Gospel Through Darkness (Book Review)

[By Pu Dr. Lal Dena]

Lekhabu: Gospel Through Darkness: History and Missionary Work of the Northeast India General Mission (NEIGM/ECCI) 1910-2004.
Ziektu: Rev Lalhmuoklien
Aman: Rs.200/-PP.310.
Kum: 2009

Manipur sim thlanga Zohnathlak po po lo insung khawmna hlak North East India General Mission,1910-2004 chanchin lekhabu ngeia tiem theia ei hmu hi, lawm a um takzet. A ziektu Lalhmuoklien hi Parbung khuoa pieng le seilien, NEIGM (ECCI)-a lukhaitu poimaw tak hai laia pakhat a nih. A ziektu awm tak hrimin hi lekhabu hi a ziek a nih.

A ziektu hin Kristien sakhuo hung lut hmaa Manipur sim thlanga hnamchomhai, abikin Hmarhai trobul, khawtlang nun, hnam nunphung, sakhuo biek dan le khawtlang rorel dan Sura favang bu enin a bi thuok a. Chu zoah Arthington Aborigines’ Mission (AAM) tir J.H.Lorrain le F.W.Savidge haiin Mizorama rong an bawl tran dan le an bulthrut rem chunga Welsh Mission-in rong a hung bawl zom pei dan a sui a. Welsh medical missionary Dr P.Fraser-hai nupa zuia hung, tlangval Watkin Roberts-in Aizawl tlanga inthoka Senvona chanchin thra a hung put lut dan ei hmu nawk a. Roberts chun Thado-Kuki Pioneer Mission (TKPM) an din a; tuoltro ringtharhai hmalaknain kum tlawm te sungin TKPM chun Manipur sim thlang pumpui chauh khom ni lo, Manipur puo tieng North East India le Chittagong Hill Tracts-a chen ram a hung lak a. Chu phing leh TKPM kha NEIGM-in thlak a hung ni a. NEIGM rongbawl dan kalhmang le doctrinal basis (fundamental doctrines) hai fie takin tarlang a. Mingo missionary nupa Paul Rostad le Ella Rostad-in Bible sikul le inchukna sikul enkol a, a ram mihai thruoitu ding mi an hung ser dan le nuhmeihai ngirhmun nasa taka an hung chawikang dan a sui bok a. A ziektu hi NEIGM thruoitu ni sien khom thuoituhai kara buoina thu kha tran bik neia ziekin a’n lang nawh. Amiruokchu, J.P.W.Goodwin & Son, Chartered Accountant, London, hai lekhathon a tar langa inthok hin mission field-a sum hmangna kha a fel fai vong nawh ti a suklang.

Chun hi lekhabu hin mingo missionary nuhnung tak R.C.Paddock rongbawl dan, politiks thlivirin kohran a hung nuoi dan le NEIGM hnuoia pumkhata lo um diel diel anga inlang, R.C.Paddock thruoina hnuoia hnam bing zawnga hung inthre dar a, Tuithraphai Presbytery (Mizo), Convention Presbytery (Paite), Assembly Presbytery (Hmar), Manipur Christian Association (Thadou-Kuki), Manipur Christian Organization (Vaiphei), Manipur Christian Synod (Gangte) hai hung suok dan fie takin a tar lang a. Chuong lai zing chun NEIGM le Evangelical Congregational Church, USA chu kum 1928-a inthoka lo inthlop tah an ni leiin NEIGM chu Evangelical Congregational Church of India (ECCI) a thlak a hung ni thu le unau Paitehai thrang ta loa ECCI hnuoia hnam bing kohran danghai an hung inthlung khawm nawk dan a ziek bok.

A lekhabu tawp tieng hin thu poimaw tak tak, a ram mihai nunphung le khawsakna le intua (contextualization) missionary-hai sin thaw dan, chanchin thra le khawtlang siem thrat (social action) le hnam nunphung intringmit dan hai ei hmu a. Amiruokchu, hnam nunphunga ieng hai hi’m Kristiennaa som lut ding ti hi a ziektu hin fie fakin a hril nawh. Kristien ni hmaa man le muol an lo intuk le inpek hlak, Kristien ni hnung khoma hmang zom pei a la ni hin Baibul thu a kal am? Sikpui Kut hmang dam hi a ziektu’n a ti ve naw niin an lang (phek 245). Mizoram Kristien zaa za insal hiel haiin sorkar huoi hotin Chapchar Kut kum tin an hmang hlak leiin unau Mizohai saw an Kristien ta nawh ei ti thei dim? Sikpui lam le hnam lamhai hin Kristien ringna a tawk poi phak am? Hieng zawnahai hi theological perspective-a inthuk lema a suina ei hmu nawh.

