Hmaithinghawng (The Mask)

 

Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice

that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance

and a rare detachment of spirit. It cannot, like adultery

and gluttony, be practised at spare moments:

it is a whole time job.

-W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965)

By Pu L. Keivom*, Inpui columnist

Lengmaser chen khom sawmapakhat pe hlak Farisaihai kha an felin ngaisang an um vei leh, Isu mita chu tirdak an va hang um de aw! Matthai 23:13-36 a lem khan chu a ràwn intàm tawl kher el. Mi lemder ruol, van rama mihai lut ding dangtu, hmeithaihai fa tlarantu, thruoitu mitdel le invet, zawlneihai thattu, rûl thlahai tia a ko tawl bakah, “Nangni Dan hretuhai le Farisai lemderhai, in chung a rik ie! Pudina dam, lengmaser dam le pardi dam chenin sawma pakhat in pek hlak a; Dan thu poimaw lem indikna dam, zangaina dam, ringumna dam hi in ngaitha bok si a; nisienlakhom a nuhnung lem hi annawm in thaw ding chu, a danghai khom ngaitha chuong loin. Thruoitu mitdelhai, thohmite dawn sa inlauin in thlit fai a, sanghawngsei in dol lem si hlak! Nangni Dan hretuhai le Farisai lemderhai, in chung a rik ie! No le thleng puo tieng in sawp fai hlak a, a sung tieng ruok chu duâmna le insûmnawnain a sip si a. Nang Farisai mitdel, no le thleng sung tieng chu sawp fai hmasa rawh, a puo tieng khom hung fai el a tih. Nangni Dan hretuhai le Farisai lemderhai, in chung a rik ie! Thlân nâl vâr, a puo tienga mawi taka inlang, a sung ruok chu mithi ru le porche tinrenga sip ang chu in nih” a ti top a ni kha.

Hieng ang khopa sartifiket thra naw hi ieng leia Isun a pek tawl el am a na? Hmaithinghawng an inbel lei a nih. Kong danga hril chun, an lemder lei a nih. Lemderna (hypocrisy) chu mani nina hmel tak suklang ngam loa, mi hlemna dinga mani nina tak thup a, a puoa mawi taka inlang theina dinga lem inchang tina a nih. Sakhaw mi ni awm taka um a, a langa ser le sang zawm a, iengkimah sawmapakhat pe a, sienkhom lungril ruok chu suol bu khuornaa an hmang si lei a nih. Chu nun chu Isu theida zawng tak a ni leiin, anni rawi kawkna dingin trong hoihawm a hmang naw a, a ru inlangin a kawk hrep tawl a nih. Sienkhom, hmangaitu rawl a nih ti hriet nekin an theida èm ém a, a tawpah kros-ah an hemde a ni kha.

Eini khom ei chuong liem bik nawh ti hi ei hriet tlat nuom a um. Kum sawmli hiel liem tah khan thu le hla tienga ei mi suongtawlol J. Malsawma chun thusep tawite, sienkhom rangkachak hlir anga khìn, KAN MIZIA ti a ziek a. Hi thusep hi thumal 495 chaua sei ni sienkhom a tluka hril hlaw hi Zoram khawvelah thusep dang a um ka ring nawh. Chutaka chun ei sakhaw mi ni dan hieng ang hin a lepse a: Kristian inti si, Krista mizia rêng rêng zir duh lo mi. Pathian thu hriltu inti si a, sual lawm mi, rilru taka sakhaw hmang lo va, vantlang ngaiha mawi tur chauhva sakhaw ngaihsak mi, a tawi zawngin, rilru fai si lova puan chang tivar te kan ni….Taksa, rilru leh thlarauva hausa inti hle si a, a eng kima pachhe ngawih ngawih zawk kan ni. Tichuan, a suak vek kan ni a, hmaithinghawng kan vuah theuh a ni” tiin (ZO NUN, 1971 p.133-134).

Hmaithinghawng inbel ei ching hle el hi a san ding awm voi tam tak ka ngaituo ta hlak a. Hi hi Kristien ei ni hnung, abikin sungrilah thar si loa puo tienga piengthar ei hung uor hnunga ei tran ni loin, ei khawtlang nunin a phur suok ve hrim laia pakhat, piengthar tehlem ei hung chîng hnunga ei hung uor zuol ta lem chauh niin an lang.

