March 27, 2008

Xui lalat!

Tulai Vai laa khat nalh sa-a-sa mawk hiveng aw. RACE OST Atif Aslam in a sak, Pehli Nazar Mein ahi. A kaih chituam, a music changkang, asa pa' aw hoih. Nalh ka saklam thei in ka lawm Vaite khat in, a hon bluetooth hi. Huchia a laa ka neihnung zek in, ka lawmte khat in a hon fawn a, " Huai Vai laa nalh i sak pen maw, Korean laa eive. A kaih a laaksawn uh. Serial khat a om. Ka fawn apat direct a ka na record na ngaih utleh," a honchi hi. Ka ngai ngei a, huai Korean laa toh Vai laa pen a music paidan, accoustic gindan, a kaih leh bangkim ana kibang vek mawk!

Ka fawn apat Vai laa chu ka delete rang khermai. Vai te'n le Korea te' aa laaksawnna chaang ana thei eive uale maw. Huchia lasawn ua, a film ua laa dia zang ua, gamsung pumpi a min a minthan pih zomah uh.

Huchibang in i ngaihsang mahmah unau Mizo te'n le tumlam gamte' aa a lasawn sek uh. Eilawi la? Kua te' aa ale i laaksawn? Sonu Nigam? Vanlalsailova? Hehe. Nuihzat huai. Mizo te' khawng eng a eng ngaihsang, a hih dandan uh enton. Vai laa khawng lasawn nguingui, sa nguatnguat. Mi i etton lele a sangdeuh te mah etton di eive.

Huchidan a chu, keile Mizo laa ngaina lou ka hihlouh pi. Ngaisang peetmah ka hi. Adiak a Michael M. Sailo bang, saap rapper te toh a kikim a koihhial dan ka hi. Miss Zomi 2008 zan a asak, leenkhop laa a remix dan mahmah bang, thupi salua ka hi -- khanglui vai leh khangthak vai a zopdan kha. Mahleh Gloria Chiinlianniang in ataktak a, "Unau khat hihang" chih a sak toh, tehvual ka sakei hithet zeel. Eimi leh eilaa kaan zaw omkei maw. Midang te i ngaihsaanna in ei a te a nenniam tuanlouh diing ahi.

SIMAS 2008 video bang i etleh thupi lawtel. SSPP Standing Committee Chairman pu in Lianlunching laa saklai a khutkawi ana muut; Zogam writer khat in khawllou a akhut ana zaaksuak den; S Chingnu laa saklai a Delhi YPA Prez leh Secy., Zomi laigelh siam minthang mahmah leh khangthak te'n kipahpihna paak pia a va bawm luailuai; V Siampu' laa sak in zoulaw mahmah a mikhat, ama ah khupboh a vakap top. Hiai in bangzah ta a i laa te thupi a mipi te'n kipahpih hiam chih a muhtheih hi.

Zomi Nam Ni lopna khawng ah midang te i chial deuhveel ua, bangpi ahituan sam ua le. Thil i hih masak diing om hi'n ka thei. I chialte khawng in ahihleh platform a neilian lawtel ta ua, ei a te domsang photni. Mi thupi Haumang leh SN Thanga te bang dainawl a khiinkhiat mai din a pammaih lawtel uh. Damhoihching, Chingthianngai, TG Lian, Nengzachin leh adg. dg. te bang khatvei dingsak thaklai ni.

Duhthusaam gencheuh le. Music system fuh deuhmai in hon tuamveel henla, huai ah, eimi laa, a kaih changkang deuh, a thu gil deuh, a music nalh deuhmai khat, repeat mode in kikoih henla, 20 vei khawng i ngaihsuak nung a le i zaakchim theihlouh di bang omleh -- a uthuai ngeimai. Chikchiang in a hong om dia?

Khangthak Benjamin, Mimin, Pauginmuan, Chingmuankim, Vungthiankim, Lalboi, Muanlal, Rabbi, The Banguri, Rig Vedaz, na za uhia?

En le i mel kibatpih, a movie uh i haichilh Korean lamte laa paidan khawng XUI LALAT le eivele.

March 04, 2008

Why, Nona, why?

Why, Nona, why?

Another racist remark, yet again. This time i wouldn't just be a mute spectator. I'm gonna fight back and make my voice heard. Nona Walia of Times Group writes something terribly ugly about us Northeasterners. "Walk into a spa which has music, scented aroma candles, but you'll meet a professional doctor rather than a Linda from the Northeast," writes she in her story,"Spa with a difference" in March 2,2008 Times Life, Times of India's Sunday supplement.