Ieng khom ni sien, Manipur sim thlanga tlawm taka intran NEIGM khan Manipur puo tieng Arunachal, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal le India ram puo tieng Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma le Nepal ram chen chena ram a zauh hi Pathien thruoina lei chauh a nih ti, hi lekhabu hin a sukchieng hle. Chun, hi lekhabua hin mihrang, thruoitu hmasahai thlalak tam tak inchuon a ni a, chu chu a lekhabu hlutna belsatu a nih.

Ieng lekhabu khom soisel bo hi a um tak tak nawh. Hi lekhabu khom hin baksamna tam tak a nei a. Chu hai laia ngaimaw um zuol chauh zuk tar lang ei tih.

Lekhabu, an naw leh, thesis ziek hin citation pahnih-direct citation le indirect citation hmang a ni tlangpui a. Dannaranin direct citation-ah controversial statement (insel buoi theina) hi an quote ngai meuh nawh; quote a lo ni khomin a tan baw suta chai a ni hlak. Hi lekhabu ziektu hin controversial statement iemani zat a quote a; chuhai laia pakhat chauh chu zuk tar lang ei tih. Lamboi Vaiphei: “The party left Aizawl… This happened on May 7, 1910, and the date has been accepted as missionary day simply because of the fact that the Missionary crossed into Manipur area on this day…”.(pp.50-51) ti hi a nih. Lamboi-in singular number ‘The Missionary’ a hmang tlat a, Watkin Roberts a tina mani ding? Watkin Roberts Senvona a lut ni tarik thua ngai dang dang um sien khom, February, 1910 sung ngeia lut a nih ti chu tu khoma ei inphat thei nawh. Chun, article ‘The’ a hmang hin misawnari pakhat bik a kawk. Hi lekhabu ziektu ngei khom hin ICI Golden Jubilee, 1960 hmang truma Roberts lekha hung thon chu phek 47-naah a tarlang. ‘Missionary’ ti kha plural number hmang ni sien chu tuoltro missionary pathum Savoma, Vanzika le Thangchhingpuia a tina a nih ti hre thei ei tih.

Hi lekhabu ziektu hin Douzapao article ‘Controversy over the date of the Gospel landing in Manipur South’-a mi hieng ang hin a quote nawk a: “Considering all these corresponding accounts, May 7, 1910, the day when the three native missionaries from Lushai Hills arrived at Senvon, “had been observed from time immemorial” as a missionary day in this district (phek 51)”. Douzapao hin ‘from time immemorial’ ti umzie a hriet naw lei ni loin, a thil ziek uor a tum taluotnaa a uor khel a ni ka ring. Ieng dictionary khom en la, ‘immemorial’ ti chu hriet phak lo le sui phak ruol loa hla, historical record khel tienga mi tina a nih. Historical term-a hril chun Missionary Day tia hmang hi zani lai el chauh kha a la nih. Official tak lem chun NEIGM leaders’ Conference, 1960 khan an pompui chauh niin an lang. Douzapao article title khom khi bi met a ngai. India South ei ti ngai nawh a, South India ei ti hlak angin South Manipur ti ding a ni lem. Gangte fiemthu thiemha’n Douzapao article hi hei tiem hai sien chu “Gospel chu lenna a batsak na e” ti mei an tih. ‘The arrival of the Gospel…’ ti law law lem sien.

Robert Arthington mission kha mobile mission a ni a; a missionary-hai kha hmun khata kum li neka tam um a phal nawh. Sienkhom, J.H.Lorrain le F.W.Savidge suokna san tak ruok kha chuh, Welsh Mission ramhuola rongbawl an ni lei lem a nih. Kum 1889 khan William Williams, Welsh missionary chu, Shella, Khasi Hills-a inthokin Aizawlah a hang inzin a. Mizoram chu ram awl nia a hriet leiin, Welsh Mission rongbawlna dingin hotuhai kuomah rotna a zuk siem nghal a; chu rotna chu an hung remtipui a. Amiruokchu, missionary zongna le training peknain kum 6 top an aw a. Chu kar chun Lorrain le Savidge kha Aizawlah an hung lut a nih. Welsh Mission tirh D.E.Jones, Welsh missionary hmasa tak Aizawlah 31 August, 1897-a a hung phing leh, Lorrain le Savidge khan Welsh Mission-in an ruoi nuom phot chun Mizoram suoksan loa tirkoa thrang a, Arthington Mission suoksan lem an sèl naw thu an hril a. Amiruokchu, anni ruolcham kha Baptist mi an ni a, Welsh Mission-in a ruoi nuom naw phing leh Mizoram an suoksan chauh a ni lem.

