F. Lai Len
A kum in hun chim ahcun, 1971 April thla, Kawlram chung university vialte (azate 17
hrawnghrang) thaal sianginn khar lio mahle khua le innlei tlun cio caan. System in hun
langhter ahcun, Ne Win uk lio Tawhlanyii Khawngsil chan, thil umtuning hun coih ahcun
Laitlang lam le hlei a rak chiat tuk lio caan. Laarnak lei hun peh ahcun, driver pawl nawl an
rak ngeih bik lio caan. Uarnak lei hun char ahcun university siangngakchia hna cu mizapi nih khuaitizu bantuk, pangpar rimhmui bantuk in an rak ruah lio hna caan. Tirawl man in hun chim ahcun cawsa, naasa, siasa cuai khat ah Ks 5/-, arpi/arhli pakhat ah Ks 8 – in 10/-, facang pyi khat Pyas 80- hrawnghrang, rawldawr i rawl voi khat ei ah Ks 1.50 in Ks 2,
seipawleih tamat (pyas 25) ah vuanbee seipawleih 5, duya asikhan sikaret 2 ah tamat,
naatum le cawtum pakhat Ks 150 in 200 kar, caanphio inn pakhat a man a fak bik ah Ks
2000/-. Halkha le Kalaymyo kar RTC cit man Ks 8/- hrawnghrang, Driver pawl an thlahlawh
pay scale cu Ks 110 – 125 kar, cu driver cu zung ah a tuanmi piata (peon) he an rank aa khat. Nain, driver pawl cu khual an tlawn tik ah passenger man vialte kha an i lak dih i tangka an gei lai tiah ruah cio a si caah, nungak pawl nih sih tlanh in an rak tlanh lio hna caan a rak si. Hihi kan Laitlang kong cuanh khawhnak caah a hmanthlak hei sisehlaw……………..
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“Chan karlak ah kan nau ce, tuk lo maw kan Laitlang, Ramzung ceuter khotu vaal nan um
rua lo? A kan pengtir siangpahrang bawi chan e lio bang in, Khuaza kan Laimi lungfaak
hna ruun tang ah. Khuaza kan Lairam kulhchung,
Ramzung ceuknak zuam u, leeng le vaal rual hna,
Zoh Cinrung khuari luaimai rawk lo ni bang tlang seh,
Iangngei kan Lairam hi hun cuai len awk in.
Chan zeizat maw Vailian nih an kan pen kan Laimi, Thlite teirial u leeng le vaal rual hna,
Kawlca tangno sanghleikai awng vaalno nan tam ko, Ho maw lungkam lo chuncha bang dir
ve lai”. (Hi hla a pehmi hlacaang an um rih. By heart bak in kan rak thiam).
Hi hla cu tlo taktak le nuam taktak in kan sak. Kan ka lawng si loin kan thinlung chung cio in kan rak sak, a that tuk caah. A au in kan au. RTC car (Road Transport Corporation) cung ah culio college siangngakchia pawl minung 20 tluk le midang khualtlawng sawhsawh 9/10 cu, RTC car (Truck phun a si i acozah ta a si) cung ah i tet ngai, pakhat le pakhat i nenhpah i khawnpah buin a phorhmi facang dip/tun cung ah thut cio a si. Kawlram in mahle khualei va tlun kan ti fam nih kan hngahlang ciomi semnak lungrawn va phak lai kha lungthlitum ngan bik a rak si caah, zeitluk har hmanhseh, kan rak tuarchih ko. Kan umnak university cio in
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Kalaymyo khua kan hei panh cio hnu, Laitlang tlun lai ni zingkasik dei hlan suimilam 3 – 5am kar thawh, mahle thilri i timh cio hnu ah saihkaa i hlan in RTC a umnak hmun ah va panh. Cu hnu ah RTC car cung ah a cuh bak in va i cuh i thilri tom he va kai, thuthmun va i ham. Tet tittet in va thut cio. Khua a dei ahcun kan thlanhripi a chuak cang. Nain, driver le spare cu an phan rih naisai lo. Phang hlah, an rak phan te ko lai!
