Bye For Now!

Sometimes it is hard to define one's feelings।

Just the other day we invited a family friend over to attend the Good Friday service and have lunch with us after that।She came to India some seven years ago escaping from the clutches of the military rulers of Myanmar (Burma) to seek asylum। She and many like her are in Delhi hoping one day to be transferred to countries like UK, US, Canada and Australia where they hope to build their lives all over again. Where they believe they can make a new start and build back their lives from scratch. Having spent some years in India under the aegis of UNO she became a refugee and thus given some kind of stipend to make ends meet. She told me this is not enough. It is also doubted that they are getting the whole amount due to them.

As we were having our lunch we reminscened the day I dropped them off at Guwahati Railway station to their uncertain life ahead। Now that she has been assigned to go to Australia she was upbeat and even enthusiatic about her new life ahead. We were also happy for her but at the same time one wonders if this should be an occasion to celebrate or be extremely unhappy about it. On the one hand she may be able to live a normal life which is not possible in her home town in Chin State nor in New Delhi where she is virtually an unknown face, an alien. She had, must have, undergone some very traumatic experiences here in New Delhi where the local people are not known for their empathy for outsiders. Yes we are happy for her to that extent that she can now do whatever she wants, go to college or start working and somehow live a better life. The whole experience of being displaced again was never an issue for her or others who have been transferred from one country to another। They prefferred some foreign country to their own home.

Why would anybody want to live in some foreign country? It must be sheer desperation and hopelessness that drove thousands like her away from their own country and start from scratch.

My sympathy to all those who are misplaced, displaced and disowned by their own country and hopefully one day there will come an opportunity to go back home। I also hope the elements that make people run away from their own homes be wipe out from the face of the earth and punished for their sins.

Someday she will invite us to her home and it won't be Australia or Canada or US but home where we all love and where our loved ones are. Where we live and build our own society with peace and harmony, where we practice our own religion and be a part of the government that provides for us and protects us from foreign forces. A home to die for and most importantly a home to live for.

Ka Pa’ Hong Nusiat Kum Nih Cingta

Zomi i cih ciangin, Zo ngeina limtak lenin, puahin kipsak hi.
Zolai bulbawlin mainawt sak hi.
Zogam itin khual hi.
Zola phuakin sa hi.
Zomin phuakin, Zopuan silh in kizem hi.
Zonik tengin kalsuan hi.
Zo kumthak bawl in Khuado hi.

- Rev Khup Za Go (Courtesy: Chin Students Association Golden Jubilee Souvenir 2006, Lamka)

Dahna sungpan lungdamna

Amasa in tuni ciang hong kem,hong huai i biak Pasian’ tungah lungdamna thu ko Rev Khup Za Go’ innkuan te in ka ko uh hi.
9th April 2005 ni in ka pa in moto accident in hong nusiat vat ciangin dahna tawh ka kidim uh hi. Tua laitak, kei leh ka nau in sep leh bawl kician zong nei lo ka hihmanun bang ci nek zon ding, bang tawh kivak ding cih pen ka lungkhamna mahmah khat uh hia, u-le-nau, pi-le-pu, veng-le-paam, pawlpi mite in zong hong ngaihsutna thu khat mah ahihi.

Tua hinapi in, tagahte, meigongte a kem i Pasian in tuni ciang dong khat vei beek ann hong ngawl sak lo a, giah na ding inn hong pia lai a, silh ding ten ding hong guan a, hong it ding hong ngai ding veng-le-paam, pawlpi mite leh makai cing mahmahte hong pia lai cih ka theih manin lamdang sa in lungdamthu ka gen cim kei hi.

“Na thuphate sim dih in;
Khat khit khat ngaihsun dih ve!”

Ka pa’ hong nusiat ciangin kivak bang sepna ka zonloh phamawh a hihmanin ka sangkahna ka khawlsan phot hi. Lamdang takin khakhat zong bei manlo phial in sepna ka zong leh ka mu pah mawk hi. Transcription company Standard Data Pvt Ltd kici khat hia, Zomi tampi in ki sem a nuam mahmah hi. Tuni dong hih company mah ah ka sem lai hi. Kum nihpha nailo napiin “promotion” khatvei leh “increment” nihvei –yearly increment simloh – ka ngah man hi. Pasian in tagahte leh meigongte kem in hong cing takpi hi cih kit el mahmah hi.

August 23, 2006 in ka pa’ hansuang honna Lamka-ah Chin Baptist Association makaihna tawh ka va nei thei uh a, ka lungkim tuam mahmah hi. (NB: Ka pa’ luang ka va zui kei hi; ka nu leh ka nau ni zui hi.). Tua ni in Lamka sung pawlpi mite’ hong itna leh hong deihsaknate a hizong Zomi muntuamtuam a omte tungah lungdamthu genna mipi maiah ka nei thei a ka lungdam hi.

Hih bang ciang ah ko innkuan, bangmah siamna leh pilna neilote, neih-le-lam bangmah a nei zolote, ka nuntak theih na uh pen, hong kem i biak Pasian leh Zomite hang bek mah ahihlam ka tel mahmah hi.

Lungdam!

New Delhi Khuapi sung ah ka pawlpi uh Zomi Christian Fellowship in ka pa’ hong nusiat nung nangawn in financial support hong pia lia uh a, ka lungdamna lian mahmah hi. Siate leh makaite in hong veh in thu hong ngetsak ngitnget uhi.

