Random Diaries

Ziektu: Pu L.Keivom

Mihriem thluok tluka theina kol rawn hi ei hmu thei china chuh thil dang a um naw khom a ni el thei. Mi pangngai chun zaah sawm vêl ei hmang phak niin thluok thilthawtheina suituhai chun an hril. Ei thil hmu le hriethai hi a lo khawl khawm pei a, chuonghai chu ei mamaw dan ang peiin a library-a inthokin a mi pek suok a, ei hmang zo pha a sie lut nawk a. Ei mamaw ta rak lo le hmang trûl ta lohai chu a kilah a hnaw lut pei a, sawt tak chǐm nela an um hnunga hang lak suok nawk lem chu a harsa a, a thren chu ei thaw fet khoma ei hriet suok thei ta lo a um. Vakam phaiphina chieng kuoua ei thu ziek khom tui fawnin sawt naw tea a nuoi bo ang hin, hun tui fawnin ni tinin ei hrietna kolhai chu a nuoi bo a, a tonhriettuhai ngei khom râlhlo angin ei hung inlang liet a, chatuon lipuiah ei pil hmang nawk nghal hlak a nih.

Travelogue (Zinbu)

Tibur tui hmuom dong hun chen chauh hi khawvela ei hung inlang sunga ei tonhriet ei inhril sawng peia inthokin mihriemin hrietna, thiemna le varna ei hung khawl khawm a, hma ei hung sawnin ei hung changkang hret hret a, chu hmasawnna insersuon pei chun ‘sivilaizeson’ hrang hrang hi a hung hring suok a nih. Thil liem tah ei hriet theina hnâr poimaw pakhat chu mi hrang hrangin an ni tin chanchin an ziek le khuolzinhaiin an thil hmu le tonhriet an ziek ‘travelogue’ a inthok a nih. China rama inthoka Indiaa khuolzin pahnih- Fa-Hien (c.337-422) le Hiuen-Tsang (c.602-664)) hai dam, Asia le Africa rama nasa taka inzin Morrocan mi Ibn Battuta (1304-1377) dam, China rama lal ropui Kublai Khan inlal laia inzin le chanchin tam tak ziektu Venetian mi Marco Polo (1254-1324) hai dam hi entirna thra tak an nih. Tu laia travel writer hmingthang hung ni tah William Dalrymple hming hung inlarna tranna chu ama rawia Marco Polo hniekhnung suia Kublai Khan khawpui hlui Xanadu chena an biekzinna thu, In Xanadu:A Quest (1989) ti a ziek lei a nih. Hi lekhabu hi ngainuom a um kher el; Zoram Khawvel-2 (p.56-63) a khan Mughal lalhai le inzomin ka hung tui hni met khah.

Mughal lalram indintu Babur (1483-1530)-in India rama a hung lut laia chanchin a ziek Baburnama dam hi khang hun laia India ram chanchin hriet theina lekhabu tlawmte laia pakhat a ni a, British-hai an hung hnunga India ram chanchin ziek dinga an dap khawm lai khan Indian history intranna ni dinga mi tam tak ring chu Baburnama hi a nih. Kristien kohran hung intran dan chanchin khom khang hun laia Judahai histawrian suongtawlol Flavius Josephus (c.37-100) ziek Antiguities of the Jews nekin Jentel mi Dr. Luka ‘travelogue’ a ni lem. Kum zabi sawmpakuo-sawmhnina sunga ziektu hmingthang le an lekha ziekhai hi ei bi chun, an inzinnaa an thil hmu le hriet chanchin le inzom deu vong a nih. Entirnan, tienami tawi ziektu laia pa inlâr tak el, Indopui Pakhatna laia enthlatuaa thrang le ram hrang hranga inzina a thil hmu le tonhriet besana tienami za chuong ziektu W. Somerset Maugham chun kum 1938 khan, “Fact and fiction are so intermingled in my work that now, looking back on it, I can hardly distinguish one from the other” a lo ti hiel a. Chu chu a hnung hung zuitu ziektu hmingthang Ernest Hemingway, Norman Lewis, V.S.Naipaul le mi dang tam takin an amenpui ti an kutsuoka inthokin chieng taka hmu thei a nih.

