21-GUN SALUTE!

Puritan poet puipa Milton-a’n, “Sweetest Shakespeare, nature's child,” (L' Allegro) ti a William Shakespeare a lo chawina changchawi ni âwm taka:

“Sheksipiar-a Khuanu lêng chawi an ti e, Kei lo liama Khuanu lêng chawi;

Chûn chawi loh vâl tlei lian hi!” titu, fahrah khawngaihthlâk, rethei leh baihvai, lal leh hla kungpui ropui tak lo ni ta, Hrawva’n Mizo fate zinga a hmasa ber atana Bachelor of Arts a han pass khan, a Khiangte-pui leh unau ang maia a en Vawmkunga farnu Zathangpuii chuan kum 1924, July ni 24 khan nau a hring a. A hmingah Hrawva BA pass lawm nan, “BA Lawma” tih an sa a. Chu an hming saksak chu hun engemaw chen a put hnuah, “Mahni BA pawh ni mang si lo, a zahthlak e,” tiin, a hming putu chuan “BA” tih lai chu a paih a.

Indopui 2na lai khan British Tank Brigade hnuaiah India sipai unit khat lek hi an tel ve a. Chutah chuan Lawma chu Mizo awm chhun a ni a. Chittagong aṭanga Burma ramri hrûla an kai chhoh chuan British sipaiho zingah a chetla a. Kristian tlangval kawm nuam leh fel tak, an love song pawh lungleng taka sa ṭang ṭang ṭhin chu Sâp sipai chuan an ngaina hle a, a hmingah “Robert” an phuahsak a. Chu a hming lamtawi (initial) “R” tih chu a hming bulah a dah hlen ta a ni (amah Ralte Kawlni a lo ni kher bawk nen, a hnam hming lamtawi emaw tih a awl hle).

Sipai nun ṭha leh thununna te, Zo nun mawi kan tih te, leh khawvel tehfunga nungchang ṭha kan tih vawng tlattu, Hony Capt (Rtd) R. Lawma (1924 - 1970) chuan sipai ṭha-mi a nih anga inpeih fel at-in, Van dârlawia an kohna chu ni 23.2.2017 zing lam dar 1:15 khan chhangin, a duty post a sawn ta a ni!

A chungchang hi he ka Thu leh Hla Huang, June ni 12, 2015-ah khan tawi tê-in heti hian ka lo ziah ve tawh nghe nghe kha: “Kan veng pa vengva leh hawihhawm, Hony Capt (Rtd) R. Lawma, kum 91-a naupang chuan, ka rin loh tak maiin, ka “Vaihna Varṭian”-in a lung a tih-lênzia leh ngaihnawm a tih thu min lo hrilh ve teh luam a. Ka thawnthu innghahna hmunhma (backdrop) kha Indopui 2na hun laia râwlthar kum 17 mi vel chauh ni a, an sipai ṭan laia an chêttlatna a lo ni âwm e,” tiin.

A mihring tak pawhin kan inlamhnai ang reng hle. Kum 1949, July ni 9-a Zahliri nena Rev. Samuel Davis-a’na Mission Veng Biak Inpuia a inneihtir khan, ka pu (ka nu pa) H. Vanlalthanga kha inneih ṭhian (bestman/groomsman)-ah a hmang a. Ka pu thih khan Pu Lawma chuan an inneih thlalak pawh min hmuhtir nghe nghe.

Amah kha mi hrâtkhawkhêng, hriatna leh thiamna lama tuihâl a ni a. Sapṭawng thiam a châk avangin British officer (Assam Rifles commandant) hnenah house boy-in kum khat lai a awm phah a. Gorkhali ṭawng thiam a duh avangin, chuti chen vel bawk chu Lawipû-a a Gorkhali ṭhiante bulah a khawsa a ni. Ṭawng chi hrang hrang pawh a thiam hle rêng a ni.

Pa titi ngah, hriatna zau tak leh hriatrengna ṭha tak nei a ni a. Naupang tê kan nih lai (ti ve ngial teh ang)-a amah ka mitthlaa a châm dan pawh, Sapṭawng chanchinbu a hlam duai duai lai hi a ni.

A titi khawchang ngaihnawm tak tak chu chanchinbu enkawl bik ka neih lai khan ka chhuahsak fo tawh ṭhin.

