~Manglal of Lamka
Mautaam, a Zo (Chin-Kuki-Zomi-Mizo-Lai) fearful lexicon, is a phenomenon of a famine brought by alarming bamboo flowering and increased rodents/rats plague which destroy the agricultural products in the fields and the decaying of some trees and agricultural plants. It is a phenomenon which seems to occur after almost every fifty years in the life cycle of bamboo in this corner of the world. In 1959, Zo country was brought to a situation like the Great Depression of America. What happened was that, there was the great flowering of bamboos.
The rats in the land fed upon these flowers. This consequently resulted in rapid and alarming growth in the population of rats. This multiple reproduction of rats in no time became a threat to the agricultural products which resulted in a threat to the survival of the human populace. These rats destroyed the fields and thereby rendered foodless the farmers and those in the hilly villages. All their one year toiling was eaten away by these swarms of rats. The consequences were that many were starved and have to flee their homes and villages. Due to starvation and scarcity of food, it resulted in sicknesses and diseases. Some ate roots and leaves in the jungle to survive. This again further resulted in desperation, fear, anger and social ills and evils. There was complete breakdown of normal life and anarchy followed. Many died of starvation or diseases. The angst and suffering of the Zo people brought about by mautaam was so great that it resulted in the forming of the only revolutionary movements in India that faced the Indian Jet Fighters bombing on that fateful afternoon of March 4, 1966 over Aizawl city.
With such precedence, this mautaam calls for some serious action if our people are to survive and come out in the aftermath with our heads held high. After my interactions with some spiritual leaders, humanitarian organizations (including funding agency), mautaam volunteers, and some individuals I would like to pen down some thoughts which is becoming necessary for the contextual developments demands it.
Mautaam Knows No Dialect or Denomination
Mautaam knows no dialect or denomination. It does not separate one tribe, clan, village or church from another. Relief work in every context must transcends denominational and dialect barriers. An act of compassion must cut across humanmade boundaries. True compassion demands going beyond our own dialect and church affiliations and think and reach out to the people who are not our ‘own’. Authentic humanitarian service knows no borders. We are genuine and vibrant Christians if we think for ourselves and also think for our neighbors! The piece of bread on the plate may be little. But we can cut it a little portion for our neighbors too. Liando brothers showed a good example (true tlawmngaihna) to emulate in our folk tales by sharing mimchang. Only an authentic Christians in a true Church can live out such example. There are instances where mautaam is used to rein in church members and increase church-denomination membership. This is not the right spirit to fight mautaam. It only proves how shallow our Christian mindset is and how hypocritical our love for Jesus Christ and others. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors too. Even in the context of mautaam if we cannot love our neighbors who are our own people, we are not mature or authentic followers of Christ. There are also reliable source which reports that there exist even a denomination which can support their members even if the mautaam continues for two years for they already received funds for that amount. My humble suggestion to this kind of denomination or group is that why do not we let the blessings flow out to those who are not our ‘own’ members and do not speak our own dialect? If we have enough surplus reserves the love of Christ demands us to release those for the survival of others. There are already many confirmed instances of medical symptoms connected to diseases caused by starvation amongst our hill populace. There will be no fun to survive the mautaam alone! It will only bring disgrace. This Mautaam will be a litmus test for who are true Christians, authentic Church and having godly-universal character organizations. Tlawmngaihna in the Zo lexicon is selflessly compassionate in the context of adversity, distress, pain and suffering. Now is the time to show ourselves of our code of ethics operating in full measure.
Mautaam Demands Serious Management & Planning
Mautaam knows no laziness nor can afford ill-management and unplanned relief work and package. It demands from the core a serious management and planning. There are reports that some who are not supposed to get and not entitled for relief package had already ‘receive’ it. There are also a voice in some corners which raise concerns that there will be duplication of relief operation for funds, aids, and materials are coming from different sources and the channels are through different routes. There is a concern if there can be one public platform to handle mautaam in a concerted and strategic and logistic manner. This will come a long way in managing inflow of aids and reaching to the real needy folks. Mautaam demands serious management and planning for actors in the church, organization, State and Centre governments.
