July 11, 2007

Some thoughts on Parents’ Day

We are living in a reserved society. We all are way too reserved when it comes to expressing our good feelings to people. Especially towards our family members. Words don’t come easy. You just can’t go to your mom, hug her, kiss her on the cheeks and say, “K’on ngailua, henu!” That’s the thing they do in movies. Not here. Not by us. It sounds like a novel.

And I didn’t say those three little sweet words to my parents on Parents’ Day. I should have. But I just couldn’t. I know I love them, but telling them how I love and miss them feels a little too weird. Not for me alone, for everyone; even for my parents. Suppose I say, “I love you” to them, I would be expecting something quite like, “What the hell! What’s wrong with you?”

Last Sunday, July 8, 2007, we were celebrating Parents’ Day in our local church. To tell you the truth, it never really mattered to me what this day is all about. But something happened the previous night which would change my take on Parents’ Day for years to come. I came to realize that the next day would be Parents’ Day only when a very good friend of mine SMSed me.

“Happy Parents Day! As you’re the eldest son, may you be the uplifter(sic), joy and the pride of your parents and family.”

After reading the message, I began to give a serious thought on this Parents’ Day. I began to think about my parents back home. And I whispered Happy Parents’ Day softly.

I still remember ten years ago, when during the Kuki-Zomi ethnic clash (1997-98) our village was attacked. It was a cold winter night, and I was just a little kid back then. Gun shots were heard from every corners, people get killed and houses were burnt. We had to run for our lives. That was when I was separated from mom and dad. Dad was on duty that night, mom and kid brother ran to the church, and stayed there. I don’t know how it all came about, but I found myself running towards the army camp. There were crowds of people, some sitting tight clinging to each other. Some were crying, others were praying.

I sat in a corner wondering where dad, mom and brother would be. It was so cold and I felt intolerably lonely. The drama dragged on for about three hours.

At last when the mayhem came to an end, and the inferno died down, I ran towards the church. I saw my mom there at the entrance searching desperately for someone. When she saw me she ran towards me, embraced me and asked, “Bawi, dammaw?” with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Dammaw” is casually used to greet someone; the literal meaning of which is “are you alive.”

The word struck me like lighting. Mom was not greeting me. She was asking me if I were alright. She was asking me I really were alive. It’s a question of survival, of being alive.

I replied, “Yes, nunu.”

And here I am holding those bittersweet moments in my head, feeling only too sorry that I didn’t tell mom how I missed and loved her all through these years.

Umma, Sarang hae yo*.


[*Korean connection here, eh? Been watching loads of Korean movies lately. ]

July 06, 2007

July 7, 1997: Singngat puuksiatni phawkkiikna in

“Nunu, bangziak a amau thau a a honkaap uh? Bangziak a i inn a haal uh?” A mithah etlawm takmai, hak kilkel in a nu a entou a. A nu’n, “Bawi, amau maw misual te ahi ua eivoi,” chiin a dawnglel hi. Naupang nu’n bangmah a theisiam kei. Huchihlai in a tungzawn uah thautang a hongleeng fitfit hi. Lauthawng takmai in a nu’ ang ah a belh biimbeem a, a nu’ mit apan khitui hongtaak khe te’n a biang a hon taaksulh telhtelh hi.

Leenkhang Hausapi Vuum apan July 7, 1997 ziingni hongsuak in kumtawn a a mangngei nawnlou di’n Zogam khangthubu ah bungthak khat a hon suahkhiat pih hi. Hiai ahihleh Singngat vaangkhua puuksiatni thupi ahi. June 24, 1997 apan lauhthawnna in mipi te hon tuamkhum a, kuamah khualzin leh neekzong a vaakhia ngam ki omlou hi. Himahleh, hiai Seppatni ziing ni hongsuak khia in lamdang takmai in mipi te’ lak ah gaalmuanna hontun a, tuani in tamtak te neektaak zonna lampi zui in kikuan khia hi.

