The article below is a very insightful review of the condition of the past and present of the Maras. A must-read for every concerned world of Mara people.
A BRIEF REVIEW……….. THE PAST AND PRESENT CONDITION OF THE MARAS
by K.Vabeihmosa (M.A Final)
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
The Lakhers as separate tribes were first mentioned in 1852. Captain Tickell refers to the tribes as Heuma or Shendus. Heuma is the name of the Lakher Village in North Arakan . The Arakan always called them Shendus. Captain Lewin called them Shindus or Lakher. The Shendus, According to Mackenzie were a nation living to the north east of Blue Mountain . These tribes appear to be more numerous in population than any other Indo-Chinese Hill race who extended over a large part of the country. Colonel Phayre to the Government of India wrote, I have known all the tribes personally, except the Shendus, for many years. The Shendus tribe has always been spoken of as powerful, and so being much feared. They seem to extend not only for some distance within the nominal British territory, but far beyond it.
THE PERIODS OF 1891-1931
Before 1891 there was no regular administration set up in the Lushai hills District. It (lushai Hills) was brought under british rule in 1891.As the Hills were increasingly brought under British control, four administrative units emerged:-the Chittagong hills District, The south lushai hills district, The North Lushai hills District and the Chin hills District. The chittagone and the Lushai hills district were initially put within Bengal . In 1898 the southern and the Northern parts of the so-called Lushai hills were united and put in Assam . At that time, the chin hills of Burma could never be effectively controlled and, at the same time of transfer of power in Burma and India , a small tract of Territory remained actually ”unadministered” between them. The clans are independent of each other. (There were frequent raids by the unadministered village in the lakher area to the administered villages in the south border of the lushai hills.)Even after the annexation of North and south lushai hills district, they(the Mara people) still used to fight their neighboring tribes and sometimes even fought among themselves too.
Of course the lakher area of the Pawi-Lakher region called as lakher Land come within the actual Briitish control 30 years after the occupation of the Lushai hills.According to N.S.Singh and ancestors, the lakher (Mara) land in some areas were never under the domination of foreign rules before 1931 and in this same year,the Zawngling area,south of lushai hills(which was formerly an area of political control of the British)was included in the province of Assam.
JUST BEFORE AND AFTER INDEPENDENCE
After the separation of Burma from India in 1937,administration started taking roots in the lakher (Mara) land. In 1938, M.Call reported that the Lakher(mara) came under control. The British Gov’t later, Decided to define boundary unilaterally. Just before independence, LL Peter the last British superintendent took initiative and formed a committee of a chief and commoners in 1947. In the meantime, the Bordoloi sub-committee visited Aizawl on April 17th 1947, and met across section of the People and Collected their opinions, and at this time the Lakher (Mara) also a memorandum to the last British Superintendent in 1947 demanding separate regional or separate district council for the Lakher Hills. It was prepared by chief of Saikao, Chohmo. (During that time the Mizo Union Party, The Biggest Party in Mizoram had also demand an autonomous district council under the Assam Government), Accordingly, As per recommendation of the Commission, Lushai Hills was given as district council and Mara were given regional council in 1952. However, due to short slightness and political ignorance of the Mara Chief and their People, other tribes like, Pawi, Chakma….etc. were included under the regional council by forming tribal union party. Thus, The Pawi Lakher tribal Union was form in 1948 and the Pawi Lakher regional Council was Thus form in 1954. And then the constituent assembly approved the provision of district council and regional council, which were inserted in the Sixth schedule of the Constitution, (Constitution of the District) act, in 1951, the government of Assam enact Assam. Autonomous. The Lushai District Council for the Lushai was set up in 1952 and the Lakher-Pawi regional Council for the Lakher Pawi and Chakma tribes were set up in 1953.
TRIBAL UNION AND MFP(MARÂH FREEDOM PARTY)
In October 1963, shortly before the regional council election, the tribal union was split on the question of nomination and then a Mara Freedom Party (MFP) was form in 1964. In this regard, the Lakher(Mara) felt that the Pawi-Lakher Regional Council was being dominated by the advance Pawi’s, and most of the important post had gone to the Pawi’s. The aims and Objective of the Mara Freedom Party was to serve a separate Mara District Council for the development of the Land and its People. It also Aimed at Uniting all the Lakher (Mara) distinct culture, traditions and customs and also promote Mara dialect, in the mean time, like the MFP the Kalai National Council (K.N.C) A-one man Party was also formed in 1964, just after they formation of MFP in 1964,the pawi also formed a party of their own in 1965(CNF).
