Re-reading Nunna Kawngṭhuam Puiah : From Postcolonial Perspective

Abstract: The term ‘colonialism’ has a long history and has played a huge part throughout the history of the world. Needless to say, every nation has felt the effects of colonialism, either directly or indirectly. Accordingly, English dominance was established in India until the country’s independence in 1947. As a part of India, Mizoram, formerly known as ‘The Lushai Hills’, was involved by the English in 1890, bringing many changes to society.  In this way, like other colonized countries, the Mizos steadily deserted and despised their old traditions and culture. Subsequently, they adopted western culture and ways of life. Due to the effects of colonialism, the youngsters perceive Mizos as being simple and unsophisticated. On the other hand, they regard modernity and refined manners as belonging to the whites. Although colonialism has not caused significant problems in the current social situation, the effects of colonialism remain in the minds of the colonisers. As an author, Zikpuii-Pa has been impacted by the sociopolitical milieu of Mizoram. It is a well-known fact that whenever colonialism happens, there are works of writing from the colonized countries that are ordinarily a reaction against the colonizers. Taking this into account, the primary concern of this paper is to look into the recorded truth concerning how Mizo society was altered because of colonialism by analyzing Zikpuii-Pa’s fiction ‘Nunna Kawngthuam Puiah’ from the perspective of postcolonial literary theory. However, Zikpuii-Pa did not highlight all the main concerns in postcolonial theory. Keeping the Mizo context in mind, he employs some key concepts of postcolonial theory in ‘Nunna Kawngṭhuam Puiah’. 

 

Kum zabi khat chhung (1900-2000) a Zofate zinga thuziak thiam ber ‘Writer of the Century’ atan hiala an lo thlan K.C.Lalvunga (Zikpuii-Pa) hi Zofate zinga kawng hrang hranga mi chhuanawm berte zinga mi a ni ngei ang. Zikpuii-Pa hian thawnthu hi panga a lai a phuah a. ‘Nunna Kawngṭhuam Puiah’ hi kum 1989 khan chhut hmasa ber chu chhuah a ni. 

 

Tunlai khawvel hmasawn zelah hian Postcolonial Literature leh Criticism hian tuipui a hlawh hle. Postcolonial literature hi third world literature an ti bawk.  Postcolonial hi Post leh Colonial lakpawlh a ni a. ‘Post’ chu ‘hnu’ tihna a ni a. Longman Advanced American Dictionary chuan colonial chu “ram hla zawka mi thiltithei zawkten an va thunun” (246) tiin a hrilhfiah. Postcolonialism chu khawvela ram lian leh thiltithei zawk ten ram tenau zawk te an awpbeh laia an hnam nunphung leh ziarang te, awpbeh an nih lai leh tun hnu thleng pawha an hnam a nghawng dan zirchianna a ni ber awm e. 

 

Postcolonial Criticism lo chhuahna hi Franz Fanon-a lehkhabu, ‘The Wretched of the Earth’ (1961), Africa a France chetdan duh lova an dodal thu kha ni bera ngaih a ni a. Barry chuan Fanon a thuken pawimawh tak chu ‘ram dang awpna hnuaia awmten an bo lohna tura an tih tur hmasa ber chu an hun kal tawha an hnam ze hlui lak let leh hi a ni’ (The first step for colonized people in finding a voice and an identity is to reclaim their own past) tiin a ziak (195).  A dawtah chuan, awpbettute zia leh rilru an lo kai tawhte nawhral a ni. He choletna rawn ti chaktu chu Egypt mi, Edward Said-a (1978) kha a ni a (Theory of Literature 152-153). Postcolonial Criticism chu “Ram inawpbehna (colonialism) avanga mipui ten an khawtlang nunphung-ah te, an inrelbawl danah te leh an thu leh hlaah te eng angin nge nghawng a neih tih lo enchikna a ni ber a” (Literature Lamtluang 332). 

