Hausienmuan Munluo
War having decided upon, the Zogal Salpha's rapidly crossed the "Border" Paldai river in Singngat into Zezaw, the killing field of Zogal, where the Zou legendary warrior Letkhup Munluo of Singngat skinned wild tigers, Lion and the like and fought the Haokip tatara Pu Hemlam Haokip, and the Zou Army were soon carrying all before them. The British troops were ambushed, harassed, pick-off, booby-trapped and tormented at will by the Zou Armies at Zezaw Hill like the Apache or the Sioux Indians. The British troops they encountered were dispersed with “Suangkhaithaang” and pumpi, Zouthau, bow and Arrow and with the Sword of the heroes. At length the day battle was won, and the victor Zogal Salpha’s returned home at Singngat. The command in chief (Gallamkai) Pu Lagou Tawtah and Hangchin went to the great chief Tonghau Munluo to report to their great chief’s that the tasks entrusted to them had been successfully accomplished. At this time-the year was about 1918 A.D.
From what may be learned from oral tradition handed down to us by our forefather that day Zezaw battle (and there is not the slightest reason to doubt their essential truth) was one of the greatest Zou battle with the British. But a few generations after our forefather fought in Zogal their legacy had vanished. Under the new generation it had shrunk to nothing, leaving only the memory of a few names and battles. The modern Zou generation changes the greatness of their struggles into an old man boring stories. This write-up was not an attempt to study and analyse the Zou wars of independence but an attempt to show to the new generation the superhuman sacrifices made by our ancestor in the killing field of Zogal is worth remembering, and to change the modern generation perspectives toward their sacrifices. We cannot but remember our indomitable freedom fighters, drawn from all parts of Zogam, who shed their blood so that we, live a life unfettered by the ignoring of Imperialist domination and colonial exploitation. Let us not let the Zogal Salpha’s efforts go unnoticed.
SMS for Zogal:
There are psychological moments in life and an insight received in such a moments can change our perspective toward things- history, quality of life and transform for the better, and enriched it. It was peak summer time in 2010. As is and was my wont the first things I do after every meals is check my mobile inbox for message that friends send me, particularly throught the night. There it was, this innocuously simple message which went: “Zogal lai a Ahgawchieng bangtan a sau a bangtan a vanleng leeng e?Zou IAS Question”. Then another message: “Zou napdaw ang kichi chieng a bang a dawng ding e?” A well retrospective messages from one curious young mind. The sheer simplicity and exhortation of the message settled in my mind, and set me thinking, of Zogal and it’s warriors. The sight of half-naked Zou warriors shouting war cried, or the shaking Zou women’s and children’s swarm before my eyes for a moment. Having absorbed the pregnant purport of the message the first thing I did was forward the message, as to remember, to my benevolent friends. After a while in the day my mobile begin to beep with the sound of an incoming message. The Zou IAS Question may be easy to answer, as, it take my friends 10 or 15 minutes to answer it. One reply: “ Zogal lai a ipupa ten vanleeng inntung tan a leeng ding a ahisap uh, Ahgawchieng sauseng lou ding. Zounapdaw lai a hing kou ding mi namdang koima umnailou”. A cosmopolitan spirits answer. Then another messages read: “Zogal lai a vanleeng ipu ten mualtung lah a ana geptho uh, Ahgawchieng sang seng lou ding, Zou napdaw ang kichi chieng a tulai nou a dawta chia dawng ding”. Another retrospective message.
What I liked about the SMS is it’s sheer simplicity and exhortation messages. The messages speak in honour of those Zogal heroes who have consistently proven their worth. It speaks out in honour of those great chief’s and warriors who have fought hard- to retain the right of their forefather and to freed us from foreign grips. Let us in our own small way honour the fighter of the Zou wars of independence. And let us remember the first tears to the last tears of our wars. No doubt, the war was brought to an end on 20th May, 1919, but the last tear’s of Zogal was shed on 29th May, 2010.