March 4-14, 1989 sung Mizorama ka’n zin hmasakna tak le inzoma lekhabu ka buotsai chun Mizo Academy of Letters (MAL)-in kum tina suok lekhabu thra taka a pom le Book of The Year (1991) a pek hlak chawimawina chu a dong nghe nghe a. Hi lekhabu hin ‘Zoram Khawvel’ ti hming a put a, a second title chu Saptrongin, ‘The World of the Mizo people: Travelogue’ ti a nih. Mi dangin mani ram puo tienga an inzin thu lekhabua an insuo laiin, Mizorama ka’n zin thu lekhabua ka buotsai hi a dangdai el bakah ‘zoram khawvel’ ti trongkam ka ser hi Zo hnathlakhai khawvel huop zo le fûn kim pawlitiks trongkauthliek pieng hmasa tak a ni a, hi leia mi ngaihlut a hlaw khom a ni ka ring. Hi hming hin lekhabu sawm bek suok dinga beisei a ni a, bu 8 chen chauh a la suok. A san tak chu Baibul inlet le sut tienga ka tlumsan lei a nih.

A nih, Zoram Khawvel-8 a suoka inthok le hi artikul ka ziek inkara hin kum 12 zet a tla ta a, an sang a’n khăt ta hle. Amiruokchu, hi sung hin ei ram tieng voi tam ka chuong suok ta a, ram dangah voi iemani zat ka’n zin ta bok a. Ka’n zinna chanchin artikul ka ziek po po hi phêk 300-350 pei dawl lekhabuah hlŭ khawm inla, bu sawm chuong daih a tling tah. Ka’n zinna threnkhat ziek dinga ka ti, sienkhom buoina leia ka ziek hman ta lo, ka hrietzingna pheka kha hmaa chieng taka inlang hlak, sienkhom tu hin chu nisa suok hnunga vana arasi ang ela bo duok tah laia a thren chu ka diary-ah ka lo sie a. Thil hlui ka dapnaa ka notebook pakhat ka hmu suok ka hang tiem chun hrietzingna hang thamral hratzie le zieka thil kol thrat hang poimawzie ka hriet chieng zuol a. Red Indian-haiin an upahai an thi chang a, “Ei laibrari a kăng” an lo ti indikzie dam a mi’n ngaituotir a.

Chuleiin, ka notebook-a ka’n zinna diary ka ziek, poimaw ka ti sihai chu a bo el palh inlau a um leiin, a’n khat tawka pho lang thrain ka hriet a, Random Diaries ti hming hnuoia hin inhman châng chăng hung thun ka tum a nih. Tuta truma ei thlir ding chu 1997 June-a Kuki-Paite Conflict le kan innang chǐng thu a nih.

Kuki-Paite Conflict

Mizoram le Meghalaya chawl hmanga sawt rei kan inzin hnungin June 24, 1997 khan Guwahati-a inthokin IC-889 manin chawhnung dar 1 le minit 50-ah kannu leh Imphalah kan vuong lut a, U Lalngatta le a nuhmei Veli le a sangpa Chawnghnun, Superintendent of Police haiin an mi lo tuok a, Govt. Tribal Colony tieng kan pan a, Dr. Thari in hluo dinga an lo cheia chun kan tlung a. Zana chun inleng kan hau leiin sawt tak kan meng a. Zing kan hang tho chun ( hi taka inthok hin Saptronga diary ka ziekin ei sunzom ta ding a nih):

Imphal, June 25, 1997 Wednesday

The first news I heard in the morning from Mr. Chawnghnuna, Superintendent of Police (CID) was the killing of 8 persons, possibly all Paites and wounding of many at Saikul near Thingchom because of Kuki-Paite clash. These news were later confirmed by the local radio. The incident reportedly happened at 8 p.m (2000 hrs on June 24. The bloodbath that could follow would be serious.

