Guun gaal a saltaanna

NAUPANG Pauminthang in kha 3 vaal vingveng, Kawlgam a taaninn a genthei tak a hinkhua a zatdaan a mangngilh ngei nawnkei diing. Tu in bel a nu’ kiang ah lungmuang tak in a ihmu theita diing. Mahleh, a zaalmang in bangzah vei seen naubang a kaplai dia? A lawmte, a u te, a gamkuan pihte’ omdiing daan a ngaihtuah chiang in a lung amuang tuankei diing. Chikchiang in a hongpawt kimthei diing u’am?

Apaita May 6, 2006 a Indo-Myanmar gamgi zuul, Aisih mun a singpua mat a om te’ mabaan diing a limchi hetkei. Amau te kum 12-15 veel thong kediing a thu tankhum in om uhi. Hiai in mipi te’ lung hon suphawng mahmah hi. Bangchi daan? Bangziak? Ahidiing mah ahi diam? Bangmah theih ahikei. Singsaat ziak a kum 15 heenkol va bulhdiing chih i ngaihtuah chiang in a kithaman hetkei hi.

Hiai mat a omte’ taangthu hong kiveikhiat daan bulsuutna i neidiing.

I gam a sing tawmta ahihman in i gaalleh lam a gammaang te i luhlouh ngaal lampi dang a om nawnkei hi. Neekmuh theihna diing kong kihong om mahmah lou ahihna ah ahidiing him mahleeng ahi. Kimohsak theih ahikei. Ahia, hiai in thil lauhuai tak leh thil zumhuai tak a hon tuaksak ta. Phalna bei a gamsung luut, guta chia mat in i hongom ta.

Hiaithu hong kitheihkhiatna ahihleh, May 15, 2006 a Unaupa H. Khamkhansuan in Varanasi apan SSPPNet a a hon kaapkhiat tungtawn in ahi hi. Kha khat veel a kidiah nung in leeng hiaithu in koitan mah a deengpha kei. Mat a om innkuan te’n palai sawl in Singngat bial MLA Thangso Baite va kimuhpih ua, aman “DC leh MP (Outer) kiang ah a thu ka na tundia, a pawtna diing un pan i la diing,” chiin na khamuan hi. Hiaiteng himai. Abaan bangmah omlou. Police ah complaint bawlna omlou himahleh Singngat OC Kamzathang, SI’ panlaakna ziak in May 24, 2006 in case chiamteh in om (pan) hi.

Huchiin, khakhat vaal a kiveinung in, amasa peen diing in Heutupa Thangkhanlal Ngaihte in The Sangai Express (Lamka Impression) ah June 11, 2006 in hiaithu hongelh hi (Unheard of, uncared for). Hiaihun tan in leeng Lamka hi’n Imphal hileh thuthak saite kuamah apan bangmah thu zaak ana hinaikei lai hi. Tuazoh in Singngat ah Unaupa Dongkhansiam in OC Kamzathang va kimuhpih a, thil omdaan va kanchiang hi. Mat a om te’ min, hihna, gari bangkim theihsuah hong hi a, huchiin, hiaite pansan in Heutupa Thangkhanlal in Imphal a tanchinbu te ah a tanchin uh hon suahkhe ta hi. Singngat leh Delhi kizopna ziak a a thu hongthang khethei phet ahi hi.

June 24, 2006 in Zomi Human Rights Foundation Delhi Cell in MP Mani Charenamei kiang ah memorandum khia a, MP pu in leeng June 26, 2006 in union home and external affiars minsters ah lai ana khaak a, a kuulbang a Burma heutu te kiang tundiing in kuun hi.

Hitamahleh lametna khovaak muhdiing bangmah a omtuan kei.

Hun hong kivei zeel a, August 3, 2006 ni in MP Mani Charenamei in Lok Sabha ah Indo-Myanmar gamgi zuul a Zomi nnaseem, mi 21 mat a omte’ dinmun taangkouna nei a, a kinlam a khahkhiat ahihtheihna diing ua panla diing in ulian te phuutna nei hi. Huchiin a tanchin te uh zaak a hong hipan ta. Mahleh a thu uh donsak ahinai tuankei lai hi.

Parliament a thu tut hita, chia lametna liantak toh ngaak ahihlai in Mizzima news in thuzaak nop huailoupi a hon puangkhe ta. August 26, 2006 in Tonzang Township Court in a tungthu uh geelna nei a, sabet ziak in mi khat kum 15 taaninn a taang diing in thu tankhum a, midang 19 te singsaat ziak in kum 12 taangdiing chi hi. Nupang kumching lou peen bel khahkhiat ahi. Amau te ahihleh Kalemyo Township, Sagaing Division sung a Inndainggyi prison-cum-labor camp a koih diing, kichi hi. Mizzima news in a geenna ah a tuung in Burma vaihawm te’n mat a omte’ kiang ah sum ngeen ua, tua hileh thunung-thuma omlou a khahkhe diing un kigeen hi. Himahleh bangzah ngen uhiam, chihbel theih hilou hi. Burma gamsung daan in, gamdang mi mat a om te, township level court a dinsak theih hilou himhim hi. Huaibel Tonzang a court in a tungthu uh geel theilou diing a, Chin State khopi Hakha a ngaihsut diingdaan ahi hi.