1972
The Mizo District Council worked for 20 years and was abolished in 1973(The Mizo District Council become a Union Territory in 1972) along with the Pawi-Lakher regional Council which was trifurcated into three regional council viz… The Lakher, Pawi and Chakma Regional Council and each one was upgraded to the District council in 1972.( Regional Council lasted only for 29 Days).
MARÂH CONDITION AFTER STATEHOOD
After the formation of union territory and the attainment of statehood, the political situation changed, and the seat of power and political rights for the maras also totally changed. Infact they, the people of Mara cannot fully enjoyed their rights for power ,jobs and others, although they have been living in the state of generation. For example, the reserved seats for the Maras such as state civil services, MBBS…etc has been cancelled by the state Gov’t. For all this different reasons, NGOs of the Mara i.e(M.T.P.,M.S.O.) and even the educated populace or the qualified persons among the Maras and leaders of different political groups have intervened and raised their voices to the state gov’t as well as central government from time to time to take back the political right which they used to get before. However, the state government never listen their voices. But the Mara Students’ Organization are still active nowadays and are trying to stimulated right among the students on the Mara problem.
MIZOS AND OTHER TRIBES IN THE MIZORAM STATE
On popular demand among themselves the name of the district was changed for the lushai Hills to Mizo hills district in 1954 by an act of parliament. The reason is that the name Lushai is concentrated only for Lushai tribes whereas other tribes also have size arable population among them. In the olden days, they are known as Zomis in Burma , while the British variously labeled them a Lushai and Mizos in India ,and Kukis in Chittagong Hills. T.Gougin had a preliminary talk with mang khanpang and the former agreed to preferred the genetic name of Zomi, to the present Mizo, to identify their community. The Zomi carries the ideas of common ethnic oneness of the Mizo speaking people.(Dr.S.N.Singh).The sub-tribes among the Mizos are Lushai,Ralte,Hmar,Paiteh….etc non-Mizos within the Mizoram state are Maras, Lai, and Chakma etc(Encyclopedia of North east India).Likewise the Pawi(Lai) people are also referred to as Lai or Chin, because most of their settlement were in the Chin Hills in Burman. They(lai) resent whenever called as Mizos. The same is the case with the Lakher(MARA) who never identify themselves as Mizos.Of course, they called themselves as Mizo when they are at Aizawl and feel shy to call themselves as Pawi(Lai).Likewise Zomis or Mizos in Burma they sometimes used to call themselves as Chin, but they called as Zomis or Mizos. We are not Chin but Mizos, they said. The same is the case with Mara, Lai and Chakma in India those people never called themselves as mizos or Zomis, They said that we are Mara, Lai and Chakma. The question is that (what is the meaning of MIZO?(The same case with other tribes in Myanmar about CHIN)According to one, “Mi” means Person, ”Zo” means Highland . So Mizo means highlander or people living in the high hills. Laithagliana(1975.71)says “Zo” may also means cold region and therefore Mizo signifies people of the cold region. To think is that How would became the Mizo name for those tribes only?
SETTLEMENTS OF MARÂH
It was a traditional belief that there was a big hole called Fathlai Cave and the ancestor of the Maras are said to have originated from there, a place situated near Ngiaphia Sizo, in Burma(Myanmar).Regarding the migration of the Maras, it was known that at first the Mara lived in the eastern region of Tibet. From Tibet , they came down along the Brahmaputra valley and settled somewhere in the places now called Assam , Nagaland, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh. The others group came down along the river Irrawaddy and entered the Burma . Later on, from Burma they migrated in groups to here in Burma and India territory in order to find out suitable fertile land for settlement.
