Mizoram – Land of the Churches

South Australia khawpui Adelaide City hi ‘Biak in khawpui’ (City of Churches) tia hriat a ni ṭhin a. He khawpuia cheng hmasate’n biak in nalh leh ropui tak tak an lo din hming chawiin English novelist Anthony Trollope-a’n a lehkhabu, ‘Australia and New Zealand’ tih a ziah aṭanga an phuah a ni awm e. USA khawthlang lam Michigan state-a tuipui kam khawpui lian vak lo Holland an tih pawh ‘City of Churches’ tia vuah a ni bawk. He khua hi Calvinist hrât khawkhêng Dr. Van Raalte-in kum 1847-a a din a ni a, kohhran hrang hrang biak in 170 vel a awm niin an sawi.

Kristiannain min luhchilh hnu hian eng kohhran pawh ni ila biak in kan ngai pawimawh hle a. Khaw tin veng tinah kan biak in chu a theih anga hmun lailum leh ṭha, langsar lai takah dinin, kan sum leh pai neih phak ang tawk aia tam mah zelin kan sa ṭhin a. Chu chuan a entir chu–Mizote thinlungah hian kan Pathian biakna in hian hmun pawimawh ber a luah a ni, tih hi a ni. Khawi khuaah pawh kal ila, khawi vengah pawh kal ila, mit la hmasa bertu, khaw tin veng tina in lian leh man to ber ber chu biak in a ni zel mai.

Census hnunhnung bera a lan dan chuan, Mizoramah hian thingtlang khaw 817 leh khawpui 22 a awm. Kohhran pangngai deuh chuan biak in kan nei deuh vek mai a. A khaw mal bika kohhran lian deuhin an sa lian a, kohhran tê deuhin an sa tê deuh mai a ni. A tlem thei ang bera chhûtin khaw/veng khatah biak in 3 ṭheuh pawh lo awm ta se, Mizoram pumah hian biak in 2,517 aia tlem lo chu a awm hrim hrim tih a hriat theih awm e. Statistics dik chiah hriat a châkawm khawp mai. Kan thlarau lam leh chhungril nun chu eng pawh lo ni rawh se, state tereuhtê keini ang ramah chapopui tham biak in kan ngah tih hi a chiang khawp mai.

Khawvel huapa mite min hriatna tur hi ngaihtuah a ngai khawp mai. Mi ram leh mi khawpuite chuan hmingthanna leh larna an nei a; eng emaw thil an siam chhuah tam vang te, buh leh bâl emaw, thei leh thil dang emaw an thar chhuah hnem avangin an hming phuah a awl zel a. A nih loh pawhin an ram a mawi avang te, hmun zawl leh rualrem ṭha, tuipui leh lui mawi tak tak an neih avangtein an hming siamsak a awl ṭhin a ni mai.

An ram a mawi em avangin Jammu & Kashmir state chu ‘Heaven of India’ an ti a. Artui an ngah avangin Andra Pradesh state chu ‘Egg Bowl of Asia’ an ti leh mai a. Tuipui leh ramngaw chàwi vel, hmun nuam an nihzia inpuan chhuah nan Kerala state chuan ‘God’s Own Country’ tih an inphuah thung. Khawpui hming phuahah pawh chuti tho chu a ni. Thil siamna an ngah avangin Ahmedabad khawpui chu ‘Boston of India’ an ti a; thir sawngbawlna hmun a nih avangin Jamshedpur khawpui chu ‘Pittsburgh of India’ an ti. Khawpui hring reng mai an neih avangin Bangalore chu ‘Garden City’ an ti a, Mumbai pawh ‘Hollywood of India’ an ti.

Khawvel ram hrang hrangte pawh hian hriat awlsamna an nei zel a. Japan chu ni chhuak hmu hmasa ram an nih avangin ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ an ti a. Lal Isua pianna leh chêt velna ram a nih avangin Israel ram chu ‘Holy Land’ tia hriat an ni. Ram ropui leh hlauhawm, mahse, khawvel ram dangte laka an inkharkhip tlat ṭhin avangin China chu ‘The Sleeping Giant’ an ti thin. Chutiang zelin Switzerland chu ei leh in, bawnghnute leh khawizu lama an hmingthan em avangin ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ an ti ṭhin. Sawi tur a tam khawp mai.