Siatvehna hong piak ban uah Leivui Panin hong zuaksak Rev Chin Do Kham (Tulsa, US), Rev GK Nang (Pasadena, US), Pa Ngo Cin Thawng Suantak (Washington DC, US), Pa Pum Za Chin (Norway), Rev Tuan Za Mung (Singapore) leh internet ah hong zuaksak www.zomistore.com neipa Paul Khaipite tungah lungdamthu ka puak hi.

Ko innkuan hong it tawntung, hong veh zo den Pa MC Dal Thang, Zo Chronicles vai leh case vai hong huh tawntung Pa Kam Khan Siing, Tg Dr Lam Khan Piang, Tg Kham Khan Suan, Pa Thang Za Lun leh midang tampi tak in ka kisap bang un sum leh pai ahizong tha-le-ngal tawh hong huh tawntungte tung ah i biak Pasian in thupha a tam sem hong piak na ding ka thungetna ahihi.

Ka pa’ han ciamtehna mualsuang hong bawlsak hong vaihawm sak ka u Pa Nang Sian Paute nupa tung ah ka lungdam mahmah hi.

"Rev. Khup Za Go Tangthu" ci a ama tangthu kimtak a hong kaihkhawm sak a, laibu no a hong bawlsak Dr. S. Neng Ngaih Lian tungah lungdam thu ka pulak hi. Ka pa laibu sungah a kigelh lo ama tangthu leh naupang lai thute a kimzaw in hong guangsak ahih manin ka pa tangthu a thei nuam a om khak leh tampi pha tuam dingin ahih manin ka lungdam hi.

"Rev. Khup Za Go Tangthu" sungah pa phawkna thu tuamtuam hong gelhsak, hong phawksak - Rev. Dr. Enn Za Sian; G. Swan Za Lian, Chairman, ZCF, Delhi; Rev. Job Thawngno, Associate Pastor, Tahan Baptist Church; Rev. GK Nang; Upa Nok Suan Lian; H. Kham Khan Suan; Hau Za Cin; Rev. Dr. JM Ngul Khan Pau; Rev. Suan Khan Thang te tungah lungdam thu ka puak hi.

Pa phawkna la phuak hong khak: Pa Gin Za Khual, New Lamka; Pa Suak Khaw Gin, Aizawl; Ni Hau Zen, New Lamka; Ni Dim Khaw Luan, Budiman; Pa S. Neng Za Thang, New Lamka te tungah zong lungdam thu ka pulak hi.
Zomi Christian Literature Society, Kalaymyo pan Rev. Suan Khen Mung, Executive Secretary in Dahpihna leh sigalna sum hong khak uh ahih manin hong phawkna uh hong itna uh hangin lungdam ung. Zomi Christian Literature Society India in zong pahtawina laidal hong pia uha tuamah bang in Zomi Baptist Churches, Champhai, Mizoram pan zong ka ngah uhi.

Zomi National Congress min tawh President, Pu Cin Sian Thang in zong dahpihna, thuakpihna lai hong khak hi.

"KA LAIKUNG PANIN" cih laibu ah pa phawkna hong neih sak laigelhpa ka u Dr Hau Za Cin tung leh Zo Aw Publications Director Dr Neng Ngaih Lian tungah zong ka lungdam hi.

Ka gelhkhak loh tampi zong omlai cih zong ka thei a na vek ua tungah lungdam mahmah ing. Zomite kiitna a manphatna leh a taangzai zia ka tel mahmah hi.

Pasian in Ama kiangah om dingin ka pa uh Rev. Khup Za Go, Pastor, Zomi Christian Fellowship, Delhi hong laksak zawh tuni in kum nih tak cingta hinapiin , hong nusia ngeilo vanglian Pasian in hong ompih a, innsungah PA mun hong luah in hong kem, hong khawi, hong khamuan a, zingvai hong hawmsak hi. Tua manin tuni ciang kitung hi. Mailam zong hong gualzawhpih ding hi cih ka lamen hi.


New Delhi
9th April 2007.

Zogam Aw Na Mite'n Hong Taisan Maw!

Zomi Refugees in Delhi

7th March 2007: Due to the political and economic condition of Myanmar hundreds of Chins (Zomi) have been displaced and are seeking refuge in countries like India, Malaysia, US, UK, Australia, Thailand and few other countries willing to take rehabilitate them.

The fortunate ones get rehabilitated in developed countries like US, UK, Australia, Canada, etc while the unfortunate ones are waiting for their chance to go to these countries by seeking refugee status in countries like India, Malaysia etc. While country like India should have been more sympathetic and understanding of the situations of such refugees it is not always the case.

Hundreds are stranded in India waiting for that golden opportunity to fly across the ocean to the land of "milk and honey" as US of A is known amongst them. They lived in tiny rooms infested with rats and mosquitoes and harassed by their landlords. They have no proper guidance or someone to give them advice.

Worst of all is the total lack of interest or empathy by other Zomis who also live in Delhi and are relatively well connected and well off financially.Strangely enough no Zomi from other countries like US and UK who are more fortunate, have no time for their brothers and sisters in India struggling to make ends meet in a strange and sometimes hostile environment.

Ode to Zogam
Lonely and alone you wail and wail!
Alas! All in vain!

Why have you forsaken me?
Where have you all gone?

Alas! You just have to let us be
Let me tell you I am not alone
In saying "Zogam you have been forsaken by your own!"