Let Us Not Ruin Our National Unity Because Of Having Several National Names_ Pu Lian Uk (Ex.MP)
Pu Lian Uk (Ex-MP 1990) from Facebook
Dear all fellow Chins:
We all the Chin people are in a landmass territory of not less than 14000 sq. miles where as our cousin Mizoram and Nagaland in India have an area of 8000 Sq. miles and 6041 Sq. Miles each respectively. We thus all have the same inspiring blood of that same soil in our respective veins and mindset in the national name of Chins
This name Chins is known in Tedim/Tonzang dialect as “Zomi”. The same name Chins we have in Asho Chins dialect is as “ Asho” and in Mindat/Kanpetlet is “K’cho” . The same name we have in Khongsai and Thado dialect is Kuki and the same name we have in Falam/Hakha/ Thantlang/Matupi and other related people like Bawm people in Bangladesh and in other regions dialect is “Lai/Laimi” and Chins in Paletwa is “Khumi” having the same meaning as “Laimi”
That is we have several other different names like -Zomi, Asho, Kuki and Lai/ Laimi, K’cho,Khumi . Thus we, the Chin people, have several national names like India has Bharat in Hindi, Hindustan in Urdu andf India. Japan and China have several names like Chunghua and Chinese for China; and Nippon and Japanese for Japan. And Germany also has 2 national names like Duetchland in German and German in English. There are several other nations which have several different national names too. Thus the national names of a people just depends on in what language or dialect we speak and write. It is just like as a saying “roses in many languages have the same meaning as flower roses.
The Chin people all recognize and accept those different names we have in our several dialects are all our domestic national names that belong to the single Chin people in several names and the name “Chins” being our national international name like the people of India accept Bharat and Hindustan as their domestic national names where as the name “India” is accepted by them as their national international name.
There is nothing to worry that the domestic names of the Chin people – Zomi, Asho, Kuki, Lai/Laimi,K’cho, Khumi will get lost in the history as long as we speak the dialects in which we have those domestic names .So, Let us not ruin our national unity because of having several national names as long as we keep on having the name “Chins” as our international name . It is Just that simple to conceive this idea .
On the other hand there is something to consider also.. Our navel is supposed to be the center of our body including our limbs in the Chin tradition. So the Chin people mostly call navel as “lai “ as it is in the middle of our body including our limbs. So, navel is called “lai” in several Chin dialects.
Human or people is in several Chin dialects “mi”. The Chin people from Falam /Hakha/ Matupi /Bawm and other Chin related people in several other regions call center or middle “a laifang”. If we connect “alai fang” and “mi” , it creates the wording “alaifang mi”.So it is connected in short form “Laimi”. That is why people in Falam’/Hakha ectc come to call Chins as Laimi to be the central people of the Universe. So is it Khumi in Paletwa dialect.
In the same way “central or middle” in Tedim/Tonzang is” alailak” and if we connect alailak with the “mi” it becomes “alailak mi” .In short form it creates the name “Laimi” too. In the same way “center or middle” in Mizo (Duhlian)dialect is “alai li” If we connect the wording “mi” with the wording “alaili” in Duhlian dialect it makes the wording “alai li mi” .So in its short form, it creates the wording “Laimi “ too.
So here, the wording “Laimi” seems to be the commonest generic national name for the Chin people.. But those who call Chins as Laimi do not claim Laimi to substitute for the name Chins though it is one of the commonest generic names for the people for the unity with other fellow Chin people.They just accept the name “Chin” as the best international name for all the Chins comfortably as it has been well recognized by the world in many atlases, Maps and many thousands and thousands of books and publications of the world
So why shall we not accept Chins as our international name like India and China and Japan also accept their already international names which are not their generic names.
Actually to insist on having the unpopular generic names which no longer are popular in the world is a kind of reactionary and conservative mindset turning back to the medieval age. When we speak our respective dialects and share together our well known national name “Chins” with which we are known as our international name like India accept the name India which has not been their generic name for their national name though they have Bharat and Hindustan as their domestic names. Thus, let us think of the unity of the Chin people as the Chin people are just only half a million in the mainland Chin State where as our cousins in Mizoram are one million and in Nagaland 2 millions in their much narrower boundary than the Chin State.
Thus to have the name Chins as our international name has been already well known in the world maps and books and we can get references in those uncountable atlases , Maps and books to refer for those who have not known what the name Chins is.The unpopular generic name could take generations to be well known and popular to the world like the name Chins causiing a great loss even to its extinction for no good reason. Thanks. Lnk.
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