangteng hileh hiailam a hoih a, hiailam a hoihkei chihdi a omkei. Nasepna na chu mimal attitude/interest ah a kinga. Govt. nasep na ut mahmah a, lehkha sim petmah in non gelhkhe ta a, na hon sep tak in na lunglutna/nuam na sek chi ana hikei maithei. Ahi keile tua BPO a nasepna tu’n nuam nasa mahmah a, himahleh na hong upat nung in nuam nasa nawnkei maithei.

A tawpna din ah ka gen ut pen ahihle power na deihle Civil Service (IAS, IPS, etc) ah lut inla, sum (money) na deihle private sector ah lut in. Civil Service khawng a lutzou te adin sum-le-pai in a leitheihlouh mipi adia naseptheihna power pen etlahhuai mahmah hi. Govt. hi’n private/BPOs hitaleh I sepna peuhpeuh a ginom tak le kuhkal tak a sem in a sang lam mah tum tinten in I gam-le-nam adia pan theihna chiat ah pang le maw.

[Siamsin Bulletin New Year Special Issue 2008]

================

www.zogam.com

All eyes on Delhi

Oinam Anand *

Divide 12 by 31 so that the quotient will be a whole number, not a fraction.

Can anyone do it? No, no one, not even the famous Pythagoras or Archemedes or even the Almighty can solve it in the way as the problem is put for solution.

A similar problem, a jig-jag puzzle for which there is no concrete or lasting solution is developing within the ruling congress party in Manipur nowadays.

For a State which has got a strength of 60 MLAs, the number of Council of Ministers must not exceed 12. Because of the limited number of Ministers not exceeding 12 for small States like Manipur where the aspiration of every elected MLA is to become a Minister, the game of musical chair for the Ministerial berth will be always there.

In the light of this fact, every common man knows the main reason of the present wrangling in the Congress Legislature Party of the present Government under the leadership of O. Ibobi Singh.

This observation may not sound melodious to the ears of those legislators who don’t want their actions to be seen as lobbying for a Cabinet Minister who had already missed the berth when the Congress led Govt was formed in February this year and next when the Council of Minister was expanded to the full strength after the by-election of two Assembly Constituencies.

But it is a fact that every one of the MLAs both from the ruling and opposition secretly hopes for a Ministerial berth during their tenure. Then, why one should blame them for their efforts to serve the people of their respective constituencies with more vigour, power and why not, with money.

In the last Assembly Election of February, 2007, contrary to many predictions, Congress won from 30 constituencies with 29 Congress Legislatures (because of the twin win of CM Ibobi from Khanga-bok and Thoubal Assembly Constituencies). Party-men were euphoric at that time and Ibobi was the undisputed leader of the Congress legislature party at that time.

Keeping the promise of the continuance of SPF and to please the Centre, the CPI was included in the formation of the Government. Much to the dismay of many Congress MLAs, one Ministerial berth was given to CPI even when Congress alone can form a Government of its own.

Ibobi did not do it not because of the fear of wraths from Delhi, if so he would have included atleast one RJD MLA in his Council of Ministers which openly urged it to give a Minister in the final expansion.

From the very moment when Congress won 30 seats Ibobi had more fear within the Congress Legislature Party more than he had feared of losing majority in 2002 when first assumed office as Chief Minister of Manipur with BJP Govt at the Centre.

This is the main reason for Ibobi to form or to continue the SPF with CPI which have got four MLAs to support him at the cost of one Ministership.

When the mid-term election of Khundrakpam and Khangabok Constituencies brought two more Congress MLAs, the congress have got the magic number of 31 of their own party. Many Congress MLAs including many heavy weights who had missed the bus of Cabinet Ministers again hope for a reshuffle, of a pure congress Govt. But that didn’t happen again.

For O. Ibobi, it is better to lead a coalition Government with lesser number of Congress MLAs as done in the previous Govt than leading a Congress Government of 31 Congress MLAs. First, in the previous Government, there were no one to challenge the leadership of Ibobi.

At that time he was a champion in bringing a Congress led Government while BJP is hovering around to form a Government of their own. This had pleased Sonia Gandhi very much. That was a blessing from the High Command.

The CPI which was an arch of support of Ibobi benefited most with two berth of Cabinet Ministers. That were the main reasons of smooth sailing of O Ibobi in 2002-06.

But 2007 is not that of 2002. With the increasing of Congress MLAs there is also more Congress leaders in the Congress camp who can challenge the leader. The murder of protest were heard long not only from the Congress MLAs but from some of the present Ministers over the style of function of the present Government.

The resignation of Gaikhangam from the Council of Ministers some months back had a deeper meaning underneath and it was a new twist in the course of the present Govt giving way to pro and anti-Ibobi in the ruling Congress MLAs.

To be frank, if there is an open discussion or debate about the performance of the present Government not relying on the progress report of the Govt, there will be more opinion expressing anguish and resentment than singing the tune of achievement.

