Zofate hi Indian kan ni em?

Tun ṭuma kan thupui, ‘Zofate hi Indian kan ni em?’ tih hi chhiartu ṭhenkhatte chuan zawhna âtthlâk takah kan ngai maithei. Indian ni lo ila India ramah kan awm dawn em ni, tiin min chhang se la, chhanna dik a nih theih dan a awm. Amaherawhchu, he thupui hi thu pawimawh satliah a ni mai lo va, Zofate’n kan nihna kan sawifiahna tur pawimawh tak, kan hnam leh ram khawih thil a nih tlat avangin ngaihtuah chiang lova sawi liam puata pawm zam mai chi erawh chu a ni lo. Kan nihna dik lo invuah emaw, insawi hi mahni inbumna, hnam phatsanna leh mahni ram hralhna khawpa thu pawi thleng thei leh hnam ralna thang hlauhawm tak a ni.

Tute nge Indian chu? Indian tih hi mi pakhat hnam hming sawina a ni lo; India ram mi (citizen of India) tihna a ni. India ram chhunga hnam zawng zawng India ram mi (citizen) an nih avangin Indian vek an ni mai alawm tih hi a chhanna chu a ni ang. A chhan chu Indian tih chu nationality (ram mi nihna) sawina a ni a, chibing (ethnicity) sawina a ni lo; Indian tih chu ‘India ram mi’ tihna a ni.

A chunga zawhna chhanna dik tak anga lang hi Zofate nihna sawifiahna, kan chenna ram hming leh kan hnam nihna a ni ve tak tak em tih chu chiang taka kan hriat a ṭul. Phengphehlepa khua a tlai hmaa kan ṭhanharh loh phei chuan kan ram, hnam leh sakhua a him lo mai ni lovin, chimral hlen kan ni mai dawn a ni.

India tih hming hi ram chhung mite aṭanga lo piang a ni lo va, hnam dangte’n an kohna aṭanga lo chhuak a ni. A lo chhuahna bul chu Indus lui (Sanskrit-in Sindhu) an tih aṭangin a ni. Persian-te’n ‘S’ lam nan ‘H’ an hmang ṭhin a, Indus/Hindu tih chu Sindhu tih angin an lam ṭhin. Hmanlai Greek mite chuan Indos tiin an lam ṭhin. India tih tak hi chu Roman-te’n an lam dan a ni.

Chuvangin, ‘India’ tih hming chu ‘Indus (Sindhu) lui’ hming aṭanga lo chhuak a ni. A hmasa berah chuan Indus lui chhak lama chengte sawina a ni a. An khawsak dan, hnam dan leh an sakhua milem pathian be mi an nih dante sawi nan Shindu emaw Hindu tih hi hman a ni a, chu chu India emaw Indian tih lo chhuahna chu a ni. An hnam ram leh sakhua hi sawi hran emaw ṭhen hran tak tak theih pawh a ni lo.

Zofate chenna ram hi India ramin a huam ngai lo a, an hnam nun leh sakhuana nen hian inanna kan nei lo. Zofate chenna ramah hian kan pi leh pute’n an luah hmain tumah an la cheng ngai lo a, Pathianin kan awmna tura a lo ruat leh min pek liau liau a ni. Kan pi leh pute’n an luah tirh aṭang khan kum tam tak chu mahnia ro inrel (independent)-in kan awm.

Kum 1890 vel aṭang khan British sawrkar awpbehna hnuaiah kan awm a, British-in India ram leh India mi kan ni lo tih an hriat avangin rorelna hranin min enkawl a. India mite’n min chimral loh nan te, kan ram leh hnam Pathianin min pekte humhim a nih theih nan Inner Line Permit (ILP) hmangin min lo hung tlat a ni.

ILP hi Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, British India sawrkarin min awp hma kum 1873-ah siam a lo ni daih tawh. British awpbeh India mite pawhin permit nei lovin Pathian min pek ram chhungah an lut thei lo va, kan ram mi nihna an nei thei lo va, in leh lo pawh an hminga neih phal a ni lo.

Chu dan (regulation) hnuaiah chuan Zofate chenna–Lushai Hills tih ṭhin, tuna Mizoram tih hi kan awm tlat a. Kum 1935 khan Zofate chenna chu India ram a ni lo tih a chian lehzual nan Excluded Area-ah Government of India Act, 1935 hnuaiah dah a ni. Excluded Area a-min dahna chhante chu – 1) Zofate hnam nun dan leh kan chanchin chu India ram dangte nena hrang hlak a nih vâng leh, 2) Tribal kan nih avangin hnam dangte tihbuai leh chimrala kan nih loh nan a ni.

India ramin British laka zalenna a sual khan Indian kan nih loh avangin Zofate kan tel ve ngai lo a, India ram chanchinah pawh kan chuang ve ngai lo. Kum 1947-a zalenna a hmuh takah khan kan hruaitu hmasate’n India ram rorelnaa tel ve an duh avangin kan tel ve chauh zawk a ni. India rorelna hnuaiah kan awm avangin Indian/Hindu kan ni ve ta tihna a ni lo. India rorelna hnuaiah awm mah ila, tribal kan nih avanga kan ram leh hnam humhimna dan ILP chu tihbo a ni lo. India sawrkar pawhin he dan kum 1873-a British sawrkar hmanga siam hi min la vawn himsak zel a ni.

Kan ziah tak ang hian Zofate hi India ram rorelna hnuaiah awm hawh rih mah ila Indian/Hindu kan ni lo. British sawrkarin India ram a awpbeh lai khan India mite kha Indian an ni reng tho. Ṭuan leh mâng aṭang khan Zo hnahthlak Zofate hi hnam ropui kan lo ni daih tawh a, tuna kan chenna tur ram hi ram ruak, kan luah tura Pathian lo ruat lawk min pek a ni. Ram rorelna (politics) a nih tur ang a la pian fel loh avangin hnam dangte awpbehna hnuaiah kan la awm hawh rih mai a ni. Hnam, ram leh sakhuaah kan chian tlat chuan Pathianin kan nihna tura a lo ruat lawk ang khan kan la dingchhuak ngei ang.

- Rev. Dr. Zaichhâwna Hlâwndo