JAC hails Naga Hoho gesture

Imphal, May 31 : The JAC formed against the brutal killing of Kasom Khullen SDO Dr Thingnam Kishan and his two sub-ordinate staff namely Yumnam Token and Aribam Rajen Sharma has appreciated the sincere effort of the Naga Hoho and Eastern Naga People's Organisation in convincing the NSCN (I-M) leadership to hand over Hopeson Ningshen, the prime accuse in the murder cadre, to the CBI on May 28 .

In a statement, JAC chairperson Lt Col (retd) S Tikendrajit Singh said that JAC firmly believes that any other NSCN (I-M) cadres found guilty in the subsequent investigation by CBI will also be handed over without further ado.

Extending its gratitude to all organisations and individuals cutting across community whose comprehensive and unrelenting pressure on the State functionary left no alternative to the Central leadership but to warn the Naga rebel outfit of a possible raid of its camps in case Hopeson Ningshen was not handed over to the CBI on May 28, the JAC recalled that Hopeson Ningshen was produced in the mobile court of CJM Ukhrul at Tulihal Airport complex yesterday and remanded to CBI custody for further investigation for 15 days.

He will be subsequently produced in the court of CJM Ukhrul on June 12 on the expiry of the remand period and JAC sincerely hopes that CBI will bring out all the culprits involved in the gruesome murder and prepare necessary charge-sheet against them within the stipulated time frame of 90 days before any possible move of bail application is contemplated, the JAC chairperson expressed.

Meanwhile, the JAC urged State Govt to make proceedings of the inquiry committee headed by O Nabakishore Singh, IAS available through filing of an application under RTI Act.

31 labourers held by Mizo police

SILCHAR, June 1 : Tension gripped the Asom-Mizoram border at Lailapur of Cachar as 31 labourers from this side of the border were locked up in Kolacib PS. Sources said, altogether 93 labourers went to Vairengte of Mizoram in search of work yesterday. They were eventually detained by Vairengte police as the labourers could not reportedly produce their Inner line permit or certificate from the local panchayats.

However, some of the labourers were later released as some Mizo people told the police that they had hired the labourers. Remaining 31 labourers were detained by Kolasib police. Dholai PS OC Aizur Rahman told The Sentinel today that till Saturday evening there had been no news from Kolasib about the release of the labourers.

Sources said, the new Congress government in Mizoram had made ILP mandatory even for the labourers who need to enter Vairengte in search of work.

Later, a district-level party between Cachar and Kolasib decided that these labourers would be allowed to enter into Mizoram if they could produce certificates from the local panchayat.

Dholai Panchayat GP authority has agreed to issue such certificates, but some labourers yesterday intruded into Vairengte without the certificates from the panchayat body.

On Friday night, Rahman and other police officers went to Kolasib for releasing the 31 labourers, but they were sent back by their Kolasib counter-part with the assurance that the labourers would be released on Saturday.

Rahman hoped the labourers would reach home today night. He further claimed that the situation was normal.

Rains beginning Saiha skies are visited repeatedly by teams of myriad colours at various times of the times, with our new Nikon I tried capturing a glimpse.

A Saiha morning.........

I got this view of the Blue Mountain in the background with the Circuit House in the foreground from the Helipad before the clouds changed forms.

Clouds invited the evening a trifle earlier the other day, some lights went up at the Camp and I was lucky to be then on way from the market to our office.

Stunning sunsets i ever associate only with Agraa (Madhya Pradesh); the Saiha (Mizoram) skies during the past week have however made my list longer. This is from the terrace of the building in New Saiha East that also houses our office.

Lightning continued for well over 15 minutes on a late cloudy evening while thunder was conspicious with its absence, i took the opportunity and rushed upstairs

How i love the monsoons here.......

Resent in Mizoram over non-representation in union ministry

Aizawl , May 30 : Cross sections of the Mizo people expressed dismay at the absence of a representative from the state in the union council of ministers while both MPs from neighbouring Meghalaya were inducted as union ministers.

Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) leader M C Lalrinthanga today accused state chief minister Lal Thanhawla of being powerless to influence the UPA and the AICC leadership to include C L Ruala, the lone Lok Sabha member from the state, in the union ministry.

" While Meghalaya PCC leaders could manage to include both their MPs in the union ministry, the weakness of the Mizoram PCC leadership stood exposed," Lalrinthanga said.

Lallianchhunga, a lecturer of political science in Mizoram University, lamented that the Congress leadership in Delhi failed to appreciate the huge mandate received by the party from the people of Mizoram in the December state assembly polls and the recent Parliamentary polls.

Bru refugee Identification soon

AIZAWL, May 23 – Mizoram government officials posted in the districts adjoining Tripura and Bangladesh would soon conduct identification of Brus in six relief camps in Tripura to find out who are bona fide residents of the state and their descendants.

“The officials would coordinate with the NGOs in the identification process,” chief secretary Vanhela Pachuau told PTI, adding that the criteria would “include enrollment in the Mizoram voters’ lists and knowledge of Mizo language” amongst others.

Meanwhile, Young Mizo Association, the largest NGO in the state has announced that Bru refugees who are bona fide residents of Mizoram are welcome to return.

Thousands of Bru community migrated to Tripura in the late 1997 due to communal tension and were lodged in the six relief camps in North Tripura district’s Kanchanpur Sub-Division since then. The Mizoram government and the Ministry of Home Affairs recently decided that the refugees would be repatriated to Mizoram.

Outright discrimination against Chakmas in Mizoram

By - Paritosh Chakma

There are 71,283 Chakmas in Mizoram, according to the Census of India 2001 which also states that “Chakma has registered the lowest literacy of 45.3 per cent, with male and female literacy at 56.2 per cent and 33.6 per cent respectively.”

The people of Mizoram, including the Chakmas, are proud that Mizoram is the second most literate state in the country and is still improving its record. But honestly there is also nothing to cheer about when it comes to the conditions of the Chakmas who are living outside the jurisdiction of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC). In these areas, in particular in the border areas near the India-Bangladesh border, education does not receive any importance from the state government of Mizoram. I have myself visited these areas and have seen with my own eyes how difficult it has become to receive education beyond what is being provided under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). There is simply no middle school, not to say of high school. SSA education in the Chakma areas is nothing but only an official record that the state has reached to the masses and the state is progressing towards full literacy.

The goal of education is to make a man with capital letter M, as Swami Vivekananda has said. Education allows one to have a decent job and bring stability, progress to the family and to the society at large. But this is not to happen to the Chakmas of Mizoram, especially for those who are living outside the CADC.

To make the matter worst, the state government of Mizoram, it seems, is determined not to provide government jobs to the Chakmas, the largest minority community in the state. With clear evil design in mind, the state government has framed such rules under which candidates must pass Mizo subject up to Middle school level to qualify for state government jobs. It is needless to say that the representation of the Chakmas in the state services has been very negligible in Mizoram.

I do not doubt of the fact a public servant must be able to communicate in the state language (Mizo in case of Mizoram) to be able to provide better and efficient services to the public. Hence, one may argue that a state government official, even if he is from minority community, must be able to speak in Mizo. I do not debate the merit of this argument.

But the truth lies deeper, which needs proper examination. The state government of Mizoram has passed several Recruitment Rules where “working knowledge of Mizo language at least up to Middle School standard” has been either made a compulsory requirement of educational qualification or as a “desirable qualification”.

The following are just a few of the Recruitment Rules which have provided that Mizo subject is a necessity for qualification for the jobs:

- MizoramPublic Health Engineering Department (Group A' posts) Recruitment Rules, 2008

- Mizoram Public Health Engineering Department (Group B post) Recruitment Rules, 2006

- Mizoram Public Health Engineering Department (Group D post) Recruitment Rules. 2006

- Mizoram Transport Department (Group 'B' post) (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2006.

- Mizoram Industries Department (Group 'B" post) Recruitment Rules, 2006.

