Thank you for all these gifts

O taste and see that the LORD is good- Psalm 34:8

Ka ngaihtuah let a kumin ka kum thatloh kum a nihzia leh ka eng tih mah reng reng fuh hlei theilo te. Ka lung a awi lo hle mai a, engvang tak ni ang maw? Mahse ka rilru-ah chuan boruak dang daih mai a lo lut ta a, “thil thlawn pek ngun takin chhiarla, nangma chan mai chu mak ti rengin i fak phawt ang a petu.” Chutia in dawm kun renglo chuan malsawmna ka dawn te ka chhiar ve ta thung a. Thla rei tawh tak ka ban tliak leh nerve thalo chuan ngai a lo awh leh tawh a, ka duh duh ka chawiin ka duh duh tihnan ka lo hmang thei reng tawh a. Zirna avanga chhungte kum sawm chuang ka kalsan hnu-ah an bulah chengin ka duh duh hman a duthu kalo sam thin te kha ka ei in ka lo in ta a. Ka result la chhuak lo mahse Aizawl College zing a thawh chakawm ber maiah Pathianin ka thawh ve tur a lo dah ve reng mai a, chutah kum dang pawh an la tih hleihloh thawknghetlo te tan hlawhpun te pawh anlo sawi ri ta zel a. Office thawk te miten biak kan harsat deuh an tih pawh ka lakah chuan an tha viau zel a. Ka thawhpuite ka chhungte ang chiahin ka en a, nitin hnathawka chhuah kan chak em em tlang theuh a, hetiang a work atmosphere thatna hi ka la tawng ngailo. Ka rin phakbakin tun hma ka kalna thin International level workshop te kha Pathian leh thiante zarah liau liau ka lo buatsaih ve ta reng mai. Mumang te pawh a ang rum rum nia.In lama ka chhungte lah lensan hreawm khawpin min thlahlel a, thian tha tak tak te’n ka harsatna ah min tawngtaipui reng bawk a. Ka hmabak kawlpui ber mai thesis harsatna ber ka guide pawhin kei aimahin a rawn hmanhmawh tawh zawk a. Ka hlim chu ka thaw huai mai a ni.

Heng zawng zawng te hi ka phu ve reng em? tih ka in zawt a. Phu miahlo, ka nun hman dan ka ngaihtuah phei chuan “Ava mak em” tih mai tur hlir an ni.Ka tih that lam ka ngaihtuah ve thung a, sawi tur pawh ka hre barlo a. Heng malsawmna zawng zawng te hi amahin a lo awm ngawtlo a Pathian thilthlawn pek a ni chiang mai. Tun Krismas lo awm turah hian malsawmna hnar thil engkim insuihfinna ka tan “Isua” Pathian fapa mal neih chhun min pek hun a ni tih ka han ngaihtuah zel a. Ka lawm em em a ni, ka thinlung takin Pathian hnenah lawmthu ka sawi a. Ka hmabak lungkham buaina zawng zawng hi engkim neitu hnenah chuan ka hlan vek a, a chinfel zawhloh reng reng hi a awm dawn silo a, thlamuanthlak hle mai. “Fapa pekin KA awm ta” chu thilpek dawngsawng tur chuan ka thinlung thehtawpin kalo buatsaih ve ta a ni.

All gathered around to reconstruct Mizo history

A daylong International Workshop on “Priorities and Challenges to historical research in Mizoram” was held in Seminar Hall, Life Science Building conducted by Department of History of PUC. Prof Willem Van Schendel a dutch social scientist a professor of modern Asian history at the University of Amsterdam was the main resource person and Dr Joy Pachuau Associate Professor at JNU Delhi was another resource person.

This important academic deliberation was blessed by participation of research scholars from various Universities who actively participated throughout the proceeding. The British Library team with a presentation led by Kyle Jackson and Dr. H. Vanlalhruaia also mark the occasion.

The workshop addressed on one very vital issue theory and methodology in Mizo history writing. The concept of “Zomia” coined by the Professor himself and how we can incorporate this concept into our understanding of our past. This concept is popularised after the publication of Yale professor’s James Scott “The Art of not being Governed: An Anarchist history of upland Southeast Asia” As explained by the Convener on the concept “Zomia” he explained that Scott teases out the obverse of state-making and disrupts long-held views of hill peoples as “pre-state”. The Art of Not Being Governed confronts us with a “radically different approach to history that views events from the perspective of state-less people and redefine state-making as a form of internal colonialism”. Virtually everything about the communities inhabiting the “zomia” - their social structure, agricultural practices, belief system, orality - are/were designed to escape state or thwart state springing up within them. For example, Scott argument, “agricultural practices are not ecologically given, but are political choice”, disjuncts conventional notion of shifting agriculture as pre-wet agriculture. This is a history of communities who chose to keep the state at arm’s length.” The theme was addressed by Prof Willem Van Schendel.

The workshop was divided into four sessions with session one themed The Concept of “Zomia” new challenges to our understanding of history. Dr. Cherrie Lalnunziri Chhangte, Assistant Professor of English presented on "Literature and Zomia" followed by Dr. Samuel V.L. Thlanga, Asst. Prof of Aizawl West College, on Zomia in text and context. The second Session was themed “Research themes in the writing of the history of Mizoram. Dr. Malsawmliana, Asst. Prof of Govt. T Romana College have a discussion on Ethnography, Fieldwork and Archaeology, followed by a photo presentation titled “History and Archive” by Dr. H. Vanlalhruaia & Mr. Kyle Jackson of EAP British Library and Dr. Benjamin Ralte, Asst. Professor of Govt. T. Romana College also talks on “Biographical research in History”.