Yes, many development works are being taken up by this Govt, but the actual prize or credit is only to be given when the plan or project is completed to the benefit of the people. Here lies the weakness of the present Government for not completing any project within the stipulated time. And it is another score for the anti-Ibobi camp.

Amidst constraints, demands and mounting expectations of the people from the present Govt, O Ibobi has successfully or unsuccessfully completed more than 200 days of governance. It is indeed an internal matter of a political party. It is too early to predict whether there will be a change in the leadership of Congress Legislature Party.

The Congress high command is playing the card close to her chest and all eyes are set on her. But at the same time a public image of disparate stands by the members of the same political party is not looked upon in political tradition as a desirable state of things.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Oinam Anand writes regularly for The Sangai Express. This article was webcasted on January 01, 2008.

The New Year 2008 Will Be What You Want It To Be

Khatchin Langel

“…I command you this day, ….be strong, and go in and take possession ….….it is not like the land of Egypt, ...,but… is a land of hills and valleys, ….a land which the Lord your God cares ... from the beginning …to the end of the year” (Derut.11:8, 10-12).

How fortunate we are to be alive and receive yet another unmerited gift from God - the New Year 2008, with one more extra day, free of cost.

The good Lord has given these 366 days to us now, to be celebrated in gladness and rejoicing by all, including the poor and weak who has nothing but unending poverty and hunger.

Much against my will, I have neither gold nor silver to give. All that I have is a few simple ideas which can become much more precious than even gold and silver, if translated into action. My mind is constantly tormented by today’s Christians who no longer believe in “Righteousness exalts a nation..” We can tell lies without batting an eyelid and still pretend to be loyal soldiers of Christ. Righteousness, justice and truth have become rarer than gold in the society. It is, therefore, mandatory to welcome the dawn of the 1st day of the Year 2008 with a solemn vow and proclamation that we all will fearlessly uphold what is right, just and true. The Year 2008 is offering justice and freedom abundantly, if we are ready to accept and defend them boldly, come what may!

Secondly, let us declare the New Year as “The Year of Total War Against Corruption”. The vices of corruption and lust for money, like cancer, has maimed our body beyond recognition and devastated the society. It has, indeed, totally destroyed the fabric of our very existence and overwhelmed us today. Sadly, even religious organizations readily accept and honoured rich men who contribute generously, irrespective of the source. This is why corruption has gained the status of a god – idolatry !! Our cherished dream of nationhood will always remain a dream unless corruption is exposed with all its ugliness and crushed.

My gift for all students is to remember you are ‘the leaders of tomorrow’. Open the windows of your minds and look out. Where will you be after 10, 20, 50 years hence? Consider our less fortunate brethren left behind at home, which we fondly called Zogam? Focus on your dreams and visions, and widen the horizons. Sing the song of David that “…those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy…” This is the only way. There is no substitute. Rest assure that God will take care of the rest.

To all parents and members of SSPP, all I have for you is a fervent appeal to face the year 2008 with vision, boldness and dedication to render selfless service to our ‘Vangsel Zolei’. Let us dedicate ourselves to stand up for the truth and expose hypocrisy. Let us bid farewell to 2007 and send it away along with pure lip service, hypocrisy and enmity, and welcome 2008 by embracing justice, truth, freedom and liberty of individuals.

We are at the cross roads today. There is all round development every where else. But, sadly, the total absence of any sign of development in our Zogam is extremely horrible and tragic – it is even shameful to discuss the conditions of roads, schools, dispensaries, etc. The time for action has arrived now!!

Finally, therefore, let us go in boldly, hand-in-hand, take possession of the New Year 2008 , and turn Vangsel Zolei’ into a land which the Lord our God cares, from the beginning to the end of the year, dedicate it for the development and prosperity of our people, striving on to achieve peace, harmony, progress and security for all. Let us make 2008 as a year of healing (all kinds of our wounds, self-inflicted or otherwise), reconciliation and unity. No price is too high to pay for these goals. Yes, it is a very weighty proposition. But you and I together, as equal partners, can make 2008 a wonderful year of happiness and joy for all of us which we have never tasted before. The only way to achieve this goal is courage to expose corruption and selfless service to the society. God is offering wisdom and strength now. The choice is yours and mine. What will it be?

“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, ….O Lord, we beseech thee, give us success!”
Amen.

[Siamsin Bulletin New Year Special Issue 2008] [www.zogam.com]

Lamka Khoveel

Thangkhanlal Ngaihte

I gam segawp ahi ichihsek uh adiksim pi ahi. Bangziak a segawp chih kidong leng aziak tampi igenthei di uh. Hilele, a thuuktak a et in bel Jesu Khrist nungzui, Christian ikichih uh I khotang leh mimal hinna a akilat khiak louha, ikiim-ikiang a impact ineihlouh ziak uh hi in ka thei.