 

Postcolonial Theory rawn tilartute chu – Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Homi Bhabha and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak te an ni a. Chinua Achebe ziah ‘Things Fall Apart’ (1989) kha Africa ramin zalenna a hmuh hnua thil thleng hrang hrang leh  British ho thurochun kal zelin an hnam inpumkhatna a tihhniam thu auchhuahpuina a ni ber a. Tin, India hmeichhe ziaktu lar Arundhati Roy ziah ‘The God of Small Things’ pawh kha awpbeh tuartu ten anmahni awpbettu sapho hnam nunphung (culture) an ngaihsanzia leh an entawn nasatzia tarlanna anih avangin Postcolonial Novel lar tak a ni bawk. 

 

Saphovin Mizote an awpbeh hnuah awpbettu sapho nunphung leh thil ngaihsanna leh entawn bera neihna avang chuan zawi zawiin mahni hnam zia leh thil ngaihnepna a lo awm a. Mizo nih chu changkanglo leh ṭhing nihna a ngai a, thil duhawm leh changkang reng reng chu sap ta riauva ngaihna ṭhangtharte zingah a awm ta a ni.  Kawng lehlamah chuan sapho rorelna hnuaia kan awm lai (1890-1947) kum 60 dawn lai chhung khan Mizo ten tun hmaa kan la neih ngailoh hnam rilru thar kan chharchhuak a. Kan Mizo lehkhathiam hmasate khan kan hnam atna leh mawlna kha an vei em em a, chu chuan hnam thinlung leh mahni ram hmangaihna a hring chhuak a, thu leh hla ṭha tak tak an phuah ta a ni.  Chung zinga huhang nei langsar tak pakhat chu Zikpuii-Pa kha a ni. 

 

  ‘Nunna Kawngṭhuam Puiah’ (1989) thawnthu hi Mizoram buai laia mipuite tawrhna nasatzia pholanna thawnthu anih rualin Mizo nula hmelṭha Ngurthansangi leh Mizo tlangval tumruh Chhuanvawra te inngaihzawnna leh inhmangaihna thawnthu ngaihnawm tak a ni. He thawnthu hian kil hrang hranga thlir a chakawm viau laiin tun ṭumah erawh hi chuan he thawnthu Postcolonial tukverh aṭanga thlira thil lo lang hrang hrangte kan tarlang dawn a ni.

 

A hmasa berah chuan Postcolonial chungchang ziakmite hian a tlangpuiin hnam thinlung (Nationalism) leh ram hmangaihna (Patriotism) an tuipui thin a. ‘Nunna Kawngṭhuam Puiah’ thawnthu hi ngun taka kan chhiar chuan Zikpuii-Pa hian hnam thinlung puin he thawnthu hi a ziak tih kan hmu a ni. Chu hnam thinlung a\ang chuan Zofate chu kan ram mawi tak, siamtu min pek leh a chhunga thilsiam mawi tak takte hi hlut thar leh turin min duh a ni. Khawvel hmundang  aṭang pawha Mizoram hlut ṭhintu Zikpuii Pa chuan, 

 

 

a ti nia mawle!

 

Hetiang taka Zoram ngaihlutu Zikpuii-Pa hi hnam thinlung pu (Nationalist) leh ram hmangaihtu (Patriotic) dik tak tihloh rual a ni lo.Mi naran kan zina kan en liam mai mai ṭhin chu Zikpuii Pa chuan hnam thinlung pua a thlir avangin atan chuan tlang hmuhnawm leh inngaitlawm, kan Mizo nun ze mawi tarlangtu a lo ni reng mai anih chu mawle! Hmun dang chu eng ang pawhin changkangin nuam zawk mahse Ngurthansangi zak taka a awmna hmun anih miau avangin Chhuanvawra leh Ngurthansangi tan chuan zahna ram, hnuchhawn chakawm a ni zawk tlat. Hei hian a tarlan chian em em chu min awptuten changkanna leh mahni hnam thil ngaihnepna kan thinlungah tuhnghet viau tawh mahse, Zofate tan chuan Mizoram chu kan Inpui, kan Jerusalem a la nih miau avangin chawlh hahdamna hmun, hla tak a\ang pawhin kan la pan vang vang ṭhin a ni tih Zikpuii-Pa hian a hmuchiang hle.