Kan ‘Zotlang ram nuam’ hi engtin nge mite’n min hriat ve ang? Kan ram hi keini’n mawi kan tih ang hian mite’n mawi an ti lem lo mai thei. Keini’n hmelṭha kan intih ang hian mite’n hmelṭha min ti lo mai thei. Buh leh bâl thar chhuah lamah ni se, han hmingthanpui tur chu sawi loh, mahni pawh intodelh lo kan ni si. Leilung hausakna laih chhuah lamah ni se, kan leihnuai hausakna hai chhuah kan tum let let chauh a ni si. Brazil-a Amazon ngawpui ang ramngaw thianghlim, la tukdar loh ramngaw kan nei tawh bawk si lo. Lehkhathiam tamna state kan ni han ti dawn ila, Tripura tak ngial pawhin min lehpêl leh tawh bawk si. Kan hmarchate sen thak leh rimtui em em ‘Birds-eye chilli’ lah Naga hovin a thar chhuaktu hmasa kan ni min tih khalh leh tawh. Khawvel thilah khawvela han hmingthanpui tur leh han inchawi larna tur hi kan nei mawlh lo a ni.

Pathianin Zo fate min zawng chhuak a, Welsh missionary-te’n Lal Isua zuitu hnamah min siam a. Khawvelah hian hausa lo mah ila, thlarau ramah hausa hnam kan lo ni ta. A ropui hle mai. Chutih rual erawh chuan, tisa thilah pawh Pathian dik betu kan nih chuan kan intodelh ve tur a ni tlat. Thlarau lama kan hausakna hi tisa thilah i kai lut thiam teh ang u. A hnam pum maia Kristian kan nihna hi khawvelah puang chhuak ila; Mizoram chu Pathian biak ngaihsak hnam, thil dang zawng zawng aia Pathian biakna in ngai pawimawh hnam kan ni tih khawvelin an hriat theih nan hma i la chhin teh ang u. ‘Mizoram is the land of the churches’ ti ila, Aizawl khawpui pawh hi ‘City of Churches’ tiin invuah ila. Adelaide leh Holland khawpui ai pawhin biak in kan ngah zawk daih alawm.

He kan nihna danglam tak hi khawvela kan invawrh larna tura kan vanneihna leh dinchanna tur a ni. Invawrh lar satliah mai ni lovin, khualzin mite hîp nan hmang ta hlauh ila. Khualzin mi – tourist-ah rau rau pawh khualzin ṭhami ‘religious tourist’ emaw ‘pilgrimage’ emaw ho bawh turin kan inhralh thei dawn a ni. Khualpâng zin satliah ho hi chuan zu te, drugs te, nawhchizuarte an mamawh nghal zel a. Nawmchen paha khawvel fan duh kha an tam tlat avangin keini Mizo hnam, Kristian dik takte mizia nen hian a intuahrem thei lo a ni.

Sakhuana thila khualzinte chuan zu, drugs leh nawhchizuar an mamawh ve lo. Kan biak inte an rawn en ang a, khawvel khawi hmunah mah awm ve lo Chawlhni tuka biak in dár ri chuah chuah te, mahni biak in ṭheuh pana kan inpêl suau suau te, piangthar leh piangthar da tawh pawhin kan ngaih pawimawh kan sunday school-te an rawn chhim ang a. Thawhṭan zana kan ṭhalai inkhawm te, Thawhleh zana kan nuho inkhawm te, Nilai zan thupui kan zir dan te, Inrinni zana kan ṭawngṭai inkhawmte rawn chhimin, khawvel ram dangte tana kan theih ang tawk tawka kan lo ṭawngṭai ve ṭhin dante rawn hria se a va ropui dawn em. Heng khualzin zahawmte thlenna atan hian five star hotel ropui leh nuam a ngai lo; mimal inah man chawi thovin ‘homestays concept’ leh ‘bed and butter concept’ hmangin kan lo mikhual mai dawn a ni.

Chu mai a la ni lo. Mizoramah hian eng lai pawhin kan revival speaker leh evangelist ten camping leh crusade an buatsaih deuh reng a. A chang sang leh chang chhah deuh phei chuan, ‘Taksa damna’ inkhawmte an buatsaih deuh reng mai. Natna khirh leh ṭihbaiawm tak tak tuarte pawhin damna kan chang mek a ni. Lal Isua zara thilthlawnpek kan dawn heng damnate hi khawvel mite’n a zâr rawn zo ve se. Thlarau damna leh tisa khawmpui (physical and spiritual healing convention)-te hunbi neiin kan siam zel ang a. He ramah hian vun ngo, vun hang, vun eng leh vun sen ten Lal Isua rawn zawng se la a va ṭha dawn em! Chuta ṭang chauh chuan Mizoram hian khawvel a dêng chhuak ve thei ang tih ka ring ta tlat a ni.

Mizoram–Biak in awm tamna ram. 

- Joseph L. Ralte