- Mizoram Education and Human Resources Department (Group 'C' post) Recruitment Rules, 2007.

- Mizoram Home Guard Department (Group ‘C’ post) Recruitment Rules, 2007

- Mizoram Home Guard Department (Group 'B' posts) Recruitment Rules, 2007

- Mizoram Health & Family Welfare Department (Group 'B' posts) Recruitment Rules, 2008.

Mizoram Rural Development Department (Group 'B' posts) Recruitment Rules, 2008.

- The Mizoram Administrative Training Institute (Group B post) Recruitment Rules, 2008

- The Mizoram Rural Development Department (Technical Wing) Recruitment Rules, 2008

All of these above Recruitment Rules have set “working knowledge of Mizo language at least up to Middle School standard” as a qualification for the job. In cases where this requirement has been mentioned as “desirable qualification” this is just to hoodwink the world because past experiences tell that it is nothing short of an eligibility requirement for the job.

One of my friends was harassed by the Chairperson of the Interview Board when he appeared for the interview for Hindi teacher in 2008. My friend is a graduate in English medium but he had studied in Haryana, which is a Hindi belt and hence is fluent in both speaking and writing Hindi. Even the BSF personnel in his village are awestruck by his ability to speak Hindi so well. Now, you tell me what is that he is lacking to be eligible for Hindi teacher job. But because he did not study Mizo in school it became an obstacle for him.

The interview board in stead of sticking to their mission to judge his Hindi abilities and character to know whether he is suitable for the job, began to question him on his inability to speak Mizo well and for not studying Mizo subject. He was asked to sing a Mizo song and translate into Hindi an old Mizo proverb. He could sing a small Mizo song but could not understand the Mizo proverb (we all know, proverbs in all societies are difficult to understand as they always carry a history with them and a deeper meaning). My friend was almost asked to get out of the room when he annoyed the Chairperson after he answered a question somewhat funnily. The Chairperson asked as to how he (my friend who is a Chakma) will teach the Mizo students if he is appointed in a Mizo village after his selection to the Hindi teacher post. My friend answered this way, “Sir, I shall teach as the Mizo teachers are teaching the Chakma children when posted in Chakma villages”. This angered the interview panel. But my friend was trying to convey a message that the Mizo teachers who are not able to speak or understand Chakma language are not doing justice to their jobs and hence doing injustice to the Chakmas.

Hence, the question is not whether Chakmas should also learn Mizo language (they should definitely learn) but whether or not these Recruitment Rules are discriminatory against the linguistic minorities like the Chakmas.

Article 16 of the Constitution of India provides that -

“(1) There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.

(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office under the State.”

The incident I have mentioned above clearly shows that the Chakmas are discriminated in matters of employment on the ground of religion (Chakmas are Buddhists), race, caste, and language.

In other states, of course the state language could be one of “desirable” requirements for the job and the candidates are sometimes specifically given preference in selection based on their ability to read, write and speak the concerned state or regional language if the profile of the job so demands. But in the case of Mizoram it is different and discriminatory. Let me explain.

Most of the Chakma students complete their education (Middle School onwards) outside the state of Mizoram. They study in institutions where the expenses are low and affordable, say in Shillong (for example, Ramakrishna Mission), in different towns of Assam, Kolkata (for example in Bodhicarya School which is a charity institution), in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Mumbai, Mysore (in Hindu and Christian missionary schools) etc.

So, they do not have the opportunity of studying Mizo subject in school because the Mizo as a subject is certainly not taught there. But as per the Recruitment Rules, the candidates must study Mizo subject up to Middle School (or Class VII) standard to qualify for appointment. I wonder how the Mizo students who have done their Middle School studies outside Mizoram qualify for these jobs of Mizoram government.

Legally, by “Working Knowledge of Mizo at least up to Middle School standard” it is meant that one must possess the academic passing certificate of Class VII wherein it is shown that he or she has passed the Mizo subject. Here lies the basic problem.

A Chakma graduate can learn the Mizo language at later stage but it is impossible for him to change his Class VII certificate, can he? Hence, the eligibility criteria should have been ability to speak the Mizo language to the extent that the candidate can communicate with the general public in Mizoram.