Brunch at U Lalngatta’s residence. May Rose visited to discuss, inter alia, HPC affairs. Went for a haircut. At 1300 hrs Ajay from London with his Meitei friend visited to deliver a parcel sent by my daughter Moy.

At 4 p.m U Rokung from Churachandpur rang up to inform that the town was under curfew; Old Churachandpur Mission Compound was set on fire; and sounds of gunfire heard from many sides. Later Raltawnluoi (R.Tawna) also called to report that though curfew could not be enforced in the morning because of frenzy for retaliation, the army and the police could control the situation in the evening and there was no more gun firing and house burning. The main reports were:

(1) Burning and ransacking of Zo-Israel Colony near Kangvai;

(2) Bloody clash at Bungmual and the evacuation of the whole village to the CRP camp nearby;

(3) An attempt to burn Suakhnuna’s petrol pump was prevented by Hmarveng inhabitants.

Had dinner at Dr. Lallukhum Fimate’s residence. After dinner, we visited Dr. Lalchungnung at R.M. Hosptal (suffering possibly from internal bleeding).

Returned to Checkon at 9 pm. No electricity till 10 pm. Hot and humid.

There seemed no chance to visit Churachandpur atleast for the next twenty-four hours. What madness has overtaken these brethren to have chosen the path of brutality and senseless killings! Would this solve their problem in any way? What happened to their claims to being follower of Christ? Is this the true reflection of the depth of our Christianity? Perhaps.

June 26, 1997 Thursday, Imphal

Heard details of the shooting ang burning of houses in Churachandpur. Curfew imposed; burning of some Kuki houses at Singat.

Remained at home all day. Brunch at Chawnghnuna’s house. Dinner at Accountant General Kaihao Vaiphei’s residence.

June 27, 1997 Friday, Imphal

Had a number of visitors in the morning, amongst them Rev. L. Remlien, U Kamzabiek’s eldest son Joseph and Artist Moia. Brunch at U Lalngatta’s.

Went to bazaar (main market) in Joseph’s three-wheeled vehicle with Dari and Mawia, bought some pineapples and eatables. The market basically remained the same as my college days, some 35 years ago. All women bazaar. They sat on bare ground spreading their wares with small wig lamps- each one invariably white-marked on the forehead between eyebrows, all wearing locally produced handloom products. The Meitei economy is heavily relied on the shoulders of women.

Went to three bookstores in search of presentable books but found none. I wonder how a full-fledged State boasting of donning a high culture and a population of almost 2 millions with an University and a Regional Institute of Medical Sciences could manage to live without a presentable bookstore? From where did they get a flow of knowledge? Perhaps the Meiteis are not a reading community. That possibly explains their continued backwardness in thinking and living. No society can progress without a free flow and application of knowledge. Like their other Hindu brethren elsewhere, Meiteis seem to live in the glow of their mythical past, practising self-deception and mutilation. How could such a community, afraid of facing reality, live in honour and respect? Shops worth anything belong to the Mayangs. What a shame! It is therefore no wonder that guns continue to rule the roost since the past twenty years or more.

Rev. L.Remlien and Joseph organized dinner at their quarters in the ICI Church premises. After dinner, I spoke to Mr. P.L.Thanga, the Acting Chief Secretary about the Kuki-Paite clash. He said that the total toll was 14 dead and the burning of many houses including Takvom village, some 24 km from Thanlon towards Churachandpur.

I asked him the reason for the ethnic clash and he quoted Mr. Holkhomang’s word at a meeting in which one Meitei senior officer asked him why the two communities clashed. Mr. Holkhomang’s reply was that following the recent bloody Kuki-Naga clash in Chandel and elsewhere, many Kukis fled to Churachandpur as refugee but the Paites treated them shabbily and with disrespect. What a cause to fight!