Ei sawsaiti hi tu chen khom hin sungkuo tlawmte um khawm le insir paw zing zing, a thlum a al faa dawn tlang ei la ni a, a chin a lien, pasie hausa ei inpolsop vong a, ei inleng tuo a, mani sungkuo chaua umna hun khom ei nei tlawm khop el. Ei inah mi an hung lêng charin, ei inlenghai hmua mawia khawsak ei tum leiin lem ei inchang tran nghal a. Mi inah ei va leng khomin, ei thaw dan ang charin, ei mitmei vengin, ei hmua mawi dingin lem an inchang ve nghal hlak a nih. Chuong ang chun mi hmu hoiah um ei tum seng leiin, khawtlangin nun dan mawi le dituma a ngai angin khawsak ei tum tlat hlak a nih.

Hi hin thil thra tak a hring suok thei a, hmang thiem chun hnam zie mawi tak le nghet tak a siem thei. Khawthlang mi, kristien ram, hnam changkang ei tihai hi entirna thra tak an nih. Kristien sakhuo inzirtirna le chu sakhuoin a hlut thilhai anga khawsa dinga inzirtirna chu an nunah tunghetin a um a, indikna, ringumna, tlawmngaina le nungchang mawi hrim hrim chu an nunah an lak lut a, ni tin khawsakah a takin an hung par suok a, an kalchar a hung ni tah a nih. Eini sawsaitia ngei khom tlawmngaina nunin inthuk taka zung a kei nghetna taphot chu nasa taka an inzirtirna khawtlang a ni zat zat a nih. Tlawmngaina hi ei piengpui hrim ni loin ei nuna a tua ei intu a ni lem. Zo hnathlakhai lai seng seng khom, tlawmngaina an intu nawna hmuna chun tlawmngai umzie an hriet nawh.

Ei pi le pu hai hun laia khawtlang ngaisang mi le chawimawina tonlairang an intontirhai chu mi huoisen, mi taima le mi tlawmngai thei hai an nih. Mi dawikawlok, mi thabo le tlawmngaina nei nawhai chu mi endong an ni leiin nuhmei pasal ding takngiel khom an invai pha hiel hlak a nih. Chun, pielrala faisa ringa khawsa thei dinga an pass mark lem chu an sang em em a, in le ram tienga thangsuohai chauh an nih. In tienga thangsuohai chu bu le bal thlo suok rawn a, chu chu in-ei a, khawtlang hraia inchong thei hai chu an nih. Ram tienga thangsuohai chu sa lu kip that a, in-eia inchong theihai an nih. Chu chu thil hautak a ni leiin khaw khatah a thaw thei mi tlawmte chauh an ni hlak. Chuong mihai chun tlang inza an phur a, an thu khom miin an ngai.

Kristien ei hung ni hnungin, a bingbiletin ei khawvel a hung inthlak a. Pielral kai theina chu mi tin ta dingin a hung inhong a, a kualifikeson chu mi tinin ei thaw thei Isu Krista RING a nih. Chuong ang ringna nei hai chu thangsuo ti loin ‘PIENGTHAR’ ei hung ti ta thung a. Nuhmei pasal ei inzong khomin kualifikeson laia ei dit tak chu ‘mi piengthar’ a hung ni ve ta thung a nih. Chuleiin, a ram le a felna zong hmasa zet a, piengthar a, thil dang chu buoipui chau dingin ei inzirtir hlak a nih. Chuong chu a ni leiin, khawtlanga tla tlum ding le hmai man ding chun bawka sa that rawn sartifiket bel nekin piengtharna kros bel chu thaw makmaw a hung ngai tah a nih. Hi kotsuo hi ei tlung charin hmaithinghawng hi a hung inlàr zuol tah em em niin an lang.