NAMES AND MEANING OF MARÂH
During the British Gov’t of India and Burma , before the coming of Christianity, the Maras were known and called by different names by different tribes, viz Shamtu, Shendus-Shendoos, Miram-Zo, and lakher-lakheyr. According to History, lakher name was used to call by lushai, shantu by khumi, shidus or shedoos by Arakanese, miram and zo by Pawi(Lai) and other tribes of Burma etc.. In India , they were known as lakher and also categorized as scheduled tribe under the name of the lakher. In Burma ,they are categorized under the name of the Mara. As there was totally differentiation of the name in Burma and India, and the lakher name would be considered as workers name (in lushai dialect la means cottons on spin and kher means stick in stick out), the lakher name in India was changed (Mara) in 1964 with the aim to integrate all the Maras sub-tribes inhabiting both in Mizoram and the neighbouring chin state in Burma into one unit or one common name.
In the olden days, The Maras were known and called as Miram and Zo by the Hakha. Miram means “other-land” and Zo means “high landers” or “mountaineer” or “Forester”. The name of the miram was thus translated as Mauram by the Hakha, Mauram means ”Bamboo regions” or “Bamboo landers”. According to Dr.Lai-u Fachhai “The words Miram is nothing but Hakhanized words for Mara” In Mara dialect, as truth meaning, Ma means “leaving” and Rah means “land” thus, those who have left their original homeland are referred to as Mara. According to another version, the words Mara means “A group of people”, who have came down to low altitudes after gradually exhausting the fertility of the jhum lands on the top of the Hills.
SUB-TRIBES OF MARÂH
Maraland is the land inhabited by several sub-tribes or sub-groups of Mara. R.A. Lorrain, the Mara Missionary thus asserts that the Maraland and its society was a complex land which as composed of various sub-tribes or sub-clans such as Zyphie-Vytu-Lotu,Tlosai-Siaha,Zyhno-Lialai-Heima,Hawthai-Lochei, and Chapi-Ngiaphia-Saby, etc. and each of the sub-tribes has got their different dialect/have their own local spoken dialect. Henry Hopkinson reports that they (Shindoos) are not as far as we know, a people united together, and obeying a common head or government, but they are split up into numerous clans, each under its own chief and independent of the other, the clans are independent of each other as long as they have power to maintain independence .According to Dr.S.T.Das,a distinguish social scientist. “There is another major tribe called lakhers( Maras ),their language is altogether different from the Mizos or a kin group”. Infact, even in the eyes of mizos, the maras are others, although they have been living in the state for generations. They argued that ethnically, culturally and linguistically they are different from the Mizos.
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY
After the World War II ended in 1945,the Gov’t had summoned all the Mara chiefs at Siasi river near “Paka”, which is the boundary line between India and Burma . There were representatives of the British India and Burma , and Rev. Albert Bruce Foxall, was also a representatives of the Lakher Pioneer mission at this meeting.At this crucial moment,Rev.AB.Foxall pleaded with the chiefs to opt for India settlement. However, Mara chiefs from across the Siasi river refused to stay under India saying that it would be difficult for them to get a supply of salt. On hearing their final decision, the missionary wept(article Puhpa Mylai Hlychho).since then, they (The Maras) are divided by an international boundary into two groups. Thus, less of the sub-tribes are included in India and most of the sub-tribes are included in Burma .
THE PRESENT MARÂH SCENARIO
In connection with this brief review of our historical background, there are certain important facts which we as a responsible Mara Students’ should take heed and necessary actions to. Present, it would not be an exaggeration to say that corruption sweeps through the length and breadth of our land, outsiders are exploiting and extorting us indirectly in one or the other way, education system being misleaded. Infact, non-Mara inhabitants and policies from outside can also be a future hindrance to our so called Societal Development. And if we do not check now, one day we the people of Maraland will become a minority in our own land and there will come a time when they will dominate us and also take a better advantage of us just like we can see in the context of Assam and Tripura where the indigenous people are becoming a minority in their own land. And today’s it’s sad to say that we the people of Mara, NGO’s of the Mara i.e. MTP, MSO are protecting non ara inhabitants or others for our own personal benefit and this non-Mara inhabitants, as a matter of fact, will one day certainly poses threat, disharmony and peaceful co-existence among the Mara’s People. So, the big question lies as to who is responsible to tackle and solve these endangered menace and who is to preserve the land God gave us and all the rich culture and traditions of ours.
