Cultural Guide

By Pu L.Keivom*, Inpui Columnist

April 26-June 3 sung India hmar sak rama Cultural Mapping thawna ding lampui sâta kan inzin hnungin Delhi tlangah ka hung kir a. Ni sari ka cham hman trawk a, June 11, 2011 khan Churachandpur tieng ka suok nawk a, June 17-ah Delhi tlang ka hung chuon nawk a. Tuta truma ka suok ruok chu Cultural Mapping thawa fe ni loin Cultural Guide-a thrang ka nih.

Kum 2006-a kan nupaa ram hrang hranga cheng kan nauhai kana thla ruk deuthaw kan inzin suok trumin thla thum le a chenve zet USA-ah kan um a. New York-a khawsa kan nia chuh kan tupa Rev. Paula Pakhuongte chengna khuo Fredericks (Maryland) trum hni zet kan sir a. Hi trum hin Lalmuongpui le a pasal Frank Landymore chun an nau pasal pahnihai thruoiin an khuo Fredericksburg (Virginia) a inthokin an mi hung zom ve a, inhoi kan ti tlang hle a. A trum hninaa lem chu Lalruotmawiin hla sak rong a hung bawl trum a ni leiin kan changtlung hle a. Kan trumtriek zoin ni thum lai an kuoma khawsa dingin an mi thruoi a, an umna Virginia State sunga hmun inhoi le hmingthang po po deuthaw an mi fangpui a. Hi kan inzinna thu hi New York Diary 5,6,7 & 8-ah ka ziek nghe nghe a. Hi trum hin Frank Landymore kuomah, “Kan rama i hung ve pha chu ka thruoi ve ding che a nih” ka ta. Chu ka thutiem chu hlen dingin Churachandpur-ah an sungkuoin ka fepui a nih.

Frank Landymore hi American diplomat, siniar ve tak a ni ta a, tuta truma India rama an hung um hi trum thum a umna a ni tah. A posting hmasa tak trumin, khuonu samsui ni ngei ding an ni a, Lalmuongpui leh an intong fuk a, an innei zui tah pei a. Delhi posting an zo hin Chennai-a an Consulate Office-ah term khat an um nawk a. Chu zoah China le USA-ah an um a, kum hni liem tah khan Delhi tieng an hung tung nawk tah pei a nih. Lalmuongpui hi Khawmawia um L.K.Sanga Sinate nau mi tlum a nih. Darngawn nuhmeia nei, ei ram puo tieng, abikin Delhi tlanga chenghai hin fiemthuin Association kan nei a, chu chu mi dang chun ‘Thaibawi Association’ dam an mi tipek a, kan lawm ruk hle. Keinin kan nuhmeihai rawna kan phuok ni sien, an mi phalpek awm top si nawh. Hi Association-a kan President-a kan ngai chu Rochunga Pudaite a ni a, chu chu life-term a ding, a dam sunga thlak awi lo, contest awi bok lo a nih. A dang po chu Vice-President kan inti vong a, kei hi ditsak takin Senior Vice-President an mi tih. Delhi tlanga Darngawn nunghakin pasal a nei zata kan Association-a lawmluttu chu kei ka ni hlak. Kan Association-a hin American mi pahnih an um a, Landymore hi chuong laia pakhat chu a nih. Delhi tlanga kan Vice-President siniar le challang deuhai chu James Lalrongbawl (Keishing), Lalkhawthang Thahgen, H.K.Kawllienthang, T. Kaithang le a dang dang an nih.

Kum dang khan India hmar sak rama inzin hi ram dang mihai ta ding chun a hautak bakah a him naw leiin, trul tongkhong le venghimna him tawk hnuoia inzin a ni naw chun ram palaihai hi an fe mei mei ngai nawh. Manipur lem hi chuh ram him lo, helpawl kutthaknulna, inruithei le AIDS hluorna rama inthang a ni leiin, khawvela mi trisim hmun iemani zat laia pakhat ve a nih. Kum 2011 ruok hin chu ensinnaa a nuom nuom inzin thei dinga Sorkar Laipuiin India hmar sak ram hi a hong zalen tah leiin kan Vice President Frank Landymore khomin, ka fepui ding a ni phot chun, inzin ngei ngei a tum a. A nuhmei pieng le murna, hmu a châk êm êm ram chu ke ngeia sirin, a hung biekzin ve tah a nih.