December khasung Lamka ah ka om a, peih liai hileng Saptuamte khawmpi leh khotaang vai a kikhopna te atel a Inn a nikhat le om manlou a hun zatbei theihdi ahi. Saptuam ah local, area, division leh headquarters in iki vaipuak ua, huai level chiat ah khawmpi kinei zel hi. Huan, huai level chiat ah Naupangpawl, Tuailai pawl, Numei pawl etc. aki neisawn lai a, hiai ten amau adi tuam deuh khawmpi/kikhopna ahon sai lai uh. Huan, saptuam vai a nasep–social work, kiteenna program, advance Christmas, Winter meet etc om zoulai hi. Hiaiteng chauh le hilou in khotang vai a kikhop, YPA, SSPP, Youth club, Music concert, beh khawmpi etc te omlai…Agal deuh apan a et in hichibang ihih neng nungte an-end-in-themselves suak bangta a, atel te le lunglut taktak ziak sangmah in kisuanlah ziak, social compulsion ziak khawng ahi. I lam pam singsat zelzul ua, a etkik leh zilkhiak chih lam ki ngaihtuah saulou hi.

Hichi zelzul a, leivui khu vitvit lak a kipelh zetzet nalak a, mobile phone ki pibawl mahmah lai. Landline kizang nawn vetlou hi. Zang ut lele agui tamzaw ki attan, ki gumang; a gutute matkhiak chih om ngeilou. Leivui khu petmah himai (Delhi a pan a apai, kisiangthou sak hi hetlou, khu tatak!). Khopi sung lampi atamzaw suanghum leh leitaak kisung, huchia ki nuse vengveng ahi. Minister leh gamnuai vaihawm pawlte deihsakna tangdeuh teng ‘contract’ na kihawm. Bangchi dan a mi tengteng–newsmen te nasan–in contract na saithei mawk uh a, chih ka dot leh amau min hilou a, government a registered contractor te min a nasem ua, a cut pezel uh ahi, honchi uhi. I editor khat uh gendan inchu contractor te thunei gawp unchin, New Lamka-Mata road bangle tutan akizoh louh ziak district-in-charge Minister in a contractor pa kiang na nasep deih bang lou ahi achih leh contractor pa heh a nuak ahi, chih hitel dan ahi.

Tuailai te lak ah khamtheih damdawi/damdawilou hihna in masawn touzel ahi ngei ding. Tulel a thang penpen ‘correcting fluid’ chidan uh ahi. Gutate le maimai tuanlou. EBC kumsim khawmpi lian a nitak khat, thugen lai in generator ahong mitmawk a, ava etchet uleh kuate hiam in atui teng ana khaihkhia uh himaimah…

Bible in gilou chiteng bul achih–Sum–deihna mahmah thupi lua hi. December 13 in Phungzathang Tonsing Sports Complex, New Lamka ah function leh kimawl na a om a, keile kava telkha hi. Hiaihun uap a honghoh MP Mani Cheranemai kiang Manipur Hills Journalists Union in Mautaam kial report abawl uh copy leh Memorandum pia ua, kenle kitheisa chidan in kava introduce hi. Ka kihou lai un MP pa’n den a nalawmte uh khat in advance Christmas di toh kisai hong gen ahi achi a, achihlai mah in lawite khat ahong pai mah ngei a, sum ana ngen hidi hiveen, huai dais mai ah Reporters leh Journalists te’ advance Christmas zatna di chiin Rs 1000 tuak ahon pekhe ta maizen a..gen di tamnawn lou a paikhiak maimah in a om. Mimal khat khawng in hiaidan a advantage la gegeih zel dan hileh kilawm. Zialzial geuh…

Voice of New Lamka (Dec 9) ah hiai PT Sports Complex bawl nadia sum ki sanction te genchet na thu om a, hoihtak a etzui tuak ahihdan kigelh. ‘Zanlam deuh a Tedim Road leh Khominthang kikal km 10 suahsuk a, km 1 a Lac 1 gegeih ana lakhia , na lah sem hetlou te dan ahih nawnlouh ding ahi’. Ka dot leh ei Zomi sung a voluntary organization suanhuai mahmah a heutute khawng mah hih ana hi–hiai thu newspaper a question akibawl leh huai heutu pamah in dawngsuk pah in, hiai thu gelhtu in gendi dang naneih keileh ana dai maimai in, chia dawngsuk giapgiap. End of story.

Hiaibang kal ah Graduate teacher (contract basis) te loh hong kihawm. Imphal a MR Ground a vala uh Khathum a ding 3x4000=Rs 12000 didan ahi. Amau pawl bel school building le neilou, asepna mun uale omlou, om le ule sepdi le omtuanlou ahi uh. A cut tuamtuam hiai anuai ate kiang khenkhiak ngai hi: Teacher’s Assn, asum hawmtute/ATSUM, sepna School, ZEO Office, Kho hausate. Hiaiteng kiang akigawm in Rs 4000 vel lutzou hi. Imphal a hawm ahihziak a gamnuai mite kigolh loudeuh chihdan ahilai ahi. Sawm a khat piak didan khawng lemchi hetlou….