A Linda from the Northeast. Why is this phrase added? Is it necessary? Why Linda? Why Northeast?

This is what i've written to her.

Why, Nona, why?

I’ve been a silent, appreciative and avid reader of yours for quite a long time now. I liked your style of writings. It’s catchy. It’s cool. I truly enjoyed every bit of them.

But that’s passé now.

Sunday, March 2, 2008 began just like any other day. As I flipped the pages of Times of India, Delhi Times, then Times City, your name caught my eyes, like it did every other day. This time you were writing about “spa.” To tell you the truth, I never really gave a damn about spas. I read the piece only because it’s written by you. Nona. A name I’ve always admired.

As I began to read, I ran across a line that says “a Linda from the Northeast.” I didn’t quite grasp the connection between “Linda” and “Northeast” and “spa.” I reread the line. Still an uncertain shadow of doubt fogged my mind. It took a long moment to register.

Then in a moment of stark realization, your words hit me like a shot. Right in the heart. The implications came way too fast for me to fully comprehend. You were mocking and ridiculing us. I screamed the hell out of my lungs. Brute Indian majority. Brute North Indians. Brute media. Brute journalists.

That’s the only thing I can do. I was so helpless. I’ve been screaming and yelling like this for so long now and I don’t even know where it all started. I don’t know who or what to blame. I’ve always asked myself “Who the hell am I? Where the hell do I belong? Just what the hell am I doing here -- in a country that boasts of being the largest democratic republic, and of the existence of diversified cultures and religions, and yet, perpetuates the idea of racism, prejudice and discrimination?” We’ve been fighting a tough battle trying to dismantle the mental constructs that perpetuates the great myth of racism in a country we fondly call ours.

Let’s get real here. You don’t want us. Fine with us. We never ever wanted to belong here either. It’s just that history has been cruel to us. English imperialists ruled over India for about two centuries, and after that Indian imperialists rule over us, till this day. But, let me tell you, our hope has not yet been lost. Our hundred-year-old hope. To be a free nation in our own land. Where the clear spring of love, peace, prosperity and unity flows. Where every man respects the dignity and culture of others. That moment will come. Someday. Someway.

As for you, Nona, I wish to thank you for enlightening me through your several articles in the past. Reading your articles has been such a great experience. I don’t really blame you for adding the phrase “a Linda from the Northeast” in this particular write-up of yours. It’s just that you disappointed me.

And March 2, 2008 was the day you lost a fan. For ever.

RELATED STORIES

Racist Remark!! - Hoihnu Hauzel, Special Correspondent, The Telegraph
Racist Remark, Yet Again - Joy Tonsing
The Story of an NE Girl - MetroNow, September 21, 2007
Somewhere I Belong - My post

March 03, 2008

Delimitation leh Zomite

[Delhi Zomi Nam Ni Discussion Report]

Delimitation huihkhi in Zomi te nasatak in a honzeel suak. A kikheel nung in. I theih toh kiton in a tung diing teng ana tung khinta. Delimitation Commision in hun sawttak mai, nouneel tak a asui khit un, Working Paper hon suahkhia uhi. Huai ah, phaizang bial apan constituency thum kiam diing a, singtang ah constituency thum punbeh diing, chih ahi. 2001 census ah singtang bial khenkhat ah population nasatak in khang a, hiai pansan in phaizang mi te’n Delimitation exercise dou daal uhi.

“All political parties of Manipur” in 2001 census a dikkei, census bawlthak nawnma Delimitation a pai theikei diing, chiin Guwahati High Cout ah heek uhi. Huchiin, Supreme Court leh Center level tanpha hontun ua, atawp in January 14, 2008 in Presidential Ordinance hongsuak hi. Tua in Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh leh Jarkhand te ah 2026 tan constituency lepthak ahi kei diing, chi hi.

Delimitation Commission in tua Working Paper a bawlna uah, i gam, i Vangsel Zolei, nasatak in a hon sukha hi. Lamka khopi i chih, Churachandpur North, East leh West a phelkhap in om a, Thanlon vuiliam in a om. Atom a geen in, Zomi te kigawmkhawmna khuampi, khetsiat a om diing chihna ahimai. Tu in hiai Delimitation pen Meitei te’ doudalna ziak lel in a paisuak theikei. A vangphat huai. A vangsiat huai. Ahihleh, muangtak a ihmut suk nawnmai diing ahi diam leh? Zomi Students Federation Delhi Cell in hiaithu a kikupkhawmna nasatak in February 23, 2008 in JNU a Zomi Nam Ni uapna hun ah sai hi. Heutupa Thangkhanlal Ngaihte leh H Khamkhansuan te’n hiaihun honpi uhi. “Eimi te’n mi a kinungdelh gige,” Thangkhanlal Ngaihte in chi. “Mite’ thilsawmsa ei’ deihdan toh kituaklou a i paukhiat chiang in ei a gilou kisuak.”