Lalzova hla anga lehkhabu hiala an chhuah, “Har mah se la suihlung lên thu chu dâwn lovin” tih Lalthankima phuah a nih zâwkzia a rawn ziah te kha ka la hre reng mai. A hun laia Sap hla lar “Believe me if all those endearing young charms” thlûk rinchhana a phuah a nih thu a sawi a. Kum 1930 chho khan Durtlang tleirawl Lalthankima chu Durtlang Hospital-a nurse pakhat nen an inngaizawng a. Induh tawn taka, hlim êm êma an inkawp lai chuan, Saitual lama a pêmsan a ṭûl ta si a. A rilru tâwt lutuk chuan he hla hi a phuah ta a. An pêm dawn zan chuan, nurse-ho leh ṭhian ṭhenkhat nen chhang te kangin, farewell party an siam a. Chu a hla phuah thar, Pu Vanbûka hova an lo zir lâwk tawh chu an sa ho va, chuta ṭanga lo lar chhuak ta chu niin a sawi. A hrechiang tur tak pawh a ni. Lalthankima (hla phuah thiam, thuziakmi, thuhriltu lar) nen khan sipaia ṭang ho va, inkâwm hrep tawh an ni tlat. Anni pahnih leh Hony Capt. LZ Sailo, an tlangval chhuah hlima sipai uniform nena thla an lâk ho pawh min entir tawh. Pu Lawma khan ka rin loh tak maiin solfa leh rimawi chi hrang hrang tum pawh a lo thiam zal mai.

War memorial chungchang a rawn ziah te kha a ngaihnawm asin. Khawvela war memorial-a lungphun thuziak lar bera ngaih theih tur:

“When you go home,

Tell them of us and say,

‘For your tomorrow,

We give our today,’” tih chu heti ang hian Zoṭawngin a keuh va:

“Siang i lawi hun chuan,

Han hril na’ng che,

Lênlai pâr tlân sih nau ang an nuih nan e,

Pialleiah chhâm ang kan zâl ta e,” tiin.

Heti hian a han tuihnih zui zauh va: “A na hle mai ti rawh u maw? Amaherawhchu, lehlamah chuan, ‘Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away’ (Thlafam chang ngai lo dârfêng rual, romei chhûm ang an zâm ral mai a lo ni) an tih bawk kha maw,” tiin.

Chanchinbu enkawl bik ka neih tâk loh hnu khan, MUP Tlangau tih ang rengah hian thu bengvarthlak leh ngaihnawm tak tak a thai ve zauh zauh ṭhin bawk (Mizo sipai hmasa ber Bawihchhunga chanchin te, Sabinga Lung chungchang te).

Sipai a nih vanga ram hla tak takah a awm bo chung paw’n kan veng chanchina kan thu lâkna hnar pawimawh ber pakhat a ni thei tlat. Kan veng MUP Silver Jubilee souvenir leh YMA Platinum Jubilee souvenir kan buatsaih pawhin kan pûr châwkna ber a ni. Kan veng bil YMA chanchinbu, kar tin chhuak Chhimhleitlang-ah pawh, thu ṭha tak tak a thai ve zauh zauh fo.

A kum upat avangin a beng kha chhêt tawh mah se, ani tluka pa bengvar kha chu an tam lo khawp ang. Khawlaiah inhmu ila biak hmasak kan chang lo va. Inbiak rem lo va kan intawh pawhin sipai salute ang deuh hian chal si a kutphah dahin kan invai lauh ṭhin. Sapṭawng te pawh han bilh nawk nawk ila, mi polite leh smart, gentleman dik tak a ni a, ani ang chi kha kan zingah hmuh tur an tam ta lo khawp mai.

Ka pian ve hmaa army aṭanga a chawlh a, hna hrang hrang: HQ 73 Mountain Brigade-a interpreter hna te, BSS & A Board-a secretary hna te, Khuma Air Travels-a manager hna te a thawh kual lâwp lâwp hnu khan, amah Army Medical Corps (AMC) lam mi a lo ni bawk a, kan vengah damdawi a zuar a. A damdawi zuar te kha dawr a nuam a nia. A ei dan tur te kha fiamthu nen min han hrilh kual a (“Zing thawh hlimah, ni chhuahna lam hawiin, Lal Biakna vawi 3 sawi zawhah tap water nena in tur,” han tih ang chi te), kan ngeih hmêl bîk tlat.