Zinglei suimilam 8am hrawnghrang ah driver le spare cu atu lio Kawlram ralkap general
dirhmun khan khin duhsah le huamsam tein an hung phan. “Saya, saya” ti khan upat tihzah ngai in chawnh le biak an hei si. Cu bawi pahnih nih an khalh mi RTC car cu a seh a tha maw, tha lo, zeidang a rawk mi a um sual maw, ti in an hei chek ta. A tha ko, an hei ti hnu in an khalh mi motor cu mongh a hung si. Kan chuak kho cang ti phun khin aa cit mi passenger pawl kan va i lawmh khawh ning! Nain minit 5/10 hrawng an hei mongh ah lambi te lei ah a pial zau i, inn chianawn pakhat hmai ah minit 30 hrawng a dirta rih. A dirle cangka driver le spare cu a ran khawh chung, an kero in cu innlei cu an va panh. Minit 20 hrawnghrang a
hung rauh hnu ah ngaknu tungtaitha nawn, thau peppup nawn, hmursensi senzuk in aa
thuh mi, hnisen aa hruk i phanah chia nawn aa danh mi nih order a phunphun hei pekpah in motorcar lei cu an hei kan panh. An kan phanh le cangka, cu nu cu front seat ah driver he a hei thu. (Cu nungak le driverpa lawng).Bia a phunphun an i ruah dih hnu ah, motor cu
Laitlang lei panh in, vun i thawh a si. Cu ahcun zinglei suimilam 9am a si diam cang.
Stockage 2 (Atu ah kuu maing tiah auh mi) kan hun lawnh hnu cun Laitlang thlikikte doppah, lam nih chia kaw keh le vorh lei a kan thuipah vawleidip nih a kan zelhpah bute ah, cu hna thilrit vialte cu philh dih zau in, “Chan karlak” hlate cu kan zapi nacha in hun sak a si i, a ngol in ngol ti hlah, nawlh than lengmang a si. RTC car cu facang dip pawl khat lak in a phor mi a si caah le, cu facang tun/dip cung ah minung khat tittet in a phor mi a si caah suimilam pakhat ah meng 5 rate hrawnghrang in cholei cu a seh dih-um lak in phunh, a aw thawng a thang bik a chuah i cep kal bak in kal a si. A seh aw thawng maw a thang deuh, “Chan karlak” hla aw dik, tihi i fian khawh a si lo. Cubu cun Taingen kan hung phan. Chun niher zanlei sang 1pm luan deuh a si cang.
Taingen kan phanh le cangka driver nih amah a duhnak rawldawr hmai ah “thup” a hun
dirter. Driver cu a hung tum hmasa bik i, “Kee, meen doh aa-lung, di hma seen. Naa me,
thameen lee saa me. Vuattaa heen kawngkawng zah de” a hun kan ti. A order chuah ning
cun kan tum cio. Kan zapi nawn in, “Chan karlak” hla kan saknak ah kan dang zong a car dih cang i, kan paw zong a tam tuk ve cang. Elaw khah tiah, leidip cu kan lu le kan takpum cung in kan i thianh. Cheukhat cu an hmai an i phiah. Rawldawr chung ahcun kan hei lut cio i “vuattaa heen kawngkawng” cu kan hei i cah cio. Rawl voikhat ei ah Ks 2/- bak si kaw, aman a fak ngai ko, culio thil man kalning ah. Driver, spare le hmaithu nungaknu tu cu, special room VIP khaan chung ah an lut.