The problem also is, the government of Mizoram has failed to introduce the Mizo subject compulsorily in schools in Chakma dominated areas. When laws have been framed, there must be also facility of Mizo teachers teaching the Mizo subjects to the Chakma and other non-Mizo children in schools.

Only if Mizo teachers are appointed to teach the Mizo language in Chakma village schools that the problem could be solved to a large extent. Till then the Chakmas will continue to suffer discrimination because of the wrong policies of the state government towards the minorities in Mizoram.

(To contact the writer of this article, please email him at pchakma@gmail.com. All your views/opinions expressed in this forum or to him directly will be appreciated)

Brief History of Chin/Kuki/Zo

The word "Zo" has many literal meanings such as "win", "respond", "higher altitude", "conquer" hill, mountainous place hihger elevation where climate is cold; and "Mi" means "people", human, person. Due to external dominance and influence, the Bengali called them Kuki, the Burmans called them Chin, the Indians called them Lushai but they never called themselves by those names. Zomi is the most commonly known identity regardless of their living in the plain, high altitude, South, North, East or West.

Professor F.K. Lehman (Anthropology and Linguistics, University of Illinois (USA)), in his research findings, concludes that despite the variation in the form of writing, it appears to have a single root of Zo, Yo, Ysou, Shou and the like.

According to Rev. S.T. Hau Go, the term- 'Zu' is widespread throughout the inhabitance of Zomi from Burma to Bay of Bengal. For instance, they are known as, Yo in Thadous areas, Laizo in Falam areas, Zomi Tedim areas, Mizo in Lushais area, Zotung, Zophei, Zokhua in Haka areas, Bawmzo in Chittagong Hill Stracts, Yaw in Gangaw areas, Jo or Cho in Mindat, Khomi in Paletwa, A-Sho in Prome, Thayetmyo, Sandoway and Bassein areas. Thus, Zo or Zomi is the most widely used National Name.

However the names given by their neighbors such as Lushai, Kuki and Chin are not National names, additionally never able to cover the whole Nation. Only the name “Zu” is found to be the most common name among Chin-Kuki-Lushai.[1]

The racial origin of the Zo are considered to be a Tibeto-Burman race. There are many sub-tribes under Zo People who live in India, Burma and Bangladesh namely, Zomi, Mizo, Lai-Zo, Bawm-Zu, Cho, Asho, Khumi, Kuki, Mara (Lakher) etc. of the Sino-Tibetan linguistic family.

The ZOMIs are the original descendants (progeny) of a legendary person named Pu Zo, who is believed to be the elder brother of Pu Zing Phaw (presently known as Kachins). Though living under the present-day military-ruled Burma, the Zote were known to have lived independently and harmoniously since time immemorial. Due to lack of evidence and difficulties in excavating archaeological remains, the Zo's origins are difficult to be proved. Though widely believed to have descended from Mongolia, the routes to the present settlements are not clear. It is believed that the Zote have descended from Mongolia to China and to Tibet and to the present day Burma.

Many of scholars believed that the origin of the Zo people was somewhere in the North-Western China, more specifically, the area which lies between the upper course of the Yangtze Kiang and the Hwang HO rivers are believed to be the original home of the ZO people. S.K. Chatterji, also makes an attempt to identify the area of the North-West China between the head waters of Hwang Ho and Yangtze Kiang Rivers: as the origin of the Sino-Tibetan migration in to India and Burma. Dr. Grierson wrote “tradition and comparative physiology agree in pointing to North-Western China between the upper course of the Yangtze Kiang and the Hwang Ho as the original home the Tibeto-China race, to which the Tibeto-Burman and the Siamese-Chinese groups belong”. It was also an accepted fact that this people belong to Tibeto-Burman stock.