Ram tam tak fakzongna hnarpui chu khuolzin (tourists) hai enkol le an mamaw phuhruk a nih. Chu ding chun tlungna ding in fai le thienghlim, inhnawmna inhoi le fai (Europeon toilet), fak le dawn thienghlim nei a ngai. Europeon toilet hmang ding chun a tleng faitu ding amaa tui hung lut theina ding tuidawta zom a ngai a, insilna ding pindan tinah tui suklumtu geyser nei a ngai bok. Dannaranin, eini rawi chun ei thokrimna ra po po ei pei thlakna in hi inhnuoi te, van ram kot anga kùn ngeia lut ngaiin ei bawl tum tlat chu tie! Ram hmasawnaa chuh mi tam takin chanchinbu an tiemna hmun chu toilet a nih. Kei ngei khomin ka lo thaw thrang tak leiin, abikin editorial page, a poimawna lai tak hi toilet-a tiem dinga ngaina ka nei tlat chu tie! Kong danga hril chun, toilet hi ei taksa sungrila tirdakum ei paihai ei inthiel faina hmun a ni ruolin, ei lungril le thlarau ta dinga hrietna buchangrum ei hlu lutna hmun a ni bok a nih. Ei toilet ei soisak danin ei nina a hril sei khop el.

Chuong anga hadam tak le inhoi taka tlung theina chu Rengkai (Muolhlum) bula um Vocational and Educational Training Centre (VETC) hmuna Reformed Presbyterian Church (North-east India) haiin hmathlir sei tak neia khuolbuk an siem chu a nih. Hi kompaun-a hin bilding pali lien tham tak tak a um a, chuonghai chu fakzongna dinga thiemna, vocational training chi hrang hrang puonkhawng (weaving), embroidery, carpentry, iron & steel works, computers, driving le a dang dang inchukna dam, ofis, conference hall, hostel le guest house dama an hmang a nih. Hmun zau tak sunga inthawl haka bawl a ni leiin a thengthaw a; a kawl velah daltu in a um naw leiin ieng lai khomin thlifim a hrang hieu hieu a; boruok bal, thil rimsie le ri siein a chim ve phak naw a; nghatna tieng tieng muol le tlang dum dur el hmu ding a um a, ha hi a dam song song el a nih. Zan thlavar hnuoiah tuolah ei inthrung a, van sanga inthoka hlim sieua mi zuk thlirtu arasihai leh ngaituonain ei inpawl a, an hlimna thuruk, hring hrietna ringota hriet phak ruol lo chun ei thlarau an chawm a, an hlimna uoiin mi tulh chu ei inruipui a. A nih, khuonu (nature) mawina le ropuina intem nuom le chuong ang inhnikpui theina dinga rauhrietna neituhai ta ding chun hi hmun hi hnuoi paradis a tling ve takzet a nih. Ka Vice President thruoi khom hlimin a chiri ve a ni tak. Hieng ang hmun indin nachang hre dinga lungvar petu Pathien kuomah ropuina um raw se.

Tourist Guide-a thrang hi thil namen lo tak a ni a. A san chu khuolzinhai thil indon taphot hril fie a ngai a. A hmu thrang tahaiin thil ei hmu liem mei mei ang hin an en ve naw a, anni ta dingin iengkim an hmu taphot chu thil thar a ni leiin indon ding khom an hauh. Tuithraphai an hung hluo tran lai chanchin, kum 1911-a Phuoibuong-Khawliena inthoka Khawpuibung an hung indin thu le 1912-a kristmas hmasa tak an hmang thu dam; anni American sipaihaiin indopui pahnina laia damdawi in an bawl chu bulkthruta hmanga Churachandpur Civil Hospital hi hung intran a ni thu dam; an lawn kai nuom Saidan tlang chu indopui pahnina laia Japan-hai hmun khuorna le chu tlanga inthoka laipuia an ral hunghai chu an lo sai hlak thu dam; Ngurte, Thenmuol, Saikot, Muolvaiphei, Rengkai, Lower Lamka, Saidan, Sielmat le khaw hrang hrang an hung indin dan hai dam chu hieng hmunhai kan sir malamin ka hril pei a. Hi thil hi puitling chin khom a hrie ei tlawm tak leiin, ei ngaiven met chu a trûl khop el. Eden huon chanchin ei hriet tluk beka mani chanchin hi hriet a thra. Mi dang laka inza phurna a nih. Chu hrietna dinga lekhabu rawn tlak ei nei sun chu kum 1993-a sut tah, research nasa taka thawa ka buotsaih Zoram Khawvel-2 chauh hi a la ni el awm.

