Lamka Soft Power

by Haumuanlun Samte

Regardless of the fact that, we … were members from the Simte, Gangte, Vaiphei, Thadou, Zou, Hmar community, we talked Paite. We were one.

-Lealyan Thawmte

1980s leh 1990s bullam khawng kha Lamka vanglai chihtheih di eive maw. Manipur a khopi nihna Lamka in, private property a om tamlouh ziak leh open investment climate ziak in, mun tuamtuam apan sumdawng mi a hiipluut hi. Hiai in khopi naupang chik himahleh Lamka a hon khangsak mahmah. Mizo sumsinmi te’n business a honpan ua, Meitei nupi te’n nektheih nengneng a honzuak ua, Marwari leh Punjabi mahajon te’n dawr a hong hong ua, khotual sumsinmi te’n singpi hotel, paan-dukan leh dawr tuamtuam a hon hong ua, Bihari samtan te le hong luut zomah, leh India gam mun tuamtuam apan sepaih leh solkal nnaseem hongpai khawm leh khotual pau kinai chikchik omkhawm te’n rong tuamtuam in Lamka khopi a zeem mawi uhi. Lamka khopi a hong khankhiat dan hiai ahi. Nam tuamtuam kituaktak in i teengkhawm liiliai a. Huai ah Paite pau a laar pen hi. 

Himahleh, 1997-98 galbuai in thilteng a subuai gai. Paite leh Thadou in Lamka khopi a thuneihna a kituhna in thilteng a subuai gai. Gaal a hongveng a, a kibottan sa khantouhna khaugui pen, i hon pehthak a, i hon zomthak nawnta. Huchiin, awlawl in Talpaak te a hongluut ua, tu in ahihleh, i khopi laili tak, New Bazar bang, amau’ a a hongsuak ta. Khopi sung a mun lai leh poimoh teng kua te’n tuhun in aluah ua? Tedim Road dung a dawr na va kai chiang in bang pau a tual leeng pen in na thei a? Endih, Lamka khopi’ tung ah thuneihna kua’n a tawi a? Hiai dotna, tuhun in chiangtak in i dawng theikei maithei. Himahleh, kum 10 nung in i dawnna bang a honghi dia?

Mawltual sung ah ball a omta. Kimawl siamsiam in vualtung tuanna a la diing. Kitaitehna a kipanta. 

Khovel a namchih in gam leh khopi a neichiat uh. Jews te’n khopi a nei ua, Vai te’n khopi a nei ua, Naga te’n khopi a nei ua, Mizo te’n khopi a nei ua, Talpak te’n le khopi a nei uh. Eimi te’n i khopi uh omsun Lamka ahi. Lamka a thunei leh vaihawm diing eimi te i hi. Namdang te’n hon etlah sak mahmah ua, a sakmin “Lamka” chia deihthoh tak a ina phuah bang, min dangdang in a lou uhi. Etsakna – Churachandpur, Tuithraphai… Lamka a i thuneihna leh vaihawmna i kepbit touhna di’n thagum a zat theihkei diing.

Hiaimun tak ahi “soft power” a hongluutna. 

Soft power ahihleh thagum zanglou a, mihing lungsim thuzohna ahi. Mihiipna leng a chihtheih. Harvard University professor Joseph Nye in hichiin gen, “Thuneihna i chih eima' deihdan a midangte omsaktheihna ahi a, lampi thum in a hihtheih: thagum zat (coercion), kipahman piak (carrots) leh hiipna (soft power). Amasa pen in mi hiip phot peuhmah le, adangte geel nuamtak in i zang theidiing.” Aman gamkhat’ soft power hiaite ah a kinga a chi: culture, political values leh foreign policy. Hiai thilthum te, midangte’ adia etlah huai thei di a i phoukhiat siam chian i soft power khang a hong himai hi. 

Khoveel ah US' thahaatna kuama'n a chou ngamkei. Gam 130 vaal ah a sepaih te a koih a, khenkhat te adin huathuai mahle uh, American culture hi, khovel mite’ etsaang pen ahi. Voice of America leh Fullbright scholarships, Boeing leh Intel, Google leh I-Pod, Microsoft leh MTV, Hollywood leh Disneyland, McDonald’s leh  Starbucks chihte US apat hong kipan ngen ahi. Hiaite’n khovel pumpi a mite’ hinkhua a thunun zou mahmah. Atom a gen in, American soft power khangsaktu ahi uhi.

Hiai ah politics hilou in culture leh media lam i geen zaw diing. 2007 in Chinese President Hu Jintao in 17th Communist Party Congress ah China in a soft power a haatsak seem poimoh ahihdan a geen hi. Kum tamlou paita in US$6.6 billion hithet bei in, a gam solkal' media nih, CCTV and Xinhuanet a puahpha uhi. Beijing Olympics bang leng China in a soft power nasatak a a zalhna di’n ana zangta. Confucius Institutes a pankhia ua, huai tungtawn in Chinese culture, khoveel ah a thehdalh sawm uhi. Huaimah bang in, UK in British Council, Swiss in Pro Helvetia; leh Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal te'n Goethe, Cervantes, Dante Alighieri, Gulbenkian chih te a nei diudeu uhi.