Mautaam Demands Serious Accountability
There are sad evidences which strongly points to an already misused of mautaam reliefs funding. Some already bought certain commodities which will in no way help mautaam relief operation and which will in no way succor the victims. There is ‘hoarding’ of relief funds received. There is already highhandedness and corruption taking place in the exchange and operation of funding money and materials. For these kind of corrupted actors in our midst they will want to wish secretly, “Long live mautaam!” There are some who is yet to release the funding they received long time back. One cannot logic out the reason why such delay. May be they are waiting for the next mautaam? While so much work and sacrifices are already done by some of our organizations and churches, some ignoble actions from these few quarters can bring a bad name to the noble cause. These ignoble actions must be brought into accountability for the sake of the Zo national name and cause in a legal and democratic-non violent manner and in the true spirit of Christianity. Mautaam demands uncompromised and serious accountability.
Mautaam Demands Absolute Transparency
It is desirable, at the end of mautaam, that every churches, organizations and groups who received funds and aids for mautaam must table in our local newspapers a balance sheet (an account in other words) and the manner how the relief operation was done. It also must include how much they received, to how many villages they distributed and to how many households. Let this be accompanied by the names and the materials and amount of money of the recipients. This is transparency. And mautaam operation demands and calls for this kind of transparency.
This is a Zo Family-National crisis. Anyone who plays with it does not love and care our people. Godliness is justice, compassion, non-partisan, accountability and righteousness! The survivors will give their verdict! Mautaam is another significant opportunity for Zo family-national unity, understanding, cooperation and reconciliation. May we fare well. May mautaam invites us to a life of borderless, a doctrine of brotherhood, a common life in following Christ, a song of unity and an action of compassion. May the torch of true tlawmngaihna be seen lighted in every doors and hills in our war against mautaam.
This article should in no way discourage any of us. We know there are always black sheep, even amongst the insiders of Jesus Christ. Remember Judas? It should not put any hurdle in the ongoing mautaam relief operation. Instead, it should embolden us to all the more, in full potential, bring out the tlawmngaihna spirit – selfless service, sacrifice, dedication, compassionate action, charity and integrity – for productive mautaam warfare. Let us selflessly put forward our tlawmngaihna ideal.
Jesus Christ died for all; we must live for all – even during mautaam!
www.zogam.com
Mautaam, a Zo (Chin-Kuki-Zomi-Mizo-Lai) fearful lexicon, is a phenomenon of a famine brought by alarming bamboo flowering and increased rodents/rats plague which destroy the agricultural products in the fields and the decaying of some trees and agricultural plants. It is a phenomenon which seems to occur after almost every fifty years in the life cycle of bamboo in this corner of the world. In 1959, Zo country was brought to a situation like the Great Depression of America. What happened was that, there was the great flowering of bamboos.
The rats in the land fed upon these flowers. This consequently resulted in rapid and alarming growth in the population of rats. This multiple reproduction of rats in no time became a threat to the agricultural products which resulted in a threat to the survival of the human populace. These rats destroyed the fields and thereby rendered foodless the farmers and those in the hilly villages. All their one year toiling was eaten away by these swarms of rats. The consequences were that many were starved and have to flee their homes and villages. Due to starvation and scarcity of food, it resulted in sicknesses and diseases. Some ate roots and leaves in the jungle to survive. This again further resulted in desperation, fear, anger and social ills and evils. There was complete breakdown of normal life and anarchy followed. Many died of starvation or diseases. The angst and suffering of the Zo people brought about by mautaam was so great that it resulted in the forming of the only revolutionary movements in India that faced the Indian Jet Fighters bombing on that fateful afternoon of March 4, 1966 over Aizawl city.
With such precedence, this mautaam calls for some serious action if our people are to survive and come out in the aftermath with our heads held high. After my interactions with some spiritual leaders, humanitarian organizations (including funding agency), mautaam volunteers, and some individuals I would like to pen down some thoughts which is becoming necessary for the contextual developments demands it.