Khuolzinhaiin an mamaw bek bek pakhat chu, hang invak sawl hnunga theitui le dawn chi thil dang dang dawna hang inthrung hadamna ding restaurant thra a nih. Churachandpur khaw sunga hin chuong anga hang insukhadamna ding ieng zat am a um tah ti ka hriet naw a, sienkhom pakhat, FAT JAMES an ti ruok chu a um ngei ti ka hriet a, a khawpui a cheimawi hlein ka hriet. Ka’n hman chang po leh ka rawihai leh kan chawl hadam hlak a. A lawilenin a zir a, khaw thlir a’n hoi bok a, a sung khom ‘groovy’ taka chei a ni leiin, ei lut chara inthokin khawvel dangah a mi fen lut nghal el a nih. Elektrik a thrat deuh chang lem chun an fak siem inhnik tak tak hai chu chilled beer-in ei inlen thlaktir a, hlima an halelui thlak ri khom ngaithlak tham a nih. Churachandpur khawpuia hieng ang restaurant changkang ei lo nei el tah hi, malsawmna ropui tak a nih. Ka mikhuol thruoihai khomin inhoi an ti a, an ram tlung tah ang elin an inngai a nih.

Saidan tlang kai an châk tawp kha kai dingin June 14 khan Kungfu master Zova inrawina hnuoiah mi sawm an inthok tung a. A tlang intranna thrut, Tuileluong intranna Kangsat Ruom chen an tlung phak a. Iemani chen hnungah car-in iem an chang hrim ti ngaiven dingin ka u Lura thruoiin ka fe tung a. Chawlhmun sak, hla lo te, tlang panga an lo kai tran lai chu ka hang tuok fuk a. A lum bok lei le phùr leia hang pawng nor tung el chi a ni nawzie an hrietin an hung trum thla nawk diel a, ka u Lura huon, Lungpui zawl tieng, lam pheiah an fe tah lem a. Kei chu tlan peiin, kha hmaa pawl indin thama thu hril thiem, Zathangvung umna tlanga khaw thar an sat, in 20 umna, Kangzam an ti chen chu ka u leh kan tlan tlung a. Chu taka inthok chun kha hma kum tam tak huona a lo nei le a nauhai le rizap hmun an lo siem, ramngaw inhoi tak el, helpawlin suoksan dinga an ti, an rizap thinghmun zing dum dur el chu kan thlir a. Inpawngnekna khawvela cheng ei la ni si a, ngaituo a suksei khop el. Keini unau chauh hi unau pieng 13 laia a la dam um sun kan ni a. Kan pahni chaua kum tam a lo chetna hmun thlir theia kan fienriel dam hi thil vang le ngaihlut tlak, hun hlu a nih. Kan ta ding chun Saidan tlang kai nekin a let tamin a hlu lem.

Chuonga Frank Landymore leh ni tin inzuia kil le kap kan tlok hnung chun, kan hriet naw karin kan cham sung ding ni nga chu kan lo hmang zo dèr a. Dit khop lo takin June 17, 2011 khan Delhi tlang kan hung chuong lut nawk tah a nih. Delhi erpawt kan lut tawmin sûm bu sà tak el kan nèr a, kan insawi nasa hle. Kan sumpui sa nêr chu kan tlung charin ruopui vanawnin a hung inbaw thla a, Delhi thukpui chu dei dupin kan lut pha tah a nih.

About the author:- Pu Keivom is a retired Indian foreign diplomat and noted writer best known for Zoram Khawvel series. This article is dated June 18, 2011 Delhi.