SOJOURN IN ZODAWN:

On 15th April 2010, I ventured with my grandpa in his car deep down in Zodawn upto near Mizoram boarder in Guite Road for some family business. Then on 21 May 2010 to Behiang and on 24 May to some Ug;s designated campi in Hausapi ranges. In this sojourn to Zodawn i came across many signs which pop out my head or shed in many villages. WELCOME TO....khonuam:..Nuam, read the sign at the entrance of most of the villages as we pass them on our way to destination. whether or not the irony of these registers on the users, it seems like an ominous reminder that here, more than any other place, most people have been struggling long, that the poverty of Zodawn had reached such phenominal depths that most people were living just at the subssistence level.

There was hardly any surplus stocks of foodgrains, to sustain the people against economic or crop failures. These Zodawn people living standard can be compare to those of the people lining in the recurrent famines in India during the British era. With Manipur government policy of least relief or developmental measures, the suffering become acute. And with their NREGS wages 10 percent or 20 percent deducted by some ultra;s, there was a little or some money in the hands of most of zodawn people to purchase food at a higher price or from a distant place.

It take more than four hours to reach our destination. on the ways the deplorable condition of these people make me keep thining. their deplorable economic condition have less impact on the rest of the state;s mind than does a mosquitoes- killing virus. As far as anyone outside Zodawn is concerned, these Zodawn people have, in fact, become nothing more than a voter list or a statistics. We sit far away here in Delhi or in other metropolitan city, safe and sound from the political chaos, and the nightmare living condition in Zodawn. When some curious young mind wrote something about Zodawn socio-economic condition we shake our head over another shameful stories of our hometown and then move on to the next articles or news item. Mautam...WHAT/ Mautam, crop failures, school drop out, disturbed area acts, neglected, corruptions... What does it matter? We no longer stop to think. Or Care. But you can't ignore it when you are there, in the middle of these people, looking at their shabby dress or rickety house, almost non-existent infrastructure and feeling what it must be like to be those people we only hears in some write-ups.

When someone talkes about Zodawn condition, we have a notion ready in minds for all politicians(MLA's) are corrupt to the core, and it is the result of these corruption that zodawn condition is worsening. We the Zou's are expert in generalising. Perhaps that is not a swapping statesment. The tendency of us, zou to view every politician(MLA), as corrupt and a Money Machine is not only false in every sense of the word. But is also indicative of a very narrow and parochial mindset and outlook. it not only highlight the fact that we the Zou's want our politicians to be the way but also exibits our tendency of not wanting to do anything to change the present scenerio. The incident of Ngasuanlei in 2008 show our parochial mindset and outlook on the people and Zodawn, and also that Zou educated prefer to blame the politician instead of going out and do the required of them. we usually do nothing and then we criticise the authority for being neglecting our land.

Along the way one got to see the little sign-post announcing the effort of the local MLA's, "Primary health centre, PMGY, IAY etc..". The present MLA within in his capacity tackled the issue upto some extent. He had been effective in monitoring the judicious use of funds arriving from the state and centre. But it is the middle men between the MLA and local people- The contractor and the government beaurecracy, who corrupted the fund and diverted for their personal gain. It's here, that we, the more educated peoples in the towns and cities, have a place, to fight for the people of Zodawn. We gave too much emphasies to the government for development.

It is time to change our outlook towards Zodawn and our politician. the government would not make us developed, educated and income Zodawn income. it is ourselves who can make Zodawn growth in all sphere. And it is the Zou educted who can fight those corrupt contractors and government beaurecrate, to make Zodawn economic condition a balanced economy of agriculture and a self sufficient villages community.

Bag Packing in Zodawn

                                                                                                               By:- Hausienmuan Munluo

In the first week of March 2009. We began our Youth Gospel tour deep into the zodawn hills. Our first destination was Phaibem Village. It was my first tour, so i am preparing well. When we reached Phaibem village after traveling 45 Minutes by the afternoon Bus. Two young girls was waiting to receive us at the village entrance. I was wonder struck by their beauty, hospitality and their confidence in speech. The welcome was so disarming, their manner so friendly and radiant, that my nervousness evaporated before I could say a word. Here, I learnt that it is important not to measure high standard of living (Changkangna) and well being throught material possessions, education, the way we dress and in place where we live.

In the evening the two girls Chingboi and Ngangai led us near khugadam (khuga river) for our bath, they showed us different kind of insect and plant. Calling most by their scientific names and asking me in our own dialect, I was amazed at how much they know. They knew exactly when the plant bloom and what part of the plant is edible. They showed us how to row a boat. I become painfully aware of my own ignorance and relished meaningful learning is not only from good school and colleges in town and cities, but possible only when the emotion and the intellect are integrated.

At every village we conduct night worship services, presenting a very special song with our goog and mellifluous voices with my cousin Khupboi, everywhere we were appreciated. And after the church service, some cosy chat by the fireside other are flattering and long in the moonlit night, I can hear my cousin playing guitar and singing together with those young girls, song like " Solha hingtang ngai aw lungzuan lai ah na e...etc.." It makes me feel lonesome and the song " Nunlui ngailou a um lou e.." echoes in my ears. I would daydream about falling in Love with one of these beautiful girls. Unfortunately for me, these young girls ignored the leengkul and i never got the chance to flatter with them. Yet the act unlocked my imagination. imaginations is everything. If we can imagine a future, we can creat it That is the way of success.

The morning in kullian was exasperated. I want to spent my free time rowing boat on the Khuga River (Khugadam). The girls was exact opposite. They wanted to rehearse song for the choir. our pastor and youth chairman ask me to invite the Kullian girls to join us in our tour. My day begin with quarrelling for the day routine. From here, I learnt the power of disagreement, of dialogue and the essence of living with diversity in thinking. One cannot be dogmatic in matters of taste.

Our tour last for 13 days, but it make me learned what Delhi cannot taught me for the past 4 years. These zodawn people, who we usually called "Mawls" or "singtangte's"- was showing me the value of love, teaching me the meaning of success and real education of learning. Once Chingboi and Ngangai talks with their old friends from school in one village, about drugs addiction, their conversation was such that they would not talk to each other anymore, i then remind Chingboi, not to uselessly urge with those people that she would never succeed him to lead a normal life. Chingboi answer me that " Success is not what we creat for our self, it is what we give and left behind for other". The bond that was created between us was not romantic in nature. It is about the bond of Love and affection, bond of trust and caring. When in Delhi, once I narrated the whole story to one of my Lamka’n friends he commented that it was very foolish of me. Well I have been a fool all my life so what the hell. I was actually quite thrilled about my experience and that experience was perhaps was my highlight in Zoudawn. I can still see the faces of those smiling Zoudawn girls even after three months in Delhi and the love for Zoudawn become my inspiration in my struggling students life.