Mautaam Knows No Dialect or Denomination
Mautaam knows no dialect or denomination. It does not separate one tribe, clan, village or church from another. Relief work in every context must transcends denominational and dialect barriers. An act of compassion must cut across humanmade boundaries. True compassion demands going beyond our own dialect and church affiliations and think and reach out to the people who are not our ‘own’. Authentic humanitarian service knows no borders. We are genuine and vibrant Christians if we think for ourselves and also think for our neighbors! The piece of bread on the plate may be little. But we can cut it a little portion for our neighbors too. Liando brothers showed a good example (true tlawmngaihna) to emulate in our folk tales by sharing mimchang. Only an authentic Christians in a true Church can live out such example. There are instances where mautaam is used to rein in church members and increase church-denomination membership. This is not the right spirit to fight mautaam. It only proves how shallow our Christian mindset is and how hypocritical our love for Jesus Christ and others. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors too. Even in the context of mautaam if we cannot love our neighbors who are our own people, we are not mature or authentic followers of Christ. There are also reliable source which reports that there exist even a denomination which can support their members even if the mautaam continues for two years for they already received funds for that amount. My humble suggestion to this kind of denomination or group is that why do not we let the blessings flow out to those who are not our ‘own’ members and do not speak our own dialect? If we have enough surplus reserves the love of Christ demands us to release those for the survival of others. There are already many confirmed instances of medical symptoms connected to diseases caused by starvation amongst our hill populace. There will be no fun to survive the mautaam alone! It will only bring disgrace. This Mautaam will be a litmus test for who are true Christians, authentic Church and having godly-universal character organizations. Tlawmngaihna in the Zo lexicon is selflessly compassionate in the context of adversity, distress, pain and suffering. Now is the time to show ourselves of our code of ethics operating in full measure.
Mautaam Demands Serious Management & Planning
Mautaam knows no laziness nor can afford ill-management and unplanned relief work and package. It demands from the core a serious management and planning. There are reports that some who are not supposed to get and not entitled for relief package had already ‘receive’ it. There are also a voice in some corners which raise concerns that there will be duplication of relief operation for funds, aids, and materials are coming from different sources and the channels are through different routes. There is a concern if there can be one public platform to handle mautaam in a concerted and strategic and logistic manner. This will come a long way in managing inflow of aids and reaching to the real needy folks. Mautaam demands serious management and planning for actors in the church, organization, State and Centre governments.
Mautaam Demands Serious Accountability
There are sad evidences which strongly points to an already misused of mautaam reliefs funding. Some already bought certain commodities which will in no way help mautaam relief operation and which will in no way succor the victims. There is ‘hoarding’ of relief funds received. There is already highhandedness and corruption taking place in the exchange and operation of funding money and materials. For these kind of corrupted actors in our midst they will want to wish secretly, “Long live mautaam!” There are some who is yet to release the funding they received long time back. One cannot logic out the reason why such delay. May be they are waiting for the next mautaam? While so much work and sacrifices are already done by some of our organizations and churches, some ignoble actions from these few quarters can bring a bad name to the noble cause. These ignoble actions must be brought into accountability for the sake of the Zo national name and cause in a legal and democratic-non violent manner and in the true spirit of Christianity. Mautaam demands uncompromised and serious accountability.
Mautaam Demands Absolute Transparency
It is desirable, at the end of mautaam, that every churches, organizations and groups who received funds and aids for mautaam must table in our local newspapers a balance sheet (an account in other words) and the manner how the relief operation was done. It also must include how much they received, to how many villages they distributed and to how many households. Let this be accompanied by the names and the materials and amount of money of the recipients. This is transparency. And mautaam operation demands and calls for this kind of transparency.
This is a Zo Family-National crisis. Anyone who plays with it does not love and care our people. Godliness is justice, compassion, non-partisan, accountability and righteousness! The survivors will give their verdict! Mautaam is another significant opportunity for Zo family-national unity, understanding, cooperation and reconciliation. May we fare well. May mautaam invites us to a life of borderless, a doctrine of brotherhood, a common life in following Christ, a song of unity and an action of compassion. May the torch of true tlawmngaihna be seen lighted in every doors and hills in our war against mautaam.
This article should in no way discourage any of us. We know there are always black sheep, even amongst the insiders of Jesus Christ. Remember Judas? It should not put any hurdle in the ongoing mautaam relief operation. Instead, it should embolden us to all the more, in full potential, bring out the tlawmngaihna spirit – selfless service, sacrifice, dedication, compassionate action, charity and integrity – for productive mautaam warfare. Let us selflessly put forward our tlawmngaihna ideal.
Jesus Christ died for all; we must live for all – even during mautaam!
www.zogam.com
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