The last tears of Zogal:
Tonghau munluo, the great chief, in the time of the great warrior Letkhup Munluo, was the great-grandfather I never knew, kept alive only throught my grandfather stories. More than nine decades after he was imprisoned at Imphal for his political beliefs by the British, I was the first (may be) in the family to stand at his burial place marking his fought for freedom, justice and Independence.
I grew up hearing tales of Zogal from my grandfather. When I was quite small, the stories seemed “Fun, full of dark humour”. It wasn’t until I was old enough that my grandfather revealed the more realistic versions of his narratives. In the summer of 2010, on May 29 I stood on the soil of “Khomunlui”, with my grandfather Khupkhanhau ( Chief of Singngat), once called home by my great-grandfather and mothers and mourned them and all those who have been laid and rest there. My grandfather told me, this is the place of Singngat at the time of the British, where the British burned down and killed one innocent young girl.
I could almost imagine my forefather lying there and forgiving the British soldiers who had taken the life of some of the innocent villagers and burn down their houses during the war, then whispering the name of their beloved children children’s. I imagine my great-grandfather Tonghau Munluo peering down the mountain admiring the beautiful scenic of the land he fought for his children’s, of the land they fought for us. This was a once in lifetime experiences for me. Over 93 years had passed since my great-grandfather fight the British, imprisoned as a political prisoner, as a freedom fighter. Through out those years I never gave up hope that someday my oneself would reconnect these sacred memories with the present. Standing at the place where my forefather once spent their life in Singngat Khomunlui was unbelievable. It was bliss from my ancestor to their great grandson in the present.
I walked around the perimeter of “Khomunlui” that had been the resting place of my forefather, where my grandfather and mother spent their childhood days. Then my grandfather leads us to the North of “Khomun”, while he seems to count his steps. After the seven steps may be eight my grandfather stop and pointed the place; “This is where your great-grandfather and mothers and five other from our families rest. In all seven people from our families laid to rest in one tomb.” He told us. Then my grandfather speaks out to his father Tonghau and to our ancestor at Khomun, honouring them for their great sacrifices during the war and telling them that the villages, the land they defended with their bloods was now shinning like the North star in the Milky ways. After my grandfather speaks out honors word to his ancestor, then his voice become low and he started speaking to his father Tonghau alone, begging him to tell him why he left behind when he was still a child. Then something just hit me to keep popping into my head like a recurring Nightmare; “Senpan momnou zuo mel mulou, sinlai ah na e zuo ang pomlou..”. I stand listening stupidly to his heavy heart. It was the first time I ever saw my grandfather tears, a tears of the past and the tears of the war. A tears long to be shed. The last tears of Zogal. He still gets tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat remembering the day when the whole villages sacrifices for our today. With tears in his eyes, he sings an Ode to the gfallen heroes (Sanemla) and dedicates it to all who laid to rest in Khomun.
Remembering the fallen heroes:
In the above paragraph I have briefly reflected one of Zogal heroes my great-grandfather Pu Tonghau Munluo. He and those who have been laid to rest at “Khomun” made grand sacrifies or contribution to the struggle for the liberation of Zogam or made some grand political contribution to our nation. It is an attempt to smother the hearts, to remind the Zou’s students that everything we enjoy today is the result of someone sacrifices.
War has been a part of the human experience since the dawn of recorded history, and this unfortunate fact has been reflected in the literature of almost every period and culture. War stories were intended to preserve the history or mythology of conflict between different societies. As a great-grandson of one of the Zogal heroes, I have seen the consequences of inadequate honors pay to our forefather and the hugh price that they pay. And the inadequate recorded story to preserve our history. What we need to ask ourselves today, indeed the question we ought to answer, is whether we have been able to uphold or honors the sons and daughters of our land. Let us have an honest introspection of ourselves. Can we in all honestly say we have all done what we can to honor our fallen heroes, those who took up arms to liberate our land? Like the tears of my grandfather, the last tears of Zogal seems to send us a message; “Here lies our fallen heroes who gave their life for our today, honour them”.