South Korea enle, a pop culture uh K-Pop, dramas, movies in 1990s apat khovel, adiak in Asia a honmuut a, mite'n ana deihthoh mahmah uhi. "Hallyu" (Korean Wave) chi a theih in om zezen. Japan te'n J-Pop, Manga Comics leh adg dg anei uh. J-Pop in Korea a zoh luat diing lauh man in a solkal un naaktak in K-Pop ana tosawn hi. Tulai in Lamka ah, beauty contest-na bang om henla, a telte' kiang ah,"Koi gam ah na zin utpen?" chih dotna kibawl ta leh, Switzerland khawng hinawnta lou in, avek phial un, "South Korea" a chi ngei diing uh. Arasoiyo?

India bang in le, akiim a gamte kiang ah a soft power hu naaktak a zaap eingal ve. Adiak in, Bollywood leh a TV soap opera te tungtawn in. Indian diplomat, politician leh laigelhmi Shashi Tharoor in hichiin a geen, Damascus ah a President pa' uh lim tuk a lian, kholai a atun vialvual uh omsun, Amitabh Bacchan' aa ahi. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi bangchu, asuahlai a, Afghanistan nupi te'n ana haichilh hial dan uh ahi. Ngaihtuah mah, 2009 a Oscars ngah remrum, “Slumdog Millionaire” leh “Jai Ho laa” te’n bangchi tuk a India hihna khoveel a zuakkhia ahi di? 

Eigam ah enta le, unau Mizo te'n tumging leh laa tungtawn in a soft power un Lamka a a honzou naak mahmah uhi. Lamka kholai a laa kithang pen ahihleh Mizo laa ahimai. Kicheina, khotaang vai, biakna leh adg dg ah leeng Mizo te’ hih dandan ngaisang in i enton uhi. Huailou in, Talpaak te’n leng a soft power a hon zuak naak mahmah uh. A tangthu gelh hou chikchik te uh bang siamsinna inn te ah sinlai in i tawi a, All India Radio Imphal program a laa, thu leh lemchiin tungtawn in bang a honzou mahmah uhi.

Awle, mi te’n a Mizo zial uh, suktuah laam, Daduhi, Loktak, Moirang singju chihte a honzuak lai un, eite’n amau kiang a zuakkhiat diing bang i nei a? Ei tualsuak thil te nawmvalh a om gai sim maimah ahihkhaak diing a lauhuai.

Tu in, Lamka khopi apan polammi te' muh din i soft power baantha i zalhkhe zou saam hiam, chih saang mah in, i khopi sung mahmah ah, i unau pih nam tuamtuam te’ lak ah, bangtan ah i soft power huu i zaapbaan a, chih kidot a poimoh hi. I khopi neih sunsun ah eimi te’n thu nei lotel lou pi a om  khialkhual nilouh i hihkhaak diing a lauhuai hi.

Ipau-iham, i tanchin, i tawndan, i tangthu, i thugelh, i lagelh, i laa, i  tumging, i laibu, i khutsiam-silbawl, isiam-ipilna leh i mihinna te'n i teenpih midang te a hiip hiam, chih kiveel ni.  Namdang te’n eimi te’ a hon ngaina uhia, a hon chimtaak uh, chihbang. Ahihkei leh a hon ngaisang uhia, a hon nuaisiah uh, chih khawng kingaihtuah ni. I niteng, kaalteng leh khateng tanchinbu te mite' hon simsak di'n i thehzaak zou hia? I thugelh te, i laibu bawlte, i tangthu phuahtawm gelhte midang te' lungluut didan in i gelh siam hia? I gam a solkaal ofis a vaihawmna tutphah teng luah thei di’n lai i siam hia?  Medical, engineer, business, hospitality leh line tuamtuam a siamtungtuang diing mi i seekkhia hia? I nam minthang sak, kimawlsiam bangzah i nei? I lemchiin te mi te’n a en nuam uhia? I nungak-tangval te uh a fel un a meelhoih biik uhia? Ahihkeh, i music video bawl te mi te'n et taak a sa diing uam? Khutsiam-silbawl lam ah koimun ah i ding ua? Zodawn a i khua a teeng mi te’n zin a dou siam uhia? Mite’n lim a asak diing uh, ei’ tualsuak ann leh nektheih bawlkhiat khawng i nei di ua aw? I gam ah mun leh mual kilawm taktak tampi omte, khualzin mite’n a veh leh et theih diing khawng un puahpha in cheimawi le bang a chi dia?

