Sulhnu 165 : Loch-an Sipai in dang a sa chhunzawm

Kar hmasa khan Mizoram sipai hotu lian ber Loch-a sipai camp a sak ṭhat thu te kan sawi a, Quarter Guard leh sipai bahrik leh in dang a sak zel dan kan sawi chhunzawm ang. Bahrik kan tih ve mai hi Vai ṭawng Hindi emaw ka lo ti mai a, Vai ṭawnga sipai chenna in ni turah riak ka lo ngai a. Ka han zir chiang deuh a, Bahrik chu Sapin Barrack an tih hi a ni a. Ṭawng bul tak chu Spanish a lo ni a, Spanish-ho chuan sipai puan in hi barraca an lo ti a, chu chu Saphovin barrack tiin an lo sawi ta a ni. Chu chu Vai hovin bahrik an ti a, keini pawhin kan bahrik ve ta zel a ni awm e.

Loch-a hi kan sawi tawh angin insak thiamna hi a pianpui ni mai awmin a lo awm tawhnaah sipai in ṭha tak tak a sa tawh a. Civil engineering zir chhuak ni mai awma mawi a ni. Kumin 2024 May thla pawh hian Loch-a insakte chu a la awm mai ni lovin, a la ding nghet hle hlawm a ni, kum 130 chuang a ni tawh hlawm chung hian.

Loch-a chuan Commandant in a sak zawhah Asst. Commandant in a sa leh a, sipai in dang a sak chhunzawm zel a. In sak nana lung an lakna quarry te chu nambar an pe vek a, quarry no.1, no.2, tiin. No. 1 aṭanga lung lak theih chin an lak zawhah no. 2 aṭangin an la leh a, chutiang zelin. Heng lung la atan hian sipai lungchher bakah Naga leh Khasi kuli te leh Mizo tuk luih kuli tam tak a chhawr a. Mizo lalten kum 1890-a Bawrhsap an kah hlum avangin anmahni hrem nan khaw tin aṭangin hlawh nei lo kuli an phut lui a, khaw lian deuh chu kuli an phut tam deuh a, an khuaten an chawm ṭhin. Chung hun laia in sakna tur lung an hal keh rem rum Sairanga aṭanga an zu phurh lai chuan kan piputen –

Hnam tin suihlung a rual si lo ve,

Chhimhlei zau e suanglung hei zawng

Tu nge phur zo zai ang le? an lo tih ni, tiin C. Vanlallawman a lo ziak a ni.

Loch-a in sak zinga a hnuhnung lam Quarter Guard a sak lai kum 1897-ah hian J. Shakespear-a chu Bawrhsapa a lo luh hlim a ni a. Loch-a in sak chu a faiin ṭha a ti hle a, sawrkar hotute hnenah pawh a fak hle a ni. A ṭawngkam ngei hi han tarlang ila, Sap ṭawng a ni a, Sap ṭawng thiam tan chuan Mizo ṭawnga lehlin a ngai lo, a fiah ṭha em em a ni.

HOUSE – GOOD AND FIT FOR ISSUE

I found the Military Police in Aizawl housed in good masonry barracks and the whole station a miracle of neatness, thanks to Loch, who though a good soldier, was by inclination an engineer and house builder. Having the roof of the two of his barracks blown clean off during a March storm he was determined to put an end to such disasters by building stone houses for himself and his men in place of wretched affairs of jungle timber and bamboo matting in which they were then living. He mentioned his intention to Davies who told him he did not think it worth–while forwarding such a scheme to government for, he said, “We’ve been 10 years in Kohima and there’s not one stone house there yet’. “More shame to you” was Loch’s reply and he set to work with his own men to build himself a house, at his own cost. When this had been achieved he asked permission to build barracks etc. for the garrison of Aizawl. His house having passed by the P.W.D. as “good and fit for issue”, Loch was told to submit an estimate for all the buildings he considered necessary and this being sanctioned he went ahead. He engaged a Khasi contractor Sahon Roy and also employed many of his own men. When I arrived early in 1897 he had built the assistant commandant’s bungalow and all the Police barracks and hospital and was building the Quarterguard and office building. With the completion of that the works estimated for would be completed except for the armourer’s shop. Now Loch received a check. I told you that one estimate for all the buildings had been sanctioned. In farming that estimate, Loch had been guided by the cost of his house, but as the work went on new quarries had to be opened in more remote and less easily worked localities and so the cost of each building rose above the estimate and the excess increased steadily but the fact was not discovered by the P.W.D. until the Quarterguard building was finished when it could no longer escape notice.

The Quarterguard had, I believe, cost about double the estimated sum. The Chief Engineer rose in his wrath, and an order was issued that Loch should do no more building. This did not really much matter as the only Police building remaining was the armourer’s shop, a small affair and even that was up to the plinth level when it was handed over to the Executive Engineer for completion. I had much pleasure in pointing out in my next annual report that though the building was a small one and was urgently required, the P.W.D. had not been able to complete it in a whole year and I suggested that Capt. Loch might be given a contract to complete it, which was approved of and the shop was finished within a few months.

Bawrhsap Tarmita sawi kan hmuh tak ang hian Manding Sap Ṭhenṭiauva chu insak thiam tak a ni a, a sa thiam mai a ni lo va, sipai hmun a nih avangin nalh tak, Sap rama an sak anga sak duh mi a ni tih a in sak aṭangin kan hmu a ni. Tarmita sawi ang hian Commandant in leh sipai in dangte ai chuan Ṭhenṭiauvan Quarter Guard a sak chungchang thu hi a ngaihnawm zual a. Tun thlenga a la ṭhatzia leh mipui kal vel hmuh atan pawh in mawi tak a la nihzia te hi sawi chhuah loh theih a ni lo. He Quarter Guard sak nana sum sen tur ruahman chu eng zah nge kan hre thei lo na a, Bawrhsap Tarmita rin dan chuan ruahman zat let zet Ṭhenṭiuava hian a sengin a ring a ni. Chu chu a ni ngei ang tih a rin theih a, a chhan chu Tarmita hian a sawi zel a, Quarter Guard sak zawha a senso a han hriat chuan PWD hotupa, Chief Engineer ṭhinrim chu a inhrosa hle a ni ang. Sipai hotu ber sak a ni bawk si, han vin hrep dawn se, a sak an phalsak miau si a, a thinrim inhrikthlak nan a hmang ngam bik lo a ni. Chuvangin Manding Sap Ṭhenṭiuava in sak dan leh senso tur aia tam fe a hman chu Sawrkar hotute hnenah dem chungin a va thlen pawh a ni ang. Ṭhenṭiuava chu in sak chhunzawm tawh lo turin an khap ta a ni. Mah se, an han khap meuh hi chuan Loch-a hian sak hmabak a neih chu sipai pum in chauh a ni tawh a, chu lah chu Tarmita sawi ang hian sum tam sen ngai tawh lo a ni a, Loch-a tan pawh hian a na lo khawp ang, a duh tawkin Sipai in lian leh pawimawhte a sak tawh avangin.

Pathian zarah kan dam ang a, kar lehah chhunzawm kan tum ang.