A san iem ning a ta? Ei hlutsak tak piengtharna chu nu sula luta pieng non nawkna ni loin, Isu Krista ei ringna leia ei mihriem hlui thlak a, mihriem thara inthuomna a nih. Bawsietna leia suolin ei thlarau a sukhlum tahnung chu Isu Krista mi’n tlanna ei ring le pomna leia ei thlarau thi tah chu chatuona dinga sukhringa a umna chu a nih. Chu chu a hrieta hriet khela a ringa ringna le a thawa thaawna ram a nih. Isun rong a bawl lai khan, a zirtirhai chen khom khan Isu kha Krista (Messia) a nizie an hriet intak khop el. Ramhuoihai khan an hriet lem dai a, rala inthok khomin a nina takin an ko chat chat a, an inthin hawp el a nih. Amiruokchu, an hrietna chun a sandam tawl nawh, an hrietna leiin an ramhuoi nina khom a bo chuong nawh. A sandamna ringtuhai chauh a nih a sandam hlak.

Eini rawi khom hi Isu Krista hretu vong ei nih. A ringtu nia insâl, piengthar inti khom ei tam. Beiruol ei nei zata piengtharhai hi bel khawm inla, ei population nek hmanin ei tam ta lem hiel ring a um. Manipura hnam threnkhatin a mihriem tak um zat neka voter an hau lem ang hi ni thei ei tih. Sienkhom, mi tam tak hi sungrila siemtharna chang si loa piengthara insal, piengtharna hmai kawr, hmaithinghawng inbel ei tam niin a’n lang. Pu Malsawma hril dana “a suak vek kan ni a, hmaithinghawng kan vuah theuh a ni” a ti hi a’n dik lem chun pangzatum deu ei nih.

December 12, 2003 khan Muolvaiphei Diamond Jubilee ropui takin kan lawm a. Lungphun lien le mawi tak taka ziek, mi lienhai inhongtir ding pathum kan siem a. Pakhat chu Pu Phungzathang, Power Minister hong ding a na, a hming khom ker sain a um a. Trulna leia Delhi tieng an zin thut leiin a hung thei naw a, a aia hong dingin Minister dang kan ruot a, Pu Phungzathang hming chunga chun lekha khonga mawi taka ziekin kan bel khum a. Chu Minister khom chu a hong hunah a hung tlung naw leiin, Minister of State pakhat hming kan bel thuo nawk a, ama chun a hong ta lem a. Chu thil chun, tuta ka thu ziek hi nasa takin a mi’n ngaituotir a. Piengtharna hmaithinghawng thuo tam ei inbel tahai hi hawk dingin Assembly nei inla, ahmatiemin hawkpek ta pei inla, ei hawk zo pha chu nghatna tieng tieng Nambar 666 a de fuk el dim aw? ti zawna chu ka lungkhampui a nih.

A chunga Somerset Maugham ziek (Cakes and Ale ch.1) ei tar lang tah ang khin, hmaithinghawng inbela lemchang hi sun le zan sin “wholetime job” a ni leiin nghok a umin ningintel a um a, amiruokchu thaw ta laklaw chun pei naw sa saa thaw zing a ngai hlak. Kei chu ka thaw pei nawna a sawt tah. Pathien chu ei taksa bung tin, ei mûr (cell) tinah a um a, a hriet suok a, ei ngaituona po po khom a hmu fai vong leiin (Sam 139) hmaithinghawng inbela hlem thei chi a ni nawh. Pathien hlem tum chu mani inhlem chauh ei nih. Chuleiin, lemchanga buoi buoi nekin piengthar fel law law amanih, fel naw law law amanih, mani ninaa chieng hi a hadam thlak takin ka hriet. Pathien le ei inzomna sukfel hi ningintel bona damdawi thra tak a na, chu inremna chu Kalvari thisen hmanga Iengkimthawtheiin mihriemhai damna dinga a buotsai a nih. Chu Kalvari tui dawn taphot sungrila chun chatuon khoma kang thei lo hringna tui an chik suok hlak a nih.

Thaw ro, tu kum, Gospel Centenary kum bek hi chu, ran thata inri bung bung a, van ko thla thei khopa nasa sermon thlak a, lem inchang zing nekin, hmaithinghawng hlipna kumin hmang ei tiu khai.

[*Editor's Note: INPUI columnist Pu Keivom is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer, respected Hmar Mizo litterateur and author of 'Zoram Khawvel' series.]