Thugen zaak tamluat in ki ngeinaseh na tun adia aw chih bang ki ngaihtuah hi. EBC khawmpi a thugentu Rev. Geoff Pound (Australia) thugen nihvei ka ngaikha a, huai teng bang ana zangzek thei chiat le adang tamlua genngai nawndi’n kaging kei. Nitak khat Samari mihoih tangthu agen a, ei adi mahmah ahi chih in om hi. Ei Paite te bangle I dinmun hon thei mahmah abang. ‘Nou Paite te mi buai, Pathian nasep hahbawl, insung leh tate ngaihsak manloute nahi uh’ honchi hi. Don’t look at people; look at each person. Slow down..slow down achi a, Pathian min suang a niteng a Biak inn nakai gige sang in na zi, na ta, na invengte it in ahaksat na uh theihpih inla, dawn zangkhai sawm in, chih lam pang ahi. Atung a igen a pawlaang a Christian hihna, Biak inn adim, mimal leh khotang a impact omlou igen toh hong ki miil mahmah. Ngaihtuah a, absorb nadi hun neizek chiatle zaw chih in a omlua.

[Siamsin Bulletin New Year Special Issue 2008] [www.zogam.com]

LAMKA KHUAPI

J. M. Ngul Khan Pau

December 21-23, 2007 sung Lamka khua kong pha a, lungsimah ngaihsutna hong suakte tawm khat kikum leng ci-in hih lai kong gelh hi

1. Piangthakte tenna khua: Lamka khuapi zah a pianthak thu kigenna leh pianthak nadingin camp kibawlna khuapi dang om dingin ka um kei hi. Piangthak sate ciamtehna (statistical record) om hi leh piangthak tamna pen khuapi hi dingin zong ka um hi.

Tua bang khuapi hi napi-in bang hangin piangthakte' tenna tawh kibang thei lo hiam? Bang zah vei I pianthak ciangin “piangthak” taktak I hi ding hiam? Sawltak Paul in “Lungdamna Thu (gospel) in Pasian vangliatna hi”(Rom 1:16) a cih lai-in bang hangin ei gama piangthakte'n tua vangliatna nei lo I hi hiam? Nungzui suahna (Discipleship) tawh kisai awlmawhna om loin tuni dong pianthak camp bek mah I buaipih uh hi. Tuni dongin I piangthak toto uh a, hi leh zong I gam sungin “piangthak mite tenna gim” nam lo hi.

Ka lungngaih kikkik ciangin I gam sungah thu kigen tam penpen “vangam tun theih” nading bek hi a, hih leitungah I ten dingzia sangin vantung I tun ciangin a nop ding dan cih lam bekbek kigen hi-in ka thei hi. “Pialgaal theology” pen I lasakte leh pulpit tung pan a I gen tam pen hi dingin ka um hi. Tua hangin tuhun a I tenna khua leh tui “bawlphat” ding I thupi sim kei uh hi. I tenna ding van khuapi ahih manin hih leitung nate I nutsiatpah ding hi cih lungsim tawh kinungta hi leh kilawm kasa hi. Singkung lopa suan ding leh puah dingin I ngaihsun kei uh hi. Pasian in a bawlsa nate en a, “Hoih hi” ci hi. Tua nate a kem dingin Ama tatsa mite I hi uh hi. “Na gam hong tung hen,” ci a thungetna I neih ciangin “Pasian Gam” hih leitungah tuni I zat theih pah nading ngetna hi a, nung cianga I tenna ding vangam thu hi lo hi.

Mi khat in Khris sungah nuntakna ka nei a cih leh ama nuntakna in tua bang “gah” hong nei ding hi. Bang hang hiam cih leh a kam tawh a gen bek hi loin ama nuntakna mahmah in a lah khiat ding hi. Topa Jesu in, “Amau gah panin na thei ding uh hi. Thang lingkung panin mite in lenggah a lo ngei uh hiam? Lingkung panin theigah a lo ngei uh hiam? Tua mah bangin singkung hoih in a gah hoih a gah hi, singkung hoih loin a gah hoih lo a gah hi,” na ci hi. (Mat 7:16-17). Lamka gam sung I gahte ka et ciangin gah limci leh nektak bang zah I om tam maw? Na kam tawh na kitat khiat gige hangin na gah in gah pha a gah kei leh, na nuntakna kikhel lo hi cihna hi. Rev. Prim Vaiphei in, “Meiteite cik ciangin a piangthak taktak a hi diam,” a cih bangin “Lamka khua Zomite' piangthak I kicih ciangin bang I genna hiam?”