Another presentations are Irene Lalruatkimi of Asst. Professor and Head i/c Department of Mass Communication, MZU on “Challenges in Media Research: A Study of DDK RNU Aizawl” Joseph K. Lalfakzuala a Research Scholar, CPS, JNU on “Recapturing the Past: The Nature of “Nation” Formation within the Mizo frame work” Lalmalsawma Khiangte, Asst. Prof. Govt. Zawlnuam College on "Identity and the Writings of History."

The last session is a review by Esther Laltlankimi, Faculty PUC On Willem’s- A Politics of Nudity: Photographs of the ‘Naked Mru’ of Bangladesh and Lalrameng K. Gangte, Faculty PUC On Willem’s Stateless in South Asia: The Making of the India- Bangladesh Enclaves. The session was concluded by Prof Willem summing up the future prospects for Mizo research in history.

Dik tak zelin le...

Ram leh khawtlang kan vei tlang. Kumin kan Beirual Thuzir pawh chutiang lam hawi zawng chu a ni. “A rau lo” ti tawk lah kan bo lo. Eng chu nge rau a, eng chu nge rau lo? Hei hi zawhna pawimawh tak a ni. Kan thlarau chan hian kan nitin nun a nghawng siloh chuan kan ram leh hnam chu a nghawrnghing har ngawt ang. “Thlarau rah erawh chu hmangaihna te, hlimna te, remna te, dawhtheihna te, ngilneihna te, thatna te, rinawmna te, thuhnuairawlhna te, insumtheihna te a ni zawk e (Gal, 5:22). Pathian a hlimna lam piah lama nitin kan nun a kan hmanchhuah chi vek a ni.

Kan ram leh hnam hian veitu/sawitu tamtak a lo nei tawh thin mahse tha thawh te chu tlem te an ni. Kan kohhran hruaitu zingah pawh hian kohhran vei em em si ram vei pha silo kan awm thei bawk! Kan thlarau chan hian Biak In zawl bak a pel theilo a nih chuan a pawi thlawt a ni. Kan ram leh hnam damna chu nitin kan hnathawhna thlarau rah kan lan chhuah tirna ah hian a ni. “Aw mihring tha chu a entir tawh che a ni; LALPAN a phut che chu eng nge ni? Dik taka tih leh khawngaihna ngainat leh i Pathian nen a thuhnuairawlh taka len dun a ni lo vem ni?” (Mika, 6:8).

Chhungkua a tlakchham a a awm a sum lak luhin a daih tak loh te hian DIK TAKA tih te hi a va har thin em! Mahse chu chu LALPAN a phut che a ni. Thlaler-a riltama kan Lalpa a awmlai khan Setana khan lungte chhang a chan tir turin a thlem a, pum a rik ruk ruk phei chuan chhang tuihnai tawk a chan tir kha a chakawm ngawt ang. Mahse chu thlemna chu Amah kan entawn theihnan a hneh a ni. Zirlai tan kan mawhphurhna chu enge ni ve ang le? Kan pian kum (DOB) dik tak a ziah te, Scholarship form a fill up tur kan nu leh pa te income diktak kan ziah (DIK TAKA) tih hi min phut a nilo em ni?

Nu leh pa tan sawm a pakhat Pathianin a chanvo a a ruat hmiah te hi DIK TAKA kan pek hi a phutlo em ni?

Kan buai em avang hian nitin hian Pathian nen hian kan leng dun hmanlo em ni le? Kan hnungtawlh tak tak hi chuan kan tawngtaina thluk te hi a zuai raih tawh thin nia! Pulpit tlang a thusawitu te kan nun a sengluh aiin sawiselah kan ram tang duh a. Keimahni leh Pathian inkar ngaihtuah aiin midang leh Pathian inkar tur kan buaipui chiam thin. Kohhran in hmanna a hmantlak viau si chhungkua a tangkai mang silo te hi ringtu tha an nilo! Ringtu tha dik tak chu Sam a lan dan chuan “A ni chu tui luang kianga thingphun, a hun te a rah thin a hnah pawh uai ngailo ang hi a ni a, a thiltih a piang chu a hmuingil zel ang” Mite tan a rah chhuah thin, a thiltih zirna ah pawh pass thin a ni tur a ni. Siamtharna chang leh tur hian Lal Isua Kraws hnuai a thuhnuairawlh taka kan kun leh hi a tul a ni.

Bible-a mi rinawm Josepha chanchin hi a ngaihnawm ngawt mai, Josefa anga rinawm taka nitin a hnathawhna hmang a Pathian chibai buk thin hi Pathianin a zawng mek a ni. Josefa nunah hian khawvel a thil thleng khat kan hmu Jail atangin Prime minister nihna. Potiphar-a nupuiin mutpui tur a thlem chiam khan ti hian a chhang “engtin nge he sual lian tak hi tiin Pathian chungah thil ka tihsual theih ang.” Ni e, kan thiltihsual thin hi mi chungah kan ti sual a nilo a Pathian kan chung a mitlen reng tu hnenah kan ti sual thin a lo ni.

He thumal te “DIK TAKA TIH” tih hi kan ram leh hnam din chhuah nan chuan a tawk.