This historical linguistic and ethnicity of the Zo people to the place of origin established this fact from thence; the Zo people had started their migration as their predecessors had done. They moved southwards, most probably via Tibetan Highlands then onto the Salween River and entered the Irrawaddy and Chindwin valley. They came into this region by following the route south-westward on the line of the Irrawaddy and the Chindwin. They settled in the watershed area of Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers for many generations and founded their kingdom “ Pupa Gam”. With the rising of the more powerful kingdom from south forced them to move to the east of river Chindwin. The Chindwin River is name by the Zo people as Tuikang (White Water). They crossed the river and settled in the area of Kale-Kabaw-Myittha-Yaw valley which stands still testimonial to our settlement todays.

It is also irony that some people less familiar or ignorant of their history interpret the name Zo to mean the climatic conditions of the highlands, “they occupy because they called the land with a cold climate of higher elevation “Zo”. This is totally a full misconception of the term and origin of Zo. It is in fact also contrary to the origin and progenitor Pu Zo. This must have been one of the most catastrophic historical interpretations, because the people called themselves Zo when they live in the plains of Burma and the valley of Manipur (India). Thus, the name Zo could not have come from the climatic conditions of this land. They are Zo not because they live in the highlands or the hills, but all Zo and called themselves Zo because they are the descendants of the great ancestor, “Zo”.

The Zo folksongs give the picture oh their settlement, prosperity and the civilization that evolved in the plains of Burma in the last part of the Thirteen century A.D. It is also further believed that the Zo had once upon a time established an independent state in the upper Chindwin areas. This observation about establishment of kingdom is clearly evident by the terms “Kumpi”, “Mangpa”, and “Lengpa” which are equivalent to kingships. These above terms are indeed interwoven with the Zo people till today.

The present distributions of the population of the Zu people and their most notable towns and villages can be seen from the Chindwin river in the east to Aizawl (Mizoram, India) in the west and from Kalemyo, (Burma) in the south to Imphal (Manipur, India) in the north. The hubs of their present settlements are all along most important routes of the region. They all spread all along the Indo-Burma road, the Tedim road and the Tamu-kalemyo National Highways.

Towns and villages along the Indo-Burma road are Sugnu, Singtom, Gelngai, Salem, Paldai, Sahich Tampak, Kathoung, Khollian, Moulnuom, Zangzom, Zangdung, Khoungtal, Denlha, Senam, Thuambuol, Khianglam, Lungtah, Gelmuol, Khuamun, Anlun, Naazang, Tonzangmyo etc.. towns and villages all along the Tedim Road are S. Muolnuom, Lamka (Churachandpur), Zoumun, Khianglam, Geltui, Gelzang, Busau, Hiangtam Khounou, Hiangtam, Singngat, Behiang, Khuaivum, Tonzang, Phungtong, Salzang, Tahzang, Lomzang, Gamngai, Tualmu, Gelzang, Gienchiel, Tedim. Moreover, apart from these routes and roads many Zo villages are scattering all other parts of this particular region. It will not be out of the text to include some more. In the Tuining, Singheu kual some of the notable villages are, Tuining, Vazang, Sangaikot, Kuvan, Tuaitenphai, Tuibul, Saiboh, Gangpimual, ZO Bethel, Khaukual, Moulom, Khuainuoi, Siongheu, Phaisan, Phaisat in Churachandpur distirict; In Tonzang Area to Khampat, Phaitu, Khamzang, Seksi, Thauthe, Maulawn, Liikhaan, Tuigial, Tuimang, Singtum, Sialthawzang, Boungkung, etc… The above towns and villages are aligned from North to South direction. There are other many villages which are not included here.

The Zo people took pride in calling themselves by this name for ages. The cultural heritage of the Zo people makes them whole as having a full blossom identity as Zo. This people traditionally named their sons and daughters, villages, places imbibing the great great progenitor “ZO”. Names such as Zogam, Zozaam, Zotui etc. stand testimonial to the affiliation that these people has had to their great ancestor Pu Zo from time immemorial.

