OH!! How come??"Celebration of KUT 2015" 'While our Martyrs were still lying on the Morgue, and their bodies were yet to Rest in Peace"
~ C.j. MangTombing
As we all know, " KUT" is the most important traditional festival which was celebrated every year among the ZO people (Chin, Kuki, Mizo, Zomi) living across the world as a mark of harvest and a time for enjoying and marrying which was inherited from our forefathers. It was the greatest festival and celebration of the Zo people since time immemorial.
a. A few days back a friend of mine told me that; we will be celebrating KUT in the coming days in our district Churachandpur. Looking at the present situation in our district I reacted, what??? KUT celebration in our District!! It's nonsense who will be celebrating – our Martyrs were still on the Morgue and their bodies are yet to rest in peace. "I don't believe at all!! I innocently said to him.
b. But a day later, it was flushed on the daily newspaper that a "Two days celebration of Chavang KUT" will be held at Tuiboung, Peace Ground, Churachandpur District. After going through it, Oh!! It's for real, still then I could hardly believe it. Asking myself how come three days celebration of KUT in our district (when we usually celebrate for a day during our normal days of the past years) on the very epicenter where the tribal movement broke out, and now we are celebrating KUT in our district in the middle of our Protest and Movement. And the tribal Martyrs whose body were still on the morgue and yet to be buried while we the people are still mourning and praying selflessly everyday seeking God, do you think that we the people are on the mood of festival and celebration. Apart from us, what will be the view from the state and Central Government "will they not say these people seems to be tough but they can be easily fooled",
c. On the very beginning of our movement the JAC along the ( Hmar iinpui, Kukiinnpi, MPC and ZC) had made an announcement that there should be no social gathering on the ground of festival or any kind of social gathering whirligig in our district center and unless our tribal martyrs were buried. Now, how come celebration of KUT in our district for two days!! "KUT does not stands for the KUKI alone". It's for all the Zo people. So, how comes the Kuki alone set up the programme without consulting the other Zo tribes who lives together in the small district?? Is this the outcome of our unity and the way it should be???
d. Our church bells were still silent and black flags were still hanging high and low in and around the corner of our district, which clearly shows that we are still mourning and we are still under a situation. We all tribal as a Christian if is never our religious way of practices and its never the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo, Zomi) traditional way that we organize any kind of social festive and celebration, when people are dying and our land and nation face unwanted situation and when the people are at stake. While most of our Religious Programme like the youth conference and Mission Conference which were planed long back were withhold and some of them were even cancelled. As a – tribute for our martyr's the Hmar cancelled their well-planned" Sikpuiruoi" the one and most important festival for the Hmar people. The Hmar, the Paite's& the Vaiphei'stribals bodies has urged and warned its respective members not to attend the KUT Festival 2015. To show their respect and tribute to the 9 Martyrs who selflessly sacrificed their life for the cause of their motherland.
e. There are prayer bands who selflessly sacrificed their precious time, praying and fasting, seeking the counsel of God. So that we could stand united as one and by Grace that God will heal our land and our movement would bring a positive outcome. Leading back to the past 50 to 60 years of our struggle, long suffering and our endurance with prayers. We often ask and prays continuously seeking God to hear our cry and to heal our broken land. We thank God!! He has answer our prayers and united us – using the 3bills and by the blood of our martyrs' (who would be our present situation of the three bills were not introduced and passed by the Manipur Government) And, from our side it is always our duty to stand united as one and go hand in hand, where one listen's to the voices of the other and the other's listen the one. This is the way it should be, how cones one alone setup and organize a programme for KUT Festival, which likely to affect our unity which had just been achieved through our prayers " Just month ago" which is always one's duty to protect and keep up with it. And If there are things like rumor's, protest and any kind of social whirligig which is likely to affect our unity. It's always one's duty to shut it down.