2. Leivui Khuapi: “Leivui panin hong domto a sangna lam ka tung tung to” cih la I sak hangin I khuasung lampite leivui tawh a kidim ciangin nuam I sa tuan kei uh hi. Rev. S. Vungminthang in Korea panin email hong khaknaah, “Korea-ah kha guk val ka om ta a, tuni dongin ka khedap khat vei zong nawt siang kul nai lo hi,” hong ci hi. Pangzawl khua panin Lamka dong kong pai ciangin khedap vom leh kang kithei lo zah dongin I khe puang khin hi. Lampi gei a vanzuakte ka et ciangin a lei dingte leh a zuakte'n a mai uh puan tawh kikhuh ciat uh hi. Bang hang hiam cih leh leivui kikham lua hi. Sun hun in zong maituam kul a, lampi a pai mite'n mainul (handkerchief) tawh a mai mah uh hum ciat uh hi. Maituamna gam a hong khang khia Zomite adingin maituam kul nawn lohna gam bang zah tak in ngaihhuai ding hiam ci-in ka lungngai hi. Tua hangin Lamka Tung EBC pastor H. Kamzachin kiangah, “ I lampite ka et ciangin piangthakte tenna gam hi dingin ka um kei hi,” ka ci hi. Ka lunghimawh manin bang hangin lampi bawl zo vet loin kinusia hiam ka cih leh, “Arkatara bei khin,” ci uh hi. Hong tung nai lo ahih leh hong tun peuhpeuh ciangin I lampite hong kibawl dinga, state dangte bangin I lampite hong hoih ta ding hi.

3. Gam khangto ciamtehna: Gam khangtote-ah gamsung mipite zat theih dingin lampi, tui leh mei (electric) hoih hi. India kumpi in zong lampi, tui leh mei adingin sum hong pia lo hi dingin ka um kei hi. December kha bul lamin Mizogamah ka hawh a, khua neu leh singtang khua neuah zong mei vak zihziah uh hi. Mei pai loh hun a om ding leh kumpi in newspaper tung tawnin a gam sung mipite hilh kholh uh hi. Lamka gamah mei tawh nasepna (electrical works) nei ding hi leng bang mah sep theih loh ding cihna hi. Mobile phone nangawn zong charging nadingin inverter kizang tang hial hi.

John Naisbitt in, “Gam khangto kitheihna baih lam penpen ahih leh a gam mite'n amau innah ann ne loin annsai-ah (hotel) ann hong nek uh ahi hi,” ci hi. China gam khangto hi cih kitheihna ahih leh amau innah ann ne loin sun leh nitak annsai-ah ann ne uh hi. America ka tun tungin lawmte'n ann hong nekpih ciangin amau innah hong nekpih ding kasak leh annsai-ah hong paipih uh hi. Annsai a kipaipih pen a baih pen khat na hi gige hi. Mikangte'n amau innah hong samin ann hong nekpih uh leh hong it mahmah cih a lahna uh na hi hi. Zomite zong I pianni leh kitenni bek hi loin innkuanin annsai-ah ann I nek khiat theih ciangin a khangto minam I hi ding hi.

Singapore gam I tun ciangin khuapi sung taxi hawlte (drivers) tawh kiho masak masa penpen in om hi. Amau gamah taxi hawlte diplomat ci-in na min vawh uh hi. Ahangin Singapore gam taangin gamdang mite a na muak masa gigete ahi uh hi. Tua hangin Sinngapore a taxi hawlte mi pen mi hopih siam (gentleman) in thudik mahmah uh hi. India gam bangin hong khem dingte hi peuh mah loin amau gam taangin nasem in kingaihsun uh hi. Tua hangin leitung bup in Singapore gam hawh ding lauhna kinei lo hi. Gam khangto dingte gamtatna lim khat ahi hi.

Seoul International airportah zunbuk leh eekbukte, I zat khit peuh ciangin gim namtui tawh a nulsiang ding om a, zun thakna leh dailenbuk siang sitset, I meel kimu thei zah dongin siang hi. I gam sungah zunn leh ek tawh kisai I lunghimawh kei uh hi. Americate'n zun restroom (tawlngakna inn) ci se uh hi. Tua mah bangin ek tha dingte tawlnga takpi uh a, laisim kawm cih bangin tawldam takin zang thei uh hi. Zomite adingin zun leh ekbukte I tawlngakna hi peuh mah lo hi. Khatvei Boston khuapi a lawmte inn khat ka giahna-ah ama zat gige a ekbuk hong zang sak hi. Laibu sim ding kiciangin a dawldawl in koih hi. Amau kinawh cih bang om se loin tawldam takin hih munah laisim hithiat uh hi. Ei zong I khantoh ciangin tua bang I hi ding uh hi.

1993 in Khristmas zang dingin Portland panin Los Angeles-ah ka lawmte khat car tawh ka hawh hi. Santa Barbara khuapi phakma Pacific tuipi gei-ah sunlang phial kitai a, a lampi siang bek tham loin kitat cih bang om het lo hi. Sun ann pen a car sung mahah kine a, ahi zongin laithem leh nin lampi-ah paih ding phal hi lo hi. A paai a om leh $ 500 liau ding ci-in kigelh hi. Tua hangin a lampi uh siang kilkel in zat nuam mahmah hi. Singapore-ah zong chewing gum nangawn a paih nading munah na paih kei leh liau ding cihna hi. Tua bangin a gam sung uh siangtho in cidamna hoih nei uh hi. En zong nin bungah nin I paih ciat ciangin leh I lampite nin khawlna I zat nawt loh ciangin a khangto minamte lim la I hi ding hi.