Thado-Kuki Pioneer Mission-in Manipur sim thlanga rong a bawl tran kha a tir chun William Pettigrew, A.B.Mission-in a lawmpui a. Sienkhom, Mizorama Welsh Mission hrietpui a ni nawh thu ziek ngeia a hriet phing leh British official-hai leh thrang kopin nasa takin a dodal a, ringthar hmasahai suknomnatna chen a’n tlungtir a nih. NEIGM sunga buoinaa khom Pettigrew kha a la hung inrol pei a. A.B.Mission-a inthoka NEIGM-a Dr G.C.Crozier hung inson khom kha hun sawt thok thei loin a ma nawk a. R.L Wilson lekhathona (phek 209-212) khom khan hi lai thu hi a hril sa nghe nghe a. Hi lekhathon lem hi chu chipchier taka sut chieng a thra, Rostad-hai nupa sum hmang dan khom hril sa nuola um leiin. NEIGM le A.B.Mission inkar thu hi ziek lo thei lo a nih.

Hrangvunga le a khuo le tui mi 60 Tripura-a Kristien hmasa tak an nih ti hi lekhabu phek 142-naah ei hmu nawk a. Hrangvunga hi kum 1911-a Lushai Hills-a inthoka Tripura-a inpem a nih ti ei hmu bok a. Sukhendu Debbarman, Tripura University-a zirtirtu chun a doctoral thesis-ah kum 1843-in Agartala-ah Kristien 118 um tahin a ziek (Origin and Growth of Christianity in Tripura with special reference to the New Zealand Baptist Mission,1938-1988, phek- 27). Sukhendu hril dan pei chun Fr Barbe ngei khomin hi kum vek hin mi 4 a baptis a, nupa tuok thum an neitir a, nupa innei ta tuok 14 malsawmna a hnipek bok.

Phek 5-naa J.H.Edgar tia ziek hi J.W.Edgar ni lem a tih. Ama hi Bengal-a Chief Secretary ni loin, Silchara DC, Vai Lien voi khatnaa Tipaimukh tienga inthoka hung runtu sipai ruol Cachar Column hai hung zuitu, Civil Officer a nih. Ama hin Tipaimukh le a se vel khom kum 1871-72 lai khan a hang fang chip hle a, ripawt chipchier tak el ziektu kha a nih.

Hi lekhabuah hin factual mistake le grammatical error tam tak a um a, chuong hai chu hril vong seng ni naw nih. Impact hmangna dinga affect dam hmang a ni nuol a; a ruka innei ‘stealing marriage’ ti khom hi eloped marriage ti inla mawi lem a tih. Grammatical errors chu ei hril seng naw ding a ni leiin, pakhat chauh hei tar lang hram ei tih.

Acknowledgement phek ii-naah “because of her prayer this thesis come up” ti hi hei lepse met inla. ‘Come up’ ti hin umzie pathum a nei a: tro suok (spring), hril ding (to be talked about or discussed) le thil um thut (to happen unexpectedly). Entirna: The seed comes up at last. What issues come up at the meeting of the ECCI Executive Committee? I have to leave immediately because something has just come up at home. Chu lei chun, hieng hin ziek lem inla: because of her prayer this thesis could see the light of the day.

Ieng po khom lo ni sien, a tlangpuiin a ziektu hin thu lai tan takin hi lekhabu hi a ziek a, inpak a um em em. Primary sources a hmaa ei la hmu lo tam tak le secondary sources thrahnem tawk tak besana hi lekhabu hi ziek a ni leiin, bel chieng a dawl khop el. Mi tinin, abikin Kohran thruoituhai lem chun tiem seng hai sien nuom a um.

[Note: Rev Jonathan Pudaite ziek ‘The Legacy of Watkin Roberts’ ti khaikhinna ngainuomum tak, Pu L.Keivom ziek chu kar nawk a hung suok ding a nih-Inpui Editor]