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Mizapi kan ei dih hnu cikcek, sau lakte kan i dinh cio hnu zong ah VIP room chung in kan
bawile pathum cu a chuak in an rak chuak ti lo, cu caancan rawl ei cu aw, ti awk in. Ziah tiah, zingka kan rak i thawh ahhin atu zan cu Falam kan phan lai, timi ruahchannak cio he a rak si.Tlawmpal a rauh ah spare pa a rak chuak i, “meen doh, penpaan de, naa ciah ung” a hei
kan ti. Cheukhat cu kan awlawk a chawng nain, hi hna pathum nawl tel lo cun zeihmanh kan tuah kho lo, ti kha kan i fiang tuk. Cucaah, cheukhat nih “Chan karlak” hla kan sa than,
cheukhat tu cu an handbag i tlinh in an i hngalh salam.
Suimilam pakhat hrawng a hung rauhchap hnu ah, nawl ngeitu bawi pathum cu VIP room
cun an hung chuak i, “Kee, meen doh, kaa paw teh, tuaa me” a hei kan ti cu, kan va i lawmh khawh ning. A ran khawh chung in RTC cung ah kan kai dih. RTC car cu a thil a rih tuk ruang ah, awn thluahmah le pawt thluahmah in Falam lei cu cep le chungkuh kal cun a hun kan
kalpi. Leidip nih a khu, ni nih a lin, lam le a chiat fawn tik ah “Chan karlak” hla cu kan sa kho ti ruam lo. Daiziar in kan um ko bu ah keh le vorh kan i thui, a kan hlawh chel, a kan vamh chel. Cuti cun suimilam pahnih dengmang a kan kalpi hnu ah lam pawng inn pakhat hmai ah a hung dir hoi. Aacee, zei dah a cang hnga tiah kan ti cuahmah lio ah driver pa nih, “Meen
doh seen, kaa pin ung me, meen doh ii-ii, sii-sii naa pa” ti a si hoi. A zei khi dah a rawk ti zong kan thei cio lo. Nain, kan tum cio i driver le spare nih cun an remh len ko. Cu ahcun suimilam pakhat a rauh hnu ah “Kee, kaa kawng tuaa bi, meen doh kaa paw teh” order kan hun theih cu kan va i lawm tuk ning!
Cuka hmun in kan i thawh than ahcun zanlei sang pi a si cang. Kan lung chungin ziah atu zan hi Falam kan phak khawh tung lai lo, timi thinphannak he kan si cio cang. Suimilam a cheu hrawnghrang kan hun kal hnu ah, kan RTC cu lampawng inn pakhat ah a hung dir hoi.
Passenger pawl kan ai a puang pah cang kan ti lio ah, spare pa nih “Meen doh, khanah naa
luh zah de, di sai hma vuan (wine) kawngkawng zah de, tauh luh zah de” ti a si hoi.
Siangngakchia kan si caah, tangka kan ngei lo, kan ding kho lo. Rit zong kan duh fawn lo caah
maw zei dik, ahohmanh tum loin nawl ngeitu bawi pathum an duh mi an tuah dih hlan lo,
kan hngah thiutheo hna, RTC cung thut bu cun.
Suimilam pakhat dengmang a rauh hnu ah kan bawi pathum cu an hung chuak i, “ Kee, meen doh ba hmah ma pu neh, di ngiah Lumbang hma ngiah eih me. Akhuh bee seh tua mee, meen doh siin laa?” a hei kan ti nain, ahohmanh cukha cupcap, bangia kuihkuah kan ti lo.
Kan daidup. Cuti cun cep kal cun kan kal than i muicarik ah Lumbang cu dam tein ka phan.
Rawldawr pakhat hmai ah a kan dirpi caah, cuka ahcun i thumh a si. Minung zong 30
hrawnghrang kan si caah, dawr ngeitu nih athar in rawl chuanpiak a si. Zanriah kan ei
ngaingai hi cu zan suimilam 10pm hnupi ah a si cang. Ei dih cun, kan it cawlh.