Ziing ann neekkham in lawmte toh cricket kimawl diing chiin ka kitawn kual uhi. Kholai lam ka zotlai un lampi ah Pa Lutkhogin leh atapa Tg Mangmuan, sakol nih toh buh pawdiing a hongkuan khia ka tuak uhi. Gam kuankhe diing te lak a a bel peen hi un ka thei. Tuanung sawtlou in khosak lam apan thau a hongging phek hi. Daak 8.45 veel ahi. (Omdaan bel, khosung a khenpat phet un pata te meelma te’n ana man ua, huai apan Pa Lutkhogin hongtai khethei hi. Amau leeng delhzui ngal ua, kaap mahle uh vaangphat huaitak in hong suakta hi. Thau a khahsuah khaakziak ua kiging khawl manlou a, khosung a geelkhawl bangtak ua hongluut suak zoulou uh ahidiing. Tg Mangmuan peen gawl aattansa a muh in om hi.)

Huchiin Singngat buluhna thupi pat a hong hita.

Thau a hongging nawn a, innlam zuan in ka tai chenchen hi. Akua-kua leeng hamhaih in ki om vengvung mai hi. Kho tawlam apan in thau a ging zom dodot a, tumlam khokhang apan leeng a kizazom ngaal hi. Huaihun in 32 RR a Major Nautiyal in a heute Mualnuam lam ah zinkhiat pih a, camp ngaak in mi 3-4 lel nusia hi. Khosung tuailai te kikai khawm in, singtaang thau neih daandaan, gophel, tempawng, teipi tawi in meelma khut apan vaangkhua humbit sawm in kisa uhi.

Meelma te’n hon naih hiaihiai ua, duty post masa lam te kikhahsuah pah ngaal hi. Ka inn gei ua mawltual om hiveen, huaitung a mual apan meelma te’n panmun honla ua, a thau un hawt in hon hawtsuk maimah uhi. Ka inngei ua guamkuak ah khosung salpha te’n ana nang uhi. Hichibang a thauging kiza nailou ahihman in lauhdiing daan leeng kitheilou a, lamdang kisakthoh maimah hi. Amau lam te’ automatic rifles kihawt ging i zaakkhit chiang in eilam te’ single barrel khatvei ging kiza dumh zeel hi.

Amau neihdaan nei zoulou a kihihchiang in kampau a a raap thohlam ki uangbawl hi. “Zogam salpha pang ua!” “Koi ta na rocket launcher,” “Na LMG honfit ve,” “Koi na grenade,” “M16, AK-47!” Hiai gaalvan te a geentu te’n leeng huai hunlai a a muhkhaak ngei uh ka gingkei. I tungzawn ah thautang hong kitheh sungsung a, a leenzawng in gingsuk vengveng hi. Nalh zezeen. Tohlet glass te bang hong kikaap keh phangphang zeel.

Mun tuamtuam, mun li veel apan honnawk tuah ua, eilam te leeng nasatak in kipang fanfan hi. EBC biakinn apan mike honthuah ua, khosung mite khamuanna leh meelma te vauna in kikou honpan ta uhi. Thau ging toh, kikou aw husa toh, kahna aw toh a luum in kiluum vengvung mai hi.

Huchihlai in ka innsak ua khoutung a pang, meelma te’n meisel det a hon panta uh. Huaiphet a Pa Lianzam’ kikouna aw tuni tan in ka bilkha ah a mang naikei: “Ehe, ki hichi bawl di mo?” Buai kipan tuung ahi a, hichibang a aziak-azaal omlou a inn kihai haalsak mawk diing chih kuaman ki gingta lou hi.

“I bit nawnkei” ka kichi ua, innpam lam a nahtang huan manoh in kuun kheukheu kawm in ka hongtai khia uhi. Siikdai saang taktak bang kikaan zialzial mai daan ahi. Meikuang ging humhum a kiza theita. Kho tolam apan leeng meikhu hongzaam tou luailuai a kimu thei panta. Pu Vungluai’ huan ka tun un mi tamtak ana om ua, huaimun ah ka hongbok tei ta uhi. A kap pawl toh, a thuum pawl toh, a kongkaw pawl toh.

Meikuang humhum leh vankaang a puak ging toktoh kawm apan meelma te’ paukam a kizathei hi. A hon choubawl ua, a khente vualzou chiin kipaak in a hawk in a hawk uhi. Mawltual lai ah, Hill Model skul apan football a laakkhiat te uh a peekging uh a kizathei a, whistle khawng a muut vengvung ua, vaan laizawl a a thohkaang volvol uh ball khawng kimu thei hi.