In religion, the majority of the Zo people are Christians of the Protestant variety. Before that, animism was considered to be the most widely practiced religion, until the late 1800s and early 1900s when American Baptist missionaries from the U.S. and Lutheran missionaires from Sweden preached Christianity among the Zo people. 5 to 10 percent of people who profess to be non-Christians currently in Chin State, but the Zo people are the highest percentage practice Christianity there.

An estimated 15 to 20,000 Zomi live in the Chin state of Myanmar, another 15,000 in the Chittagong Province, Bangladesh and about 10,000 in the Indian side (Assamese State) of the Zomi homeland. Since the 1930s, tens and thousands of Zomi migrated out of the homeland to cities in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. However, the missionairy work of the Baptist and Lutheran churches brought thousands of Zomi to Europe (i.e. Sweden and Great Britain) and also to North America (primarily Canada and the U.S.).[citation needed]

Demographics Identities

The simplification of term Zomi into English is Zo People. Zomi people who occupied part of India, Burma and Bangladesh are considered to be indigenous people. Zomi settled down in large part of Churachanpur district, Chandel district of Manipur State, India. The brethren, Thado-Kuki especially in India adopted the name Kuki which means hill people in Bengali language. Similarly Zomi in Burma are called Chin initially by the Burmans around 700 AD for the first time, and subsequently by the British. Zomi who live in Mizoram State of India referred themselves as Mizo, although the two terms Zomi and Mizo simply mean "Zo People". Basically Zo people covered the whole Chin State of Burma, the whole Mizoram State of India, part of Manipur State of India called Churachandpur District, part of Sagaing Division in Burma, part of Chittagong Hill Tracts[2], Bangladesh, part of Rakhine State in Burma. The area of the Chittagong Hill Tracts is about 13,184 km², which is approximately one-tenth of the total area of Bangladesh. It is believed that there are about 1 million Zo people in Mizoram, 5-700 thousands in Chin State, 300 thousands in Churachandpur district or Lamka and 2 million in the plain areas of Sagaing Division, Magway Division, Chittagong Hill Tracts,[3],and Rakhine State. The numbers of Bawm Zo[4] [5] in Bangladesh is believed to be around 6000.[6]

Zomi who settled down at the central part of Chin State are known to themselves as Lai Zo, because of the central location of their inhabitance. Additionally, the Lai Zo were fond of the idea of exclusiveness from the Zophei, Zokhua and Zotung people. Hence, the idea of dichotomisation was applied by using US-THEM method of segregation for centuries, in this segmentation. The LaiZo, later dismantled the word "Zo" from LaiZo and use only Laimi, however they are very much part of "Zo" or "Zomi". Nevertheless, the word "Laimi" only covers a small numbers of people at the center part of Chin State. On the other hand, the name "Zomi" or "Zo" covers people who called themselves Mizo, Zomi, Kuki, [Bawm] Zo and Chin as a whole.

The southern part of Chin State, Burma occupied by Asho, Cho people, nonetheless, the words simply are the indication of their beings as southern Zomi (Zomi People).

Religion

Traditionally animism was considered to be the most widely practiced religion among Zomi, until the Swedish-American Baptist missionaries preached Christianity around 1899, for the first time. Before the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 19th century there was a new religion in among the Zomi known as the Laipian. It is still practiced even in the present day. The founder of 'LAIPIAN' religion was Pau Cin Hau, Sukte. He invented the Zotuallai. Approximately there are about 5 to 10 percent of people who profess to be non-Christians currently in Chin State, the rest are Christians either by birth or conviction. A small but growing Buddhist population does exist in the southern and eastern parts of Chin State.

Rice scarcity in Mizoram

Aizawl , May 16 : A food scarcity has hit Mizoram as rice, the staple food of the state, could not be transported through trains due to militancy in neighbouring Assam, official sources said here today.

They said that train services in Assam were disrupted following recent attacks on trains by suspected Dimasa rebels on the Lumding-Badarpur sector, causing erratic supply of rice at Mizoram&aposs lone Bairabi rail station.

Food Corporation of India (FCI) began lifting rice supply from Guwahati, but it was not sufficient and the state government is appointing carrying contractors to supplement the FCI efforts, an official statement said.