f. The KUT committee states that they salute the nine Martyr's, who sacrificed their lives for our people and Nation on 31st August and 1st September 2015 on the meantime organize a KUT celebration on 30th and 1st November. We the people would like to urge the but committee that if you really means what you stated and bear in your mind and salute's our martyr's whole heartedly, we don't think your sense will tell you to organize a KUT celebration and would be certain to called off the KUT festival for this year though it had been planned to host-numerous cognate group from far and wide to boost cultural integration, solidarity and positive deterrent to tragic incident such as witnessed in Churachandpur.
g. With deep consideration if our present situation in our district. We the people think that it will 1stbe better to boost our Cultural integration within the local tribal people and various tribes bring together in our district and make a stand that will assure UNITY of the people living together in our district and so that everyone may participate and will be the witnessed of the Unity Event, which was always our proem and basic need towards our goal and Freedom.
h. As a witnessed of the incident on our district and the nine Martyr's, the State Government band the central has already came and inspected the site and had paid a visit to the morgue and witnessed our nine tribal Martyr's. If people from outside came and witnessed but can't get us anything good and meet our demand, what will be the benefit for us and they coming here?? Those cultural troupes out there for sure they will be coming with a festive mood fever they might pay a homage visit and a tribute to our martyr's. But they would not better of our martyr's and our situation. Why?? Because they are coming here for KUT festival and Cultural event and KUT as we all know it is never a condolence event.
i. From the Programme laid down we knew that 40 plus cultural cognate groups will be coming. On big question from the public is that where that huge amount of money would came from or where would the source of the money be?? To fully sponsor all the expense (transportation fair, fooding, lodging and hotel) for 40 plus cognate will invest a huge sum of 1lakh!! Which will not be an easy thing for the people like us to afford all the expense of is the communal state government setting this up?? Who Knows?? God Knows!!
j. We from the people site would like to urge the KUT committee that with all these why don't we called it off and put it aside for the right moment and wait for the right time. Where the Hmar, Paite, Vaipheis, Zou, Gangte, Simte, Lushei, Thadou and all the tribes of Zo celebrate together unitedly when peace and unity is fully achieved. Let's us all together in Unity wait for the right time!! Which is more important, Our Unity or KUT Festival 2015, to maintain Unity among the Zo people or cultural integration with the outside people, our Unity or Money?? On 31st August the tribal were sold by their MLA's and on 30th October and 1st November do we permit ourselves to sell our unity?? Our unity which we finally achieved after long 50 to 60 years of struggle, which was just month ago, by the Grace of God and with the Blood of our nine brave heart who were still lying on the Morgue.
k. "If our Martyrs could speak out from their coffin knowing that we would be celebrating KUT just imagine what would their words be??
l. To the KUT committee – "If you were one among the Martyr's family, will you justify yourself and say let's celebrate while you condole and mourn for you brothers!! What would be the sentiment and reaction of the deceased family?? Why don't we give a thought to it??
m. Our Martyr's though we loved them and missed them so much, they will never again be coming back and we will never ever be seeing them again in the earthly lifetime. Again I would say- "They gave all they have, they had done their path, they left us with the greatest GIFT- UNITY which they bought it by their bloods". We on our side it is our duty to keep up with it.
n. Why do we still hesitate to cancelled our KUT Festival only this year for the cause of our Martyr's and our land, there might be a loss but I don't we will lost our life or stake our life if the KUT Festival was called off. "we will never be less different than our MLA's if we did this" because our society would be sold out"
o. IF we called off this year, am sure our KUT by God's grace that in the years to come; if we all are still alive we will be celebrating our KUT unitedly with the "Spirit of oneness" which had never been in the past and will be a great historic moment where one and all of the Zo people ethnic groups celebrate and participate whole heartedly.
p. "We don't think our KUT festival is more important than our GOD or Religious Programme& with one present situation, I assured that the festival would be fruitful.
q. I the writer express my deepest condole and pay my highest respect and salute to our 9 tribals Martyr's. They give all they have and I on my side this is all I can contribute to keep up with the unity which they left us behind. This issue is based on the public point of view and its nothing personal. There might be apology. " It's all for the cause of our UNITY and our better tomorrow "
r. "The heart of the wise is in the house bof mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure" – BIBLE
"LONG LIVE TRIBAL UNITY; UNITED WE STAND DIVIDE WE FALL"
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