Hence, Today we are bound to move towards one destination and that is nothing but unity and integrity which assumes the most crucial part of our foundation and strength. Though government will come and go, development will take place in different ways and policies of the government might change, history, which will passed, will never change and this history will always remain important in our lives. So, in order to preserve and enrich or uplift our historical cultural, tradition and dialect at large, no men’s work is more important than the work of Mara Students’ of today. Lastly, it is high time we should put our hand together, toil harder, develop positive attitude, join hands together to stand for truth and strive for a better maraland,……………… and let the mighty God be the judge of all things in Maraland…..
“FOR GOD AND MARALAND”
Note: K. Vabeihmosa is an MA Final year student in Shillong. He is also currently serving as Finance Secretary at Shillong Mara Church, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
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|2009-09-21 09:52:53 mara reih - navaw ro pha ngasa nana articla vaw ro pahe apha ta hmeisei nata eipalo chhao eina hria ngasa.... eima rah tao pathi nawpa heta keimo MSO zy ku lia heta apa hnie hmeiseita pahno hra nata... na article vaw ro taw heta keimo student zy pita keimo nata keimo liana heta tha ta eima pacha pasia kaw awpa aza byu nazie naza pala sa hmeiseih... keimo mara chi nata pho lia chhaota ala pa eihna eima tao ty pa zy he pathlei sila rei rao kawpata eima rah chata tlao hria achhuapa ta, no kha noh liata keimo marasaw zy pi he chi hro pho hro pa zy mo hmo liata chi reih raoh kawpa nata zachhi kawpa zy na ama cha tahpa mia ama vaw pahno thei aw... reirao na heta na chi nata pho apa boh sa thei tapa he tlao pa cha tua su u, ei unaw nata sietano zy sai u.........
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|2010-02-23 09:04:02 mr.hy - alynaDear Unaw,
Ei cha rohpa liata thapatlona eina hneipa va chi ta ei ly hmeisei,Ne reihpa hawta cha roh awpahe atlychaka awpa nata apahnih awpa he abyuh kaw,keima chhao ta atlyhchakapa chabuzy vaw palasah hma khao leipa nata apei ei vaw tah hmeisei.He hawta pachana phapazy na vaw pie chita ei cha ly kaw.Tawtala Tahma chha lia tacha apahnihpa chabu eih leipata cha roh tlapa ,reih tlapa acha khao leina chhao he ,keima chhao eipahnopasia ngasa hra.
Ei cha ly kaw
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|2010-01-20 03:49:34 Mara KingVabeihmosa natao papha kaw. Ano dei kua he na article roh pahe ahy resource y na hma. Acknowlegement or footnote y leipavata ngiachhi achhi ngasa. A hmeisei patacha he he stealing from other resource pachata western rah liata acha khia hehawpahecha Judge thei pa acha.
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|2010-03-18 07:46:47 pawhmo - alynaDear Unaw ,
Na reihpa adokaw,History chabu reihpahe eipahasah ngasapa vata he Shillong liata ei vaw y chho ta Bu 20 rachhoh ei vaw reih haw,Marahpa rah liata ama ropa ,missionary zy rohpa,........zy reih leipata,Chavata reference pie awpa ahlu ngasa,ei vaw pie hma khao vei.Napacha thaina ei cha haw hmeisei.Cha achupa eima cha hrapa vata eima raih hawta ahmo nata ei vaw tiama khei ngasa hrapa acha.Ei cha ly kaw.
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|2010-01-20 13:46:27 JK Chozah ATC,Aizawl. - Good articles..!Dear Mosa..
You have really done a great job,Your attempt is appreciable for concerning so much about your identity as you are being the real people who really love and care in literally. I really appreciate your contribution as well as your preparation and thoughtful mind.Here heartily appreciation with encouragement for your future, keep it up your writing habit of hard worked and we also aspect you more in a days to come. As we all aware that these days we really desperate written document rather than doing and talking.
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|2010-03-05 04:46:23 A.solai - AcknowledgementDear Mosa,
I`m really happy to learnt your concerned over the issue of mara identity which is dwindling to my understandings..... I highly acknowledged ur write-up and please keep on writing to expose the real world of the mara. I feel very homely knowing at least someone is keeping heart for this beautiful and the only land for MARAs.