American Baptist-te World Mission Conference kibawlna phualpi Green Lake, Wisconsin-ah li-vei ka hawh khin zo hi. Tua munah sing golpipi om a; sakhi leh sazuk a honin om hi. Zingtung leh nitak ciangin amau omna gam sung pan hong paikhia in inn kiim a lopate hong ne uh hi. Kuaman suang tawh deng lo, a lauhna dingun awng lo uh ahih manin zual mahmah uh hi. Saben hun sung bekin ben theih a, sabeng nuamte'n phalna lai lak kul masa hi. Tua lai a lak uh ciangin sa bang cia a lian kap ding phal leh phal loh cian takin kigelh hi. Tua mah bangin a bengte'n zong kap ding a phal a liatna en kawmin kap bek uh hi. Tham loin a lauh loh nading uh khualna in thau tawh kap phal loin thal bek zat ding thu kipia hi. Zomite'n vasa I muh ciangin suang tawh I deng uh a, zawng hon I muh ciangin hong lauh bawl kei leh peuh heh bawlin suang mah I tawm uh hi. Bang hanga gamsa tawh hi bangin kingai thei lo I hi tam cih ka ngaihsut ciangin, I kitot I kithah hun sawt nai lo ahi ding hi ka ci hi.

Zomite'n gamsa it ding bek hi loin, a bei khit ding (extinct) I lung himawh kisam mahmah hi. Ahangin I paunakte I et ciangin gamsa leh innsa tawh gentehna na tam mahmah hi. Gamsate I don I kep kei leh hong bei takpi ding a, a sawt loin I paunakte in a khiatna hong nei nawn lo ding hi. Khuapi sunga piang leh hong khangto naupangte'n gamsa a taktakin a muh nop uh ciangin sahuan (Zoo) ah pai cih loh buang mu nawn lo uh hi. “Sakhi a pi san a no san” cih leh “Siansinna leh vakiang bu” cih bang I zat nading thei nawn lo khangthak hong piang khin zo hi.

Union Biblical Seminary, Pune-ah ka kah laiin; Siksakol (Cycle) kisaap (hire) thei hi. Tua siksakol neite'n I min gelh se loin seminary 1, seminary 2, ci-in na ciamteh uh hi. Kuaman khem lo ahih manun amau zong mi muang mahmah lel uh hi. Lamka khuapi-ah siksakol tua bangin min gelh loin saap theih ding hi leh bang zah I ngah kik tam? Khristian gam I hih ciangin a kimin ngah kik ni cihna ding om lo hi. Tunai in innkuanpihte ka phone leh gingging ahih hangin phone la lo uh hi. Amau tawh ka kimuh ciangin ka dot leh telephone gui kigu khin a, tuni dongin phone gui kikhung nai lo hong ci uh hi. Hindu gamah mite hoihzaw, muan huaizaw ahih leh I Khristian hihna bang phatuam ahi tam ka ci hi.

4. Nuntakna Pasian aa hi: Mihing nuntakna pen eima ut tawh lak theih bangin kingaihsun thei hi. Ahizongin I Lai Siangtho I et ciangin nuntakna Pasian aa ahih lam phawk huai hi. Leitungah I neih manpha penpen ahih leh I nuntakna hi. Bang zah in hau leng zong I nuntakna a bei ciangin hauhna in phattuamna nei nawn lo hi. Mipilte'n nuntakna sausak nadingin zatui tuamtuam bawl uh a, nuntakna kep nadingin siamna tuamtuam na sin uh hi. Doctor leh nurse-te nasep I et ciangin nuntakna bang cih a kep ding, cidamna bang ci piak ding cih ahi hi. Mite'n hih zah a nuntakna a thupi bawl lai-in en bang mah a I sim khak loh ding lauhhuai hi.

Khristian biakna-ah a thupi pen ahih leh Jesu in I nuntak theih nadingin Ama nuntakna hong pia hi. Tua hangin I nuntakna pen Pasian Tapa sisan tawh kilei cihna hi. Pasian in hong it mahmah manin a Tapa hong pia cih I thei hi. Pasian it mahmah mi khat nuntakna laksak ding cih pen Pasian vai tawh kituak lo hi. Brian McLaren in a laibu gelh Everything must Change –ah “Leitung Galpi Nihna hunin Juda mite'n German gamah thahna mulkimhuai mahmah a thuak lai-un; Khristiante'n tua bang gamtatna na langpan loin na panpihzaw uh hi,” cih gelh hi. Tua bang lawmlawmin Khristiante' mit mial ken teh na cih khak leh tuni mahmah a I gamsungah kithahna omte kuaman I gen ngam kei uh hi. Ahih leh Khristian gamah hi bang hiamgamna om ding hiam? Rabindra Nath Tagore in Where the Mind is without Fear cih a gelh laiin Bristishte' nenniamna hangin a gelh hi. Tuni I inn munah gaalmuang loin gen ngam loh I nei uh hiam?

