Zogal Comice Review

By: Muanthang Tungnung

This book meant purpose and it does serve right. The approach to convey what we had known as ‘stories” came out to be  ‘history’ when the Zou language was been taught as subject in high school; it’s now as decisive seeing in  yet another medium. The Zodream’s Zogaal – Ka thang e, Ka Zogal Saat! smartly dare to presents the history and the stories.  Blatantly insulating history in its own rights and not forgetting the doses of a regular comic story to opens one with a story about friendship, loyalty, love, betrayal, revenge and redemptions.

The Zou war of independence (1917 – 1919) started as Labour Crops announced to recruit 2000 men to forge toward France. The other tribe to resist this imposition was the Thadou. These two tribes joined forces against the white imperialists. The forts at Gotengkot and Hiengtam were the two main centres of resistance. It was in 1919 the last men of Eleven leaders surrendered at Hiengtam.Following each words with artistry dedications; the story begins: “Nikhat Zogamlai ah sing kung lien mamate leh hamphul mamate mun ah…...”. Here we have Thangpu, his loyal friend Paupu and his love Niengnou. The story strictly sticks to a time-frame when the war was on. We encounter Paupu tried escaping an English Officer; Men of the village been taken away from their home leaving their wives and children behind. Violence was grim and real. The avenging spirit of Thangpu  was unmistakenly. Both the Artist James Taithul and scrip-writer S Nengkhanlun have given the right inputs into it. A pencil-drawing on a plain paper couldn’t have been much of use than this! Just when the ending came, the story just began. Thangpu raised up to avenged the death of his friends, family and ruined village. And the 56 pages being offered here came to an end. The seafaring White imperialist springs up like the fast growing cactus plant. The Zo land shakes like the earthquakes; ‘Tis the land of my birth: I shall not part with it! My sharp sword is strained with blood, I faced enemies; Being brave son of my father, I shall not fear.

Naturally, the comic pointed out the gruesome reality of Labour Crops, which was the cause of the rising. Let us reason it further that this didn’t stop even when Manipur was granted statehood. The lowly Tribes, or so should we say our great grandfathers and grandfathers, were subjects to this very cruelty even when they’d enjoy liberty in the land they had had fought for. A need to captured the young minds with this legacy which maintains in its own rights the sovereignty of Tribe; it’s nonetheless one participations of identifying within this somehow estranged nations of ours. This very effort couldn’t have gone wasted.

Zogaal – Ka thang e, ka Zogal saat! doesn’t show or direct out-rightly anything. But in way work up inhabitant because we are what this is about.

Zovakhu Comment:

Nice job,, Muan! Great Writing! Keep up the great writings..!. I found the book amusing thought a bit wrong. All the character in the comics were fictitious, something which should be avoided while writting a documentary book or stories.

Well, the war shows that our commitment to Zogam, not for fear of labour corps but to freed their son and grndson from the Britist yoke that My great grandfather was  one of the unsung heroes in this War (Zogal). He was captured by the British and spent 9 months at Imphal Jail in 1918.

My lineage goes all the back to Singngat - then a Southern Manipur Province. The Britist burned down more than 30 house in Singngat alone. All others villages exceptd the Zous were infavour of the British while our grandfather fought tooth and nail, we should not forget the fact that the British brought in Meiteis, Nagas and other to crush the war of independence in 1918. How neat!??...