Tu in laizom mi 20 te’n Burma jail ah hinkho thak honpan ta diing uhi.

Hiaithu i ngaihtuah chiang in a hehhuai a, hihtheih bangmah a om tuankei. Malsuah bial a teeng i hihna ziak ua nelhsiah a i om peen ut in utkei lehang leeng pomsiam mai ngaidiing bang hi. Ahia, kha li sung vengveng hun a kivei nung a a thu, a tunna diing mun tung nailou, chihpeen lungliap huai lampang ahi. August kha tawp a Tonzang Court in mi 20 te thutanna a bawlkhum tan in leeng Yanggon a Indian Ambassador in a thu bangmah zakha nailou lai hi. Pu T. Khankhup, IFS, Ambassador, North Korea in September 5, 2006 in Delhi ah Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) a a saipi pa va kimuhpih a, tua pa’n kintak a Yanggon lam a thu tutdiing in thu pengaal hi.

Amah, Pu T. Khankhup in thil paidiing daan, a guhgeel, nouneel tak in hichiin geen hi: “A sungte ua pan dolkhat, a lungkhamna uh geenna leh hongkiik uh a deihdaan uh ngetna om dia, tua peen District Administration in Manipur a Home Deptt. ah khaak diing a, huaite'n MEA ah khaaksawn diing a, MEA te'n a nnaseem taktak diing Indian Embassy kiang ah khaaksawn toudiing hi. Huchiin hongkiik theidiing bang in omta le uh, travel document piak baihlam tuan mahmah ding hi. Huchilou in bel khah hile uh leeng hiaite India mi taktak hi uhiam, chih dotna hongom nawn thei hi.

Tuabang kaal ah AITSA President Pu Khamchinpau Zou in a pantheihna lam ah a hihtheih bangbang in MEA lam ah ana buaipih hi. Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariat a sem imi-isa te’n leeng pan ana la siausiau ua, MP Pu Mani in Burmese embassy te leh External Affairs a mi poimoh te kimuhpih touzeel a, tolhlou a panzeel sawm ahihdaan geen hi. “Gamgi zuul a zuihdiing policy, nou a dia hoihdiing, honkhung un. A gaal lehlam tuak a teeng mi te chikhat-sakhat na hihna uah, solkaal in daan a hon bawlsak theidiing. Huchiin, ke’n phualpi solkaal ka na phudiing,” chiin MP Pu Mani in geen hi.

MP pu in a hon awlmoh mahmah ziak in aangtan huai peetmah hi. A saanglam ah awlawl a thil hong paidik diing in lamen phot peuhmah le. Huchibang kawmkaal ah, a niamlam, eilak a pan i na laakdaan te uh i etchiang in lungtun huailou bang hi. Hiaithu toh kisai in innlam a i pawlpi neih te’n a buaipih khaaklam uh bangmah thu a kiza kei a, hiai in dotna tamtak a piangsak hi.

Hichibang a imi-isa, 21 hiilhial Burma jail a khum bichilh a a omlai un, buaipih naaksaang in Singngat bial MLA Thangso Baite in a buaipih te su nawngkai tu in na pangmawk hi. Parliament tanpha a taangkou pih ahihnung in MLA pu’n, “Mi 21 te Burmai jail a om hilou ahi uh, gammaang a om ahi uh,” chi diaplel hi.

Mi’ gam a phalna bei a singsaat a mat a i va om peen thil hithei mah ahi. Huchia i tungthu uh phualpi solkaal in hon nelhsiah peen leeng ahidiing him mah ahi, maalsuah mite i hi ngaal ua. Ahia, bialtu MLA khat in hichibang kampau a zatpeen ‘haihuai’ deuh hilou hia?

[inputs from Zogam.com and SSPPNet]


© vaphualization september 15, 2006

Beyond the Guun Valley

SOMEWHERE DEEP in a Myanmar prison camp, a heart cries out for home in utter desperation: “Have they left me to rot in this place?” Somewhere in a distant land, a daddy lays in the lonely silence with his only company – the memories of his children, family, and home and of his buddies who would, perhaps, never return back again. And back home, sorrow-filled eyes gaze at a photo on the wall, draped in a traditional robe– a dad, and a husband – whose hope of return dwindles with each passing day.