I mipilte masa leh hau masate'n Lamka gam mahah inn leh lo hong neih ngam nawt loh hun hong tun ding lauhhuai hi. Khrismas hun leh Kum Thak hun a inn ciah ngam nawn lo hong om ding dahhuai mahmah ding hi. Tua ahih manin Lamka ka vangkhua aw, hong zuangtho in.

[www.zogam.com]

On the closing day of the year

By Oinam Anand

Revolving in its orbit round the sun, the earth has completed another round of revolution. At the stroke of midnight today the 31st December, the year 2007 will come to an end and will pass into history. The earth, the sun, the solar system, the universe and we will be older by one year. As the experts say that the age of the solar system is just like a middle aged man and our earth is about 6.5 million years old of which men have got only about five thousand years of recorded history, 2000 years after the death of Christ and about 3000 years before the birth of Christ.

In the pre-historic days, history means the tale of survival, struggle for living. In the modern age, reading of history shows man’s progress from ignorance to knowledge. But in a small corner of the world , there is a land called ‘Manipur’ where there is a society which instead of climbing up the ladder of history for glory and achievement as the other societies do, is stepping down further and farther for each passing day and year as if it is aiming to reach the nadir to rise up again when there is no further step to go down.

The year 2007 opened up with the news of killing and ends with the same news. Counting of number of deaths in the newspaper is what makes us busy in every morning. In the year 2007, the year before it, the year before, before it we have been living in a wave of discontent, a feeling of fear and terror.

With the year 2007, comes another innings of a government which had completed a full cycle of five years. The people of the state expect a good government with skillful governance. Instead, the people find their clothes dirtier day after day while passing in the dusty roads of Imphal city. People expect regular power supply atleast to the alloted supply routine but they got more load shedding instead. People came out in the street against killing and kidnaping of the innocent but there are more killings and more kidnapings. People close roads as anguish against non-repairing of the same but the pot holes in the middle of the roads grew larger and larger. People expect news of developmental works from the government but they heard about crisis in the ruling party.

The last few days of this year is wrapped with the satiated feeling of grief of the past in our minds. The dregs of the forgone year hang in the air and have to be put away. But another unknown year looms ahead with its subsequent days and weeks like endless miles on a wayward road.

With the coming of the New-year, forgeting everything, youngsters will enjoy most. On the new-year day tomorrow they will ride their bikes merrily on the dusty roads. They will be in their hip hugging jeans and with their mobile phones. Girls, showing their ears and navels glittered with silver or golden rings with dyed hair to make it reddish brown will sit in the pillion. The whole space of the cracked roads will belong to them on the day when they come out to welcome the coming new year. They will feel as if they have climbed up another step in the ladder of life.

What has this new year brought to the grown ups who have scored more than half a century (not out as I am) in their lives’ innings ? We are abruptly aware that we have grown a year older. In those 365 days we think, nothing has changed in our physical appearance. But we are wrong. The wrinkles on our forhead, crow’s feet or cheeks wil increase its number. The number of white hair will be increased. In spite of our fond care, in spite of our effort to dye it black the number of white hair will increase day by day.

In these days, when man begins to climb down the step of ladder towards grave, if he begins to see the light of the other world beyond the rim of this physical sky, it is a divine light. It is a light that leads our steps towards the abode of god. Man has been put above the level of fellow animals on this earth because he has the reason, he has the sense to see this divine light.

But when the reason and sense in man lost its way, then man, the two-footed animal becomes more ferocious than those four-footed animals that roam into the wild. There is always animal instinct as well as divine quality in man. When the former gets the upper hand then man behaves like beast and all the good and noble qualities in man pale in comparison to the bad qualities and beastly acts which ultimately draw our society into the state of chaos where sufferings hold out their hands to embrace us.

So let us hope for the best days to come with the coming of the year 2008. Our society is so gripped by unrest and violence that men commit such crimes that are beyond the reach of our imagination. Perhaps in the first week of the coming new year, some may even wail and cry with each of the passing morning in the remembrance of those who had not returned home, for those who had hidden in the death’s dateless night. Perhaps some may even recite a prayer or two for those deaths who have touched their grave in an inexplicable way. Others like me might remember quickly that the universe and I will continue to go on together for a while as long as my heart beats with a strong desire to continue with the task at hand.

In the past many years we are so much dyed with blood and dust . Let us pray for the milk of human kindness in every heart and greenery all round with the coming of 2008 A.D.

[TSE]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Lealyan Thomte

Its not unusual for people to talk of food or eating habits in a kitchen. Normal, for the simple reason that the environment demands it. Most work places or offices in Denmark have their own kitchens. And free coffees. For the employees to store their lunch in the fridge or to warm it up in the oven. And almost all of them have kitchen appliances for use including cups, spoons, plates and what not. Larger ones have canteens and cafes all under the management.