Mi kha a duhsak thei khawp mai a, ka fapa damdawi leia ka tirh te, an kawt zâwna a kal a hmuh te khan, “Mampui, i pa a ṭha em? Hei hi lo eitir rawh aw,” tiin Vit Cee tlahlang te kha a pêk ṭhin bâkah, Indian Armed Forces chanchinbu “Sainik Samachar” hlui kha a rawn hûm hawtir ṭat ṭat ṭhin a. Ka fapa pawh hian hun rei tak chhung chu sipaia ṭan kha a châk ber a ni.

Biak in salute a pe lai thlalak nei ve lêm lo mah se, Pathian thuawih leh Pathian ṭih-mi tak tak, Lalpa tana mi ṭhahnemngai a ni a, kan veng Presbyterian Kohhranah pawh term 3 ngawt Tual Upa-a thlan a ni. Rawngbawlna kawng hrang hranga a inhman bakah, zing ṭawngṭai inkhawm te kha a ṭhulh ngai meuh lo. Kum 93 mi a ni tawh chung pawhin, kumin chhung hian Sande Sikul a la kai kim deuh thaw. A thih hma Pathianni hnuhnung ber khan a nupui nawmsam loh vangin, inkhawm tura a inpeih vek tawh chu a ṭhulh leh phah chauh a ni.

Amah kha Canadian Airforce hnuaia zir chhuak paratrooper a ni a. Min hrilh dan ka hriat sual loh chuan, parachute-ah pawh vawi 99 lai a uaithla tawh. “Golden Yellow Wing” badge pawh a dawng nghe nghe. “Parachute-a vawi 100 uaithlak kha achievement ropui danglam bik a nih avangin, tribal tan chuan thil theih loh tluk a ni a, mi an dang ta tlat a ni,” a ti. Mizo zingah chuan parachuting record nei tam ber a nih a rinhlelhawm loh.

Inkawm tak taka kan inkawm hnuhnun ber chu nikum kum tâwp lama kan vêng thingpui dawra kan tîtî kha a ni ta âwm e. Tun hmaa pa phawk deuh deuhvina survey an neih a, chhungkaw nu ber zawhna ni lo pui pui, nupa inkar chauha hriat chi an zawh dan leh, hreh tak chung si a, ṭha taka an chhan dan chanchin nuihzatthlak tak tak min hrilh a. Khami ṭum tluka a nuih nasat reng reng kha ka hre ngai lo, a mittui zu han tla phung a. Kei lah nâk phel dawn dawnin ka lo nui bawk a.

Kan nuih za zualpui a reh hnu chuan, “21-Gun Salute” awmzia ka zâwt a.

Sipai inzahna (military honour) lantir nana chibai inbûkna sang, hun pawimawh bik leh, sipai leh ramina mi pawimawh a sûnte vuina (military & state funeral)-a laipui an lâwn un un ṭhin hi a nih thu min hrilh a. Ram hrang hranga an tih dan a in-ang lo va, India ram bikah chuan 21-gun salute hi India President hnenah, hun bik hrang hranga hlan a ni ṭhin. President-a an lâk luh te, Republic Day-a hnam puanzar a pawh parh lai te hian laipui vawi 21 an lâwn ṭhin. Ram danga an lu ber an lo zinin 21-gun salute hi an lo hlan bawk ṭhin. British-ho hun lai aṭang daih tawha an lo chin tawh a nih thu te min hrilh nghe nghe a ni.

Ni dang, ṭum danga kan inkawm ang bawkin ka hlâwk haw leh ta êm êm mai a. Mahse, hei tunah chuan lei leh van Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander berin a ko haw (recall) ta miau mai si a, amah ka kawm theih dan awm chhun chu a thuziak te, a tîtî ka rilrua ka vawn reng te, leh ka thinlunga amah hriatrengna duhawm ka neih te hi a ni ta dêr mai.

Ka pu, nangmah thlah nan “21-Gun Salute” ka hlân a che, romei chhûm anga zâm ral mai lovin, dam reng rawh!