A thaizing cu deika in kan tho cio i Falam kan phanh hi zinglei suimilam 9.30am hrawnghrang a si caah, rawldawr ah rawl an rak hminh rih lo. Kan hngah thiutheo ve ko. Kan hawile cheukhat pawl cu Falam khuami an si caah, an kan tumtak. Kannih tu cu rawl ei dih in Halkha
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lei ah kan laan. Kan thinlung nih khua phak lai kha kan i ngaih ko rua, “Chan karlak” hla theu cu zapi sak in kan sak hoi i ngol zong hngal ti hlah, suimilam pahnih hrawnghrang kan kal ah kan RTC car cu a hung dir hoi. Driverpa a tum zokzok i, “ Kee, meen doh tetkatu ciangtu ciangtaa di, laan paw hma titpen tapen lii ne de. Ee da, aa luung vuai pii dawh, phe shia ciah me” a hun ti le cangka kan tum dih i cu lamcung ah a hung pur mi thingkung cu kan sam, kan khiah, kan bongh i lamthlang lei ah kan hlawnh. Cu vial ahcun suimilam pakhat chung kan rau. Cu dih khawh cun, Halkha lei ah kan hung lan thluahmah i Halkha a langhnak Nahau tlang kan hun phanh cu, Samuel Newland – Halkha nih Sani tiah an rak auh mi (Surgeon Major. A.G.E. Newland le Halkha Zaathang, sangpi chung, Zahmung hrin, Pu Sang Cin a fanu Si Na – muidawh samtha he an hrinmi fapa) nih Laihla in a rak phuah mi:
Ka dua le hawi dir rih u,
Awite in khua cuan lang,
Maw chilchial te langlai pei ti’n,
Khi maw Rungcin kan lennak……… hla ning khan Chinram khualipi Halkha khua cu,
maw chilchial tein kan hei hmuh. Kha hnu cun “Chan karlak” kan hla meilah sak zong kan
lung ah chuak ti hlah. RTC a khalhtu bawi pathum zong daiziar in? Suimilam a cheu hrawng
kan hung lanh ah Dawrthar sang vuanci hlun Pu Ral Hmung innhmai ah lungrethei le thabaa
ngai in kan rak i cit mi RTC cu a hung dir. Zanlei suimilam 4pm luan deuh a si cang.
Hmanhseh, kan i hngahlang mi hmun le hma cu kan bat cikcek hnu ah kan hei phan ve top.
Kan bawile pathum cung ah lawmhnak bia hmanh chim manh ti loin chungkhar cio innlei kan panh cio. Kei hoi hna cu ka chuahsemnak lungrawn khualei ah ke in ni 2 kal ka ba rih.
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Hi nihnih chung a kan uktu bawi hna cung ah sual phawtnak a um bak lo. A chan le a caan
nih a pek ve hna caah le, kha lio Kawlram le Laitlang thil sining nih lam a onh ve hna caah a si ve ko. Cucaah an nih caah “Chan karlak” hla cu an sa kho ve lai lo i, a duh zong an duh pek lai lo. Cucaah hla dang tu in hun hlawi ahcun:
Chan karlak ah siangpahrang, driver le an ngaknu, Ramzung ceutertu hna cu nan duh cio
maw? A kan pengtu Ne Win bang nawl ngeih in, ram mi hrem, tangka hmuh lawng hi nan
rian a si.
Khuaza kan Lairam kulhchung, Tangka hmuhnak zuam u, leeng le vaal rual hna,
Fimcawn hau lo, chawva ngeih, poh ah nawl va ngeihchih,
Iang ngei kan Lairam hi umnang neh usi. ………………….tiah sak len awk in a rak um.
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Ee……khalio caan, RTC car cit kha ka ngai ruangmang tawn! Nehbung khirh le a chan le a
caan khirh khawh nih umri lo. Chan karlak siangpahrang hna khi tah an hei nung rih hnga
maw? Ka va hlam tuk hna dah!
F. Lai Len
1 st January 2019