It has been over four months now that some 21 helpless daily wage earners from Muallum and the surrounding areas within Singngat sub-division in Churachandpur, Manipur were captured by the Myanmar government for illegally intruding the international boundary. So far no positive developments have come to the surface. MP Mani Charenamei raised the issue in parliament and pleaded with the External Affairs and Home ministers for their immediate and safe release. They were arrested on May 6, 2006 along the Indo-Myanmar border near Aisih village in Tonzang area of Chin State. It’s true that either side of the border is inhabited by the same ethnic Zo people. They use to cross over the border in search of their livelihood without any disturbances from any quarter as they use to return to their respective homes on daily basis. An international boundary may demarcate them, but deep within their hearts, they are one people.

While the anticipation for a concrete outcome is still running high, a rather disturbing news has emerged. Our worst fear begins to transform into reality.

Reports recently came in that 19 out of the 21-odd persons were sentenced by the Tonzang Township Court to 12 years imprisonment for their alleged timbering activities. One person was sentenced to 15 years rigorous imprisonment for poaching and Pauminthang, a six-year-old kid, was being freed on humanitarian grounds. The 20 convicted are being incarcerated in the Inndainggyi prison-cum-labor camp in Sagaing Division, Myanmar.

No wonders that the largest democratic government in the world turns a blind eye to the plight of its citizens all through these months. We are ‘here’, the government is ‘there’, and the fact that 20 north-easterners get over 10 years jail term out there in Myanmar has nothing to do with the national security.

A similar incident took place last year. This is not the first of its kind and may not be the last either. So, rather than a fire-fighting approach, it is desirable to take a longer perspective. Economically. And ecologically.

Due to relentless jhuming and deforestation for timber trade, our hills are increasingly getting bald-headed. This naturally leads to soil erosion, decreasing fertility, climatic change and landslides. We clear our forests to provide food for our increasing population. The timber trade exists because of the demand for domestic fuel and brick industry in urban centres like Lamka and Imphal. Without adequate power supply, there is a handsome market for timber and charcoal. This business has been going for almost a decade within Manipur. Villages in the ‘Zodawn’ area had survived on this trade for a whole generation. Due to the depletion of forest on the Indian side, we are beginning to invade the other side of the border. This eventually leads to embarrassing situations.

While it is crucial to bail out the helpless victims of poverty, it is important to highlight the need to change our attitudes towards our environment. Similar problems confront tribal communities in Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Western China. But many of them successfully overcame these challenges. With a little help from the government and training in innovative methods of farming, many tribal communities managed to move out of poverty. Distress migration into relatively better off places across the Tuivai river in Mizoram or into urban areas may be a way of coping with the economic problem. But this cannot be prescribed as a solution for all. Rural areas or the countryside needs new designing for this. In order to have a viable economy, some kind of grouping may be helpful. But I know the practice of jhuming cannot support big villages. That is suitable only for scattered families over large tracts of thick forest. But jhuming cannot give any income or even food [generally understood as “rice” among us] for one year. In another sense, jhuming devastates our environment and drives people into both ecological and economic poverty. This is a deadly trap.

What is important is to shift form jhuming to alternative and more productive methods of farming. Meanwhile people need something to eat during the transition period. Moreover, indigenous and outside investors cannot be attracted in rural farming unless the state provides basic infrastructure like roads and health care to our villages. There are entrepreneurs interested in investing in farming and related activities like fishery and animal husbandry. But they were pestered by some unwanted social elements, who demand taxes and even forced them to move the hell out of our land. Till the reforms in 1991, our country had been indoctrinated in the doctrines of Nehruvian Socialism. That was totally anti-entrepreneurial. It was against enterprise-culture. The contempt for entrepreneurs is deep-seated within our society – especially within the church. This resulted in a dependency culture where everyone aspires for Government jobs, sanctions or all kinds of sarkari privileges.

To some extent, we are chained to poverty by our social attitudes and outdated education. While our training in English is the most marketable skills we could get, the outdated content of our education crushes and paralyzes most people. It made them utterly useless – or rather harmful – for the society.

The solution for the villagers and townspeople remains the same. We urgently need to develop our infrastructures. Any politicians who can do deserve public support. Election agendas should be dominated by our real economic problems. And not by some imagined elements, foreign threats or the like. The threat of political corruption is the greatest threat for our helpless villagers along Tedim Road and Guite Road. This threat will surely lead to more economic and ecological poverty, physical and spiritual deprivation, malnutrition and slow death itself.

Meanwhile, far away in the valley of despair, beyond the Guun river, the quavering cries of the 20 helpless victims refuse to die down - all the while being heard by deaf ears, and seen by blind eyes.


[Note: Guun river is the other name for the Imphal river. It enters River Chindwin from Manipur and flows into the Irrawaddy in Myanmar.]


© vaphualization september 7, 2006