 

Pahnihnaah chuan Zopui khuaa Ngurthansangi chhanchhuak tura Chhuanvawra a han kal leh khan Rambuai a la reh loh avangin fimkhur la ngai hle turah an ngaihpui a. Mahse chu Mizo tlangval chhuanawm tak, IPS val lo ni ta, a police uniform-a a han inthuam meuh chuan sipai leh police te chu atan ṭhianṭha vek an lo ni tawh a, an ngaisangin an zah em em tawh zawk a ni. Chu ngei chu a ni Zikpuii-Pa in Mizo hnam hmangaiha, ramdang leh hnamdangte chunga leng tura Mizo tlangvalte a duh dan chu ni. Tharum leh hriamhrei hmanga inpawngnek leh insawisa lova, thiamna leh dikna hmanga Zoram, hnam dangte rahbeha awm mek chu kaihthawh a tum a ni. 

 

Pathumnaah chuan, he thawnthuah hian Mizote chu hnam dangte awpbeha awm reng lova mahni ke a din a hun tawh zia kan hmu a. Chhuanvawra ṭhianpa Rohluta leh nula Thantluangi titi hian a tichiang:

 

 

He thawnthu bikah hian vai hnuaia kun an duhloh zia chauh an tarlang naa, Postcolonial thlirna aṭang chuan hnamdang hrim hrim thuhnuaia awm lova mahni kea din a ṭulzia leh, kan hnam dan leh khawsak phung chu zahpui lova humhim tlat a ṭulzia tarlanna a ni zawk mah awm e. Sapho thuhnuaiah kha leh chen kan lo kun tawh avang khan Mizoten kan hnam dan leh khawsak phung kan hloh nual tawh avangin kan harchhuah leh a ngai tih hi he thawnthu aṭanga Zikpuii-Pa thuchah pawimawh tak a ni.

 

Palinaah chuan mingo hovin an awp ram reng reng hian sap ṭawng an dah chungnung a, chu chuan an literature thlengin a nghawng ṭhin. Hei hi Appropriation of Colonial Languages an tih, Postcolonial theory ze pawimawh tak pakhat, awpbettu ten an ṭawng chu awpbehte ṭawng nen an herrem/miltir hi a ni.  Awpbettute tawng, sap ṭawng thumal ṭhenkhat phei chu anmahni ṭawng ang maiin an hmang hial ṭhin. Hei hi ‘Nunna Kawng Thuampuiah’ thawnthuah pawh hian a lang chiangin a thawnthuah hian sap ṭawng kan hmu tam hle. Zikpuii-Pa hi Mizo nihnaa chiang leh lungawi ni mah se, min awpbettu ten fing taka an ṭawng hmanga kan thinlunga zung an kaih chu a thawnthuah hian a rawn lang ta nual a ni. Entirnan, Yes, please, body guard, brothel, experience, drinks, food, debate, bill leh adt.

 

A dawt lehah chuan incheina chungchangah pawh min awptute tihdan kan entawn nasatzia he thawnthuah hian kan hmu. Kan hriat angin kan pi leh pute khan anmahni siamchawp thawmhnaw an inbel ṭhin a. Saphovin min awpbeh hnu khan Uniform, Suit, Necktie, Sari leh a dangte kan lo hmelhriatin kan entawn a, chu chu he thawnthuah hian a lang ta nawk a ni.Tin, pawnpui leh siksil te ai chuan bedsheet te, mattress-te an hmang ta zawk tih kan hmu bawk a. Hei hi Postcolonial a thil thleng langsar pawl tak a ni a. Rahbeha awmte chuan awpbettu, European ho chungnunna an pawm rualin an hnuaihnunna pawh an pawm tel nghal a. Hei hi Nagarajan chuan ‘Cultural Cringe’ (mi hnamzia leh nunphunga inphahhnuai taka bawiha va kunna) hringchhuaktu niin a sawi. Khawthlangho nundan entawnna hi ‘Mimicry’ an ti a. Awpbehna tuar tawhtu te chuan awpbettu te tihdan entawnna leh anmahni tih dan phung hmanga khawvel thlirkawpna (double consciousness) an nei thuai thin (English Literary Criticism 187). Dik tak chuan silh leh fen hi culture vawnhimna pawimawh tak anih avangin mahni hnam incheina ngaihsan thar leh hi a pawimawh tak zet a ni.