June 28, 1997 Saturday, Imphal

Remained at Imphal. Could hardly move because of sprained right foot joint. Went to JN Hospital with Lalngatta, Dari and driver Daniel (youngest brother of late Nuntluong of Sielmat) at got it x-rayed at the Orthopaedic Wing- full of people but hardly doctors. No injury found but the pain increased. Doctor gave me pain-killer and advised bandaging.

Remained at Lalngatta’s residence whole day- with Mawilien, his friend and driver Daniel- all sharing endless jokes. A real feast laughter, something I missed terribly while living abroad for the past 21 years.

At 6 pm, deceased Lalsang’s eldest son and his sister Salemthar came to see us and told us about their rubber plantation at Kumbhi near Silchar airport. They said that out of more than 2000 saplings they had planted, only 250 survived. Lalsang was the son of my eldest brother Khawtinkung from his first wife who died at Pherzawl at a very young age.

Dinner at the residence of Acting Chief Minister Lianhmingthanga (P.L.Thanga). His wife Zomawi treated us with sumptuous dinner. Thanga gave us a lively account of how he and Chief Minister Rishang Keishing set up a Peace Mission on Kuki-Naga clash with carefully selected representatives from all the leading churches and public leaders from the concerned two communities and how their prayers had been answered.

Returned to Checkon at 10 pm. Read R.Zuala’s book ‘Rauthla Leng’ (1984). Very interesting ruminations.

June 29, 1997 Sunday, Imphal

At 7.30 a.m, Zomawi, wife of P.L.Thanga arrived to pick me up for my appointment with Orthopaedist Dr. Arun at Singjamei for my sprained ankle which virtually immobiled me. Dr. Arun believed that I suffered from the result of eating too much red meat which I could not be able to avoid during my hectic tours in Mizoram from May 17-June 8 and Meghalaya from June 9-23 where in almost every place, well-wishers and friends waited for me to share with them their choicest meal with ‘uisa’ commanding the menu and the best wine and other delectables they could afford. Too much of anything is definitely not good, if not bad.

Dr. Arun advised me to check my uric acid level. Zomawi not only took me to a diagnostic centre at Lamphel but even paid the cost of the test. Thank you Zomawi and God bless you for your kindness and generosity.

Returned to Checkon and took a long nap after brunch.

U Rokung called from Churachandpur to inform that the situation was still very tense and some sporadic firings were heard; some passengers trying to enter Churachandpur were sent back before they could reach Tuibuong; more villages were reported to have been burnt.

Note: Watched on television Evander Holyfield- Mike Tyson boxing match in Las Vegas in which the latter was disqualified for attempting to bite off of the ears of the former. How stupid and disgusting! It’s shameful to watch.

June 30, 1997 Monday, Imphal

My medical test result came out and my uric acid level was 9.9 against the upper normal level of 7/8. Doctor prescribed medicine for it. This was the first time I developed gout, a disease causing painful swellings in joints especially toes, knees and fingers caused by high uric acid in the body resulting from eating too much salt and meat and excessive drinking etc.

Remained at home all day, reading books and listening to classical music. In the afternoon, Bona and his wife Zuali came to visit me, as also Pu Kaihao Vaiphei, Accountant General with whom I listened to old romantic songs interspersed with lively conversations.

Dinner at Lalngatta’s house. Ajay was expected to joint us but did not turn up because of unfinished works.

Spoke with Dr. Chaltonlien Amaw (Tipaimukh MLA) on telephone. He was going to Churachandpur the next morning to attend Peace Mission meeting to solve Kuki-Paite conflict. He sought for my advice. I told him to support the Peace Mission but at the same time explore the feasibility of building up pressure groups from churches, student’s organizations etc so that through the help of these groups some solution could be worked out benefitting both sides.

Hi chen hi tuta truma ei phor suok thei chu ni sien. Trum hni trum thum hnungah Kuki-Paite Conflict intran laia Mizoram Sorkarin bufai truck 2 sip le Peace Mission a hung tirhai hmalakna chu a tlangpui ei thuol zo phuor beisei inla. (June 21, 2014 Saturday, Delhi).