Heutupa Thangzalun Khuptong in classified information mipi paikhawmte mai ah simna nei hi. A thutuun bel tam i gelhkei diing. Phaizang mite’n hiai delimitation a doudaalna ziak uh leh phualpi solkaal lam apan thusuak te ahitaangpi hi. “Delimitation chu, tu dinmun a kichaivawt hita mai,” chiin khin hi. Heutupa Khamkhansuan in, “Ei Zomi te’n hiai delimitation apan i ki-etthak diing uh thil tampi om ahi. Policy bangmah a kinei kei a, thil himhim i phuutchiang in meikang-phelhmit-policy i zang uh,” chi hi. “Issue khatpeuh a om chiang in, information interlinkage a kithuzaaktuah a om ngeikei. A theite’n amau a kitheih ua, midang te’ theihdia puangzaak lou in, a koihdap mai zeel uh,” chiin geen. “I nam sukha thei thil a om peuhmah chiang in athei te’n mi te hilhsawn in, i website te leh lam chi tuamtuam tungtawn in kithuzaak tuahni,” chi hi.

Heutupa Thangkhanlal in networking lam i chauhdan uh naaktak in geen a, plan hoihtak ineih uh poimoh ahihdan geentel. “Hiai delimitation, ei a dia wake-up call a i zat diing uh ahi,” chi hi. Delhi ah, ministry teng ah eimi te i omsuak phialta ua, hiaite zatdan siam a poimoh dan a geen baan ah, i zeeldim thubawl a, “Meitei te suheh khaleng” chih lauhna lungsim put pen paih hunta ahihdan geen. “I MLA te question kia hilou a, interrogate hun ahita,” chi hi.Heutupa Thanghnun in, “Eilawi, mite’ policy sualden a, en policy bawl ngeilou ihi,” chi. “Hichibang thu [delimitation] a saikei di chih a constitution a om ahihkei leh Zomi Council in panla theilou ahidiam?” chiin dotna bawl. “Hiai i lawmte’ proposal, Zomi te a din avalh haksa mahmah a, huaiziak in, hiai in Zomite’ lak ah kithutuahna leh kigawmkhawmna hontun heen,” chi a, “Delhi mun a om te’n leeng i panlak dan i khen diing uh ahi. Innlam te’ sai dia kheet gige diing i uhia?” chiin a thugeen khin hi.

Heutupa Ginkhanthang in, awlawl in hongen diahdiah: “2001 apat a hiai process ana paita ahi a, i MLA leh apex body te’n ana theilou diing un ka gingkei. Theilou ahih uleh le apoikei, theilou ahimai dua. Proposal thu a consultation bang ana om ahih a, eimi heutu te’n ana AW ahi duam?” chi hi. Baan ah, heutu te leh nautaang kaal ah gap lianpi om hi’n aman geen hi.

Hiai kikupkhawmna hun a kigeen kha point tamtak chiamteh diing a om. Khatna ah, dinna kichiantak neih leh laak diing. Pom thei hia, pom theilou. “Ka gam uh hiaibang a khenzaak a a omdiing pen ka deihkei uh” chih pawlpi’n a theidia kilawm te kiang ah a taaklat diing ahi. Nihna ah, Zomi Council relevance kiam abang. Zomi sung a namneu chih in amau deihdan, atuamchiat in, taangkou pih uhi. Hiaibang a tribe chih a kipei suausuau pen ahoihkei. Tribe-based politics mah a kiiknawn i bang. Common approach bawlngai hilou hiam? Thumna ah, saupi en in kalsuan ta le. I khonung buai lalat louhna diing un a hunlai in census bang ngai poimoh ni. Atawpna din, hiai delimitation ahihleh, ei’ buai ngai hetlou in a hongveng thei a, heutu te’n Pathian kiang ah kipahthu tamtak a geen diing uh a om. Nam pumpi mualphouna, thangpaihna leh keekzaakna diing dinmun akipan Meitei te’n a hon hotdam ziak un.

[Siamsin Bulletin]