Meithal ging lah a dai theikei a, tunglam i etchiang in meikhu a kizialtou nguainguai mai hi. Tu in bel a nangtu’ lamte thawm a kiza nawnkei. A hongkuan lamte’ thawm ngen ahita. Biakinn apan paungaihna leeng a daita. Zogam salpha te’ husa ging leeng a kiza nawnkei. Nupi mangbang kap a kidiik hiphip te leeng a khawlta uh. Naungeek te’ kahna aw ging leeng a daihna a sawtta.

Daakkaal thum vingveng sih leh hin kikaal a ka kibuk nung un, i lawmte’ thawm a hongdai a, ka bukna uapan ka hong dingkhe ta uhi. Hing-dam a meel kimunawn thei chiin khitui luang zoihzoih kawm in ka hong kikawi tuah ua. Himahleh ka hong paikhiat chiang un a geen a geen vuallouh lungziinna in kou te a hon vaidawn hi.

Sauliim nuam teng lah a na kaangtum mai ta. Khutvuak a om, i kithopna dong teng lel toh, inn kang baang, khu vuaivuai etmai zaw… I mit a hongvai dundun a. I lungsim ah bangmah a kilang theikei.

Misi luang, a kaangbaang, a liam leh sisan taak zungzung khawng a honzawn zeel ua, a honzawn zomzeel ua… A kaangtum khin a inngei khawng uah nupi te khupboh hial in a kap huphup ua, a pasal te un lah hehnep diing daan tuan a theikei uh. Naupang neu chikchik te bang in vut suak maita, a inn uh en in a ding nirner ua – azaan zaan a tawldam tak a a ihmutna uh, aziing a vahtak a ann a neekna uh. Lampi lai ah sisan a kitheh nengnung a, thautang bawm hawm khawng a dim phengphung hi.

Bazaar buuk ah puandum a kituam, siluang 18 a kikham zengzung a, a et a hak ngeimai. Amau te ahihleh haangsan tak a meelma khut apan miimbang pianna vangkhua humbit a pangte hi ua; bangmah theilou naupang bang, nungaak leh puteek bang a tel uhi. A laukha uh khawl tawldam heen. Tua lou in midang 4 in liamna a thuak uh. Hiai ni in inn 150 veel haaltum hithet in a om a, Kuki-Zomi buaisung a dia khatvei thu a misi tampen leh inn kaangtam pen, a nasa pen a chiamteh phak a honghi hi.

Suunni mual ah a hongtum a, muikhua hongziing a, thawmhauna huihkhi in khosung a hon zeelsuak hi. Zaan a hongsawt a, gaal a sihal haam loungal thawm zaakdiing dang a omkei. Tumlam kawlmong tungzawn ka ettou a, tua ah aksi meikhutung chiangtak in ka muthei hi.

© vaphualization


Ngilhni omlou diing

A sakmin uh i lunglai ah a mang ngeingei louhna diing in huaini a honna paisanta te i taaklang.

Mr V Pauthuam (50) s/o V Routhuam
Ms Ruati (22) d/o V Pauthuam
Mr B Chinzanang (46) s/o Luaizakham
Mr Thangbiaksang (18) s.o Neihlian
Ms Biaklalpaul (25) d/o Ngulkhothawn
Mr Tualzamuan (20) s/o Thangzachin
Mr Paulunlal (17) s/o Damkhanthang
Mr Thangkhansuan (28) s/o Pastor Nengkhogin
Mr Daigouthang (47) s/o Chinthawng
Mr Mangzamuan (18) s/o Lutkhogin
Ms Niangluan (25) w/o Khawlza-awn
Mr Khamkhopau (70) s/o Ngulzam
Mr Khamzadal (84) s/o Chindai
Mr Nengkhopau (42) s/o Pumgin (Takvom)
Mr Luangin (60) s/o Vungsiam (Takvom)
Mr Zamkhochin (50) s/o Khamzathawng (Takvom)
Mr Pumsuanlal (5) s/o Zamkhochin (Takvom)
Mr Suanbiaksang (2) s/o Luanzakham (Takvom)

Liamna thuakte:

Mr Liansonmang (16) s/o Ginkhopau
Mr Liankhanthang (20) s/o Vunghnun
Mr Paukhothang (46) s/o T Khanneng