Therefore, whether one is there for a quick get-me-up coffee in the morning, reading the morning headlines or for a short break in between paper works or whatever is that you are doing, it is the kitchen. You drink, smoke and talk. Unless, of course you wanted to commit long and gradual suicide in silence. Dragging yr cigarettes. Blowin off a guilt ridden puff downwards.

It was one summer morning that I happened to sit there. Drinking a black coffee to nurse my head and its clarity, when my colleagues, munching on a free bread & butter spoke about food. Not surprising. I do not normally have breakfast. Even though many may preach that it is the most important meal of the day. I do not doubt the many. I just do not care nor like breakfasts.

And as a colleague gingerly spread butter over a bread, top it with a cheese - my other side took over. So, I surprised the table by announcing -'You know guys..people in India eat dog meat'. HA! I let that sink in while I slowly flicked the ash of my cigarette into the ash-stray bowl.

'What?. No. It is in China people eat dogs. Not in India. Indians eat 'rotis' and 'daals'?, protested and African from Ghana - as if very well informed. 'Thomte, you must to be mistake..I tell you'..he continued. Then the group joined in - well how can Indians eat dogs? Impossible, shameful. Land of Ahimsa, Gandhi, Hinduism and the birthplace of Bhuddhism. Never heard of it. Are you sure, Thomte???

The coffee had cleared my head by now. I took centre stage. 'Yes we do. Sadly. Not the India you know of..or the Rajasthan, Goa, Shimla, or the Sai Babas, the Gurus or the Monuments or Taj Mahal. Theres an India, in the North East - states like Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram - unknown to the outside world, where the inhabitants do not or cannot afford butter, milk, bread, cheese chicken or even potatoes...and where dog meat happens to be one of the most expensive meat in the market. A delicacy...' I explained.

Doubts, unbeliefs, amazements all rolled into one for a perfect misreading of facial expressions. Nevertheless, I can read 'YUCK' on one of my colleagues lips. 'Barbaric' I can read in some. Complete astonishment and abandoned bread and butter, I can see as well in others as I refilled my mug of black coffee. I sat down. Took a sip.

Then Lee, a Chinese colleague said, 'Yes, it taste really good. Dog meat'. Ice cold statement. No wonder the Chinese are known for eating snakes. Their markets are filled with those slithery reptiles in the winters. Snakes. Lee explained the Chinese's belief that snake meat actually helps to keep the body warm. I dunno. I'd eaten snake too. All I know is that there are too many bones, fish like though.

As we spar back and forth, I'd realised that none of my colleagues are even remotely aware that the Koreans also consider dog-meat a delicacy. They called it Boshintaang. And almost 3 million dogs are killed each year for consumption. I am sure you will remember the international outcry over the Koreans eating habits during the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. The Korean authorities had to actually close down all the 'boshintaang' restaurants in and around Seoul.

A pol-col answers to why people eat dogs, cats, monkeys or snakes is difficult to come by. But on the other hand, we know why certain people eat certain meats or avoid others. One very clear reason being the diktats of their religious beliefs. Like a Muslim will not eat pork. Why? You tell me. Or a Hindu will not eat beef while drinking milk and enjoying all the dairy products.

The less discussed or talked about can also be the cultural or traditonal convictions. Geography. Or, it can simply be just a gastronomic choice. Eat your greens, let me eat my red. Who are we to judge? How can one, or a governemt or any agency enforce eating habits or what to eat or not. Not necessarily on health grounds. When reasons such as religious beliefs or faith enters your kitchen and the gastronomic world - I am lost.

Is pork unhealthy or is beef detrimental to your health. No- if consumed moderately. Did they taste bad. No. Unless one is a very very bad cook. Does dogs , cats, monkeys or snakes have the same nutrinional values? Yes. They are rich in protein like all other meat. And they are animals. Read Genesis or the Pentautech in the Bible : Chapter 1. verse 26 - adopted by the Muslim, Jews and Christians alike.

(I have read a theory on why the Hindus do not eat beef..but lets leave that theories to the authors)

The sad truth and the reality is - regardless of ones faiths, beliefs, religions or whatever one is into - people aka humans eat first and foremost to survive. Just imagine you are lost in a deep jungle. In the midst of a famine or Mautaam. No food. No water. Close to death. Your hungry. You need to eat. And suddenly, you catch a monkey or a squirell. Or a wild pig. You are a Muslim, Hindu or Seventh Day Adventists . Or that you cannot drain the animals blood off. HALAL as in Muslim, Judaism or as some denominations in Christianity like the Church of Christs - weirdly enough practices

Now your beliefs and faith are working against you for reasons you never knew or can justify. Or maybe its against your morals as a human. But your body needs to survive. Will you eat that damn animal to survive or not?

I will.


www.zogam.com