Hiaite hi, i soft power haatdan tehna a hi a, mite’ lungsim i zoh a, eilam a i kaihluut theihna din, tua atung a i geente naktak a haat leh khansak a poimoh hi. Ei tualsuak - Singngat Special, Zoukhankhual, Inndongta, Min phuah dan, Tuivai teengkol, Buhmansang, Saikul bawngnawi, Chiangpi seekkhum, Mata dam, Ngakiik,  Kaihlam Tang, Lungthul Kawl chihte nasatak a puahpha in zuak khe ni. Adiak in, i pau hausak takmai, chi tuamtuam – Dapzal, Lamzang, Bukpi awphawi – te bang mi tamseem kiang ah zuakkhe ni.

Tulai khovel ah thiltheihna haatna ahi. Gam/nam haat i chihte sepaih haupen te ahi nawnkei ua, information leh communication access tamtam, baan ah a tangthu uh a hoihthei pen dia puangzaak siamsiam haat ahimai hi. Hiai din media – print leh electronic – in mohpuakna liantak a nei. Media nanana ah chu Lamka ah eimi te mah i haat uhi. Newspaper kihawmkhia tampen ahihleh eipau a kisuah Manipur Express ahi. Cable TV pekhe tu luunpen Hornbill Cable Network, ei a mah. Tongluang leh Zing Daitui, leh SMS news channel, ZogamThuthang nei hang a. Lamka a sappau niteng tanchinbu The Sangai Express leh Imphal Free Press a correspondents te ei’ a te hilai. Internet lam chile, Northeast adia website tallang pha, Zogam.com, niteng in vehtu 700-1000 kikal phazou gige. Hiai information leh media lam a i haatna uh kepbit a, khansak zeel diing ahi.

Soft power khanna dia kalbi poimoh masa ahihleh kizoptuahna hoih ahi. Zodawn a om te, Lamka zaang a om te leh khopi a om te - i theihna uh, i ngaihdan, i siamna leh adg dg te i kikuptuah theih uh a poimoh hi. UK a om nungak leh Delhi a om tangval te’n i gam a thiltung te internet ah a simthei tuak ua. Lamka a om papi leh Sinzawl a om papi te’n newspaper ah ana simthei tuak uhi. Hiai UK-Delhi-Lamka-Sinzawl kizopna bawlhoih pen ngaih poimoh huai ka sa. Huai di’n SMS bang a lampi zangkhai mahmah khat ahi. SSPPNet, Zogam.com leh ZogamOnline te ah ngaihdan hoih taktak kikupkhawmna apai gige a, huai te Lamka zaang a om te’n ana simtheih uh lunggulh huai hi. Huaibang in, Angel’s Vision te khawng in talk show leh discussion tuamtuam a neihsek te uh, leh tanchinbu tuamtuam a thugelh te mundang a om te’ muhtheih di’n a lunggulh huai nawn hi.

Ahi a, hiaibang a globalized world a i teenlai in, ei a kia va chih tentun pen a hithei nawnkei. Mihing tuamtuam leh van (products) kizomkhawm a, kiviallehna khoveel a teeng i hi uhi. Nam chiteng teenkhawmna, Lamka khopi’ pluralist leh cosmopolitan spirit i kepbit ngeingei diing ahi. I kimveel a teeng mite pilvangtak a huaidan i siam diing ahi. Ahitak in, i khantouhna di’n zaw Meitei te’ talent, Mizo entrepreneurs, Vai te’ sumpi, Burma (Moreh i chih mai) van leh nektheih, American technology, Indian democracy, Naga cultural market, foreign investors (FDI) te tengteng Lamka khopi ah Zomi puanzaak nuai ah, kituaktak a, a hong kichomkhawm uh a poimoh hi. Lungsim kihong tak a soft power zatdan i siam a ngai, chihna ahihchu.

Huaiban ah, mite’n Lamka khopi, a hon etlah diing uh i deihleh i pawlpi tuamtuam te’n human rights gum a, environmentalism phungvuh a, diklou leh sual dou a, pupa tawndan keembit a, i media te’n zaleentak a naa a septheihna diing ua mun thoveng i suahsak diing ahi. 

Abang-abang hileh, i khankhiatna dia poimoh masa ahihleh zawnna haakkol apan suahtaakna ahi. I ngaihkhawk diing ua poimoh khantouhna chi nih a om – hardware leh software. Hardware development omtheihna di’n i lampi te, tuineek, gammaang, khopi kilepdan te leh adg dg i et a ngai a, software development diing in bel, a mihing mahmah i kidopsang uh a poimoh hi. Mikhat in nikhat a ann nihvei  neek diing a muh a,  a ta te siamsinna hoihtak a piak theih a, huchia amau hinkhua a nuamzaw dia a khektheihna diing ua a ta te’n sepna leh summuhna kichian a hon neihtheihna diing ua lampi i bawl diing ahi.

SSPP GHQ Magazine 2010 ah suak