‘Nunna Kawngṭhuam Puiah’ thawnthu Postcolonial tukverha thlira thil lo lang chiang tak chu kan mizo culture nena inzawm tlat kan eizawnna- tlangram loneih hnualsuatin sawrkar hna kan um tih hi a ni. A nihna takah chuan Zosap Missionary te khan mi tam zawk eizawnna min thlaksak a ni ber e. Thingtlang lo neiha eizawnga inlawm dial dial ṭhin kha hmun hrang hrangah tla darhin hna chi hrang hrang- Pastor, Zirtirtu, Doctor, Pisa Babu kan thawk ta tih he thawnthuah hian kan hmu.

 

Thil chhinchhiahtlak tak pakhat chu kumkhaw tlai tluana Mizopa duhthusam buhchangrum leh sa chu Chhuanvawra te khua Zopuiah chuan duh thala tlan tur a awm a. Chutih lai chuan he thawnthuah hian Chhuankima chuan a nau Chhuanvawra chu, “Zopui khuaah hian in awm bo dawn, mi ningkhawng leh sawrkar chezia te pawh in hmu phak tur a ni” (Nunna Kawngṭhuam Puiah 14) tiin Shillong lama kal tura a thlem thu kan hmu a. Zopui khua, Mizorama khaw hmasawn tak leh hnam nunphung tarlanna hmun chu eng vanga mawl leh mi ningkhawng hre lova Chhuankima hian ngai nge a nih le? Hei hi a chhan bul ber chu sapho awpbehnain a hrin a ni. Mahni khua leh hnam ngaihnepna hi thil pawi tak a ni tih Zikpuii-Pa hian a tarlang duh niin a lang.

 

Tin, he thawnthua a changtupa Chhuanvawra te khua Zopui khaw chungchangah hian Postcolonial hnuhma kan hmu nawn leh bawk. Chhuanvawra pa Selṭhuama chu Mizo fate zinga Doctor sang ber pakhat niin indo zawh hnuah NEFA (tuna Arunachalah) ah Assistant Surgeon hna a thawk a. British-ho hawng tur khan Honorary Civil Surgeon nihna pein a pension tir a, tichuan Zoramah lo let lehin Zopui khuaah awmhmun a khuar ta a ni. Zopui khuaa a pem tur chu mi nuih a tizain Chhuanvawra u te ho phei chu khawpui nun tem tawh an nih avangin Mizoram khawchhak thingtlang khua Zopuia awm chu an duhlo hle a ni. Amaherawhchu, Chhuanvawra pa chu Mizopa dik tak a ni a. Lehkha thiamin Doctor hial ni tawh mahse, Mizo nihnaa a lungawina chuan Mizo culture a vawnnun tir a, hnam dang culture in a tibuai ve lo. Ama kutin thawk thei tawhlo mahse mi ruaiin leilet a la nei ṭang ṭang a, a fakawm hle. Chutih rual chuan Chhuanvawra u Chhuankima ve thung chuan ram dang leh hnam dang culture te ngaisangin Zopui khua chu a hmusit a, College a kal lai aṭang tawhin a chawlh pawhin Zopuiah a haw duh ngailo. Chhuankima nungchang (character) hi awpbettute min hnehna kalzel lo lang a ni tih loh rual a ni lo. Chutih rualin Mizo tlangval Chhuanvawra erawh chuan khawpui lian zawka lehkhazir thei reng ni mahse an khua Zopuiah ngei seilen a thlang a, Mizo culture a changkansan ve duh lo. Chhuanvawra pa, Zofate zinga Doctor sang ber pakhatin khawpui nun duh lova thingtlanga a let leh ngat hian a entir chu min awptute hian kawng tam takah kan nun her danglamin kan khawvel thlak mahse, Zofate nun chhungril luahtu chu kan hnam nunhluia kir leh hi a ni tih a chiang hle. Hei hi Postcolonial Criticism laimu chu a ni. Tin, Chhuanvawra leh Chhuankimate nungchang aṭang hian min awpbettute culture leh kan culture hi a insual a ni ringawt lova, keimahni Mizote zingah ngei pawh hian hnam dang culture chhawm duh zawk leh Mizo nunhluia kir leh duh pawl hi chhungkua leh a hnam pumpui ang pawhin kan lo awm thei reng dawn tih a tarlang chiang hle. Hei hi ‘hybridity’ Mizovin thlahpawlh kan tih, postcolonial theory lar tak zinga mi a ni.

 

Zikpuii-Pa kutchhuaka thil pawimawh leh langsar tak chu min awptuten Mizote min dahhniam a duhlohna kha a ni. Saphote khan Mizote chungah rorelin anmahni alaiah, Mizote asirah, an hnam nunphung (culture) chu ṭha leh changkang, Mizo hnam nunphung chu mawl zawk leh hnuaihnung zawk, hnam dangte pawl phalo leh tluklovah min ngai ṭhin. Zikpuii-Pa hian hnam thinlung puin he Mizo hnam hi hnam dang aia kan neplohzia a nunin a lantir a. Chu chu a thawnthua a changtute hmangin a rawn tarlang a. ‘Nunna Kawng Ṭhuampuiah’ thawnthua Chhuanvawra chanchin leh ‘C.C. Coy No. 27’ a Ralkapzauva chanchin aṭangte hian Zofate hi mi hnung zuitu nilovin hmahruaitu kan ni thei a, kan thlen chin leh kan rah chin zelah hian, rilru leh tihtakzeta kan ṭan chuan hnamdang zingah pawh pakhatna dinhmun hial kan hauh thei a ni tih Zikpuii-Pa hian tarlan a duh a ni.

 

‘Nunna Kawng Ṭhuampuiah’ thawnthua thil langchiang tak pakhat chu Mizoten sapho ngaisanga vaiho kan ngaihnepna thinlung hi vawiin thlengin a la reh tak tak lo tih hi a ni. Kan lehkhathiamten sap ṭawng an thiam hle laiin Hindi erawh chu an thiamlo hle tih a lang. He thawnthua a changtupa Chhuanvawra pawh hian thildang a thiam theih tehlul nen, “Hindi erawh chu ka ti ṭha thei mang lova, Hindi classah tawh chuan ṭhiante hian min nuih dur dur mai a, a manganthlak thei hle mai!”(Nunna 154) a ti thlawt nia. Hei hian Europeanho a lailuma daha, hnamdangho sira hnawlna rilru Eurocentrism a pholang tih loh rual a ni lova, min awptuten an thiltum (goal) a min luhpui zia tilangtu a ni bawk.  

 

  ‘Nunna Kawngṭhuam Puiah’ thawnthu ngaihnawm takah hian a ziaktu hian hringnun hi ril takin a khel chhova, a ngaihnawmna piah lamah zir tur a tam hle. Zikpuii-Pa hi lehkhathiam leh mi changkang niin khawvel ram hrang hrangah awm kual mahse, hnam thinlung aṭangin Mizote tan rual a awt a. Sapho awpna kal zel avanga kan zonun zemawi tlansan a, an tihdan kan entawn nasa ta lutuk chu pawi a ti a, kan hnam zia leh nunphung a kir leh turin Mizote min duhin min sawm tawk tawk a ni ber. 

 

Zikpuii-Pa hian kan hriatlohna leh kan hnam naupanna denchhena hnam fing zawk leh upa zawkten an nawm an maka kan hnam nun leh literature an kuaiher ngawt hi dikin a hre lova. Awpbeha kan awm chhung leh awm hnua kan lo hloh tak kan hnam zia leh nunphungte hi kaithova harh thar leh turin Mizo mipuite hi min duh a ni. Postcolonial tukverh aṭanga ‘Nunna Kawng Ṭhuampuiah’ kan han thlir tak aṭangte khan Zikpuii pa hi Postcolonial Writer ṭha tak a ni tih kan hre thei awm e. Chutih rual chuan Mizoten kan pi leh pute tihdan ṭha lote bansan a, a ṭha zawk zawng zelin, an nihna nilo leh an chanchin a diklo zawnga an sawinate hi zawngchhuaka an thlavang hauh tur hian ṭhangtharte hian mawh kan phur a ni. 

 

 

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