Mr. Khai Minthang
If I were the President of the United Zomi Organization (Old version, I could not keep myself away from loving it), I will certainly acknowledge the honor, responsibility, power and intuitive love (as I always do) of the community. I will be so honored by the fact that I am the first person of my community in times of war and peace; I will not relent in defending my people wherever it takes. My community will not be humiliated or intimidated by forces of evil in any form or in any condition, on my watch. I will be the first person to feel the joy and sorrow of my community. I will be a beacon of hope to the hopeless, savior to the bonded, food to the hunger, law to the lawless and everything to everyone as St. Paul says, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1 Cor.9: 22)
I will inevitably try to focus on changes in my community from good to better and best. I will strive to be the agent of change in this contemporary social transitional period - a period from pre-history to history, a period from animism to monotheism, a period from darkness to light, from head-hunting to heart and soul hunting, and from barbarism to civilization. I will acknowledge and follow the leadership-style of the Prophet Moses, whose life means a lot to us:
“Taanga Mosi lamkai banga koi e ham hinna muna;
Ahing pui di`ng jan khomial pan khovah a?
Lampi dih a hing pui a, khawlmun nuom a hing pui di`ng;
Hing guolzawl in Mangpa aw makieng hoi!”(1)
As a Chief Executive Officer (Leader): I will assume the role of a leader in all spheres of the UZO activities. I will know and acknowledge that I am the chief executive officer of the Executive body. I will take care of my Cabinets and their duties, make sure they do their very best on the job. I will acknowledge one of the principal purposes of my Cabinet which is to advise me on any subject I may require relating to the duties of their respective offices.
Being the apex body of all the Zou organizations, I will maintain a healthy and functional relationship with departmental organizations such as the Zou Youth Organization, Zomi Sangnaupang Pawlpi, Zomi Lai Saipawlpi (ZLS), etc. I will seek an opportunity to collaborate with the United Zo Organization, USA, Malaysia Zo Pawlpi (MZP) and figure a way out to delegate each other in annual sessions or conferences.
As a leader and the President of Zou tribe, I will survey all our settlements within my territory. I, with all my cabinets, will visit all the Zou villages and settlements within the first 150 days I assume office, and will have every important records systematically and efficiently. I will have the opportunity to visit those living in the Indian mainland cities, at least the four metropolitan cities. I will give honor to one honor is due and tribute to one tribute is due.
As a Lawmaker: I will acknowledge my duties and responsibilities as a lawmaker and lawgiver to my people. While upholding our heritages and our traditions that has been passed down from our progenitors, I will do my best to contextualize, interpret and apply the law and the governance of my people in a contemporary format/version. I will also acknowledge the importance of updating the Constitution and Custom of my community to the contemporary world.
I will be very comprehensive and elaborate in dealing with the intra-community issues that may affect the lives and practices of my people. I will find a way out to place the Thangkhal movement. I will tell them that they have a vital role to play in the UZO and will assign them some kind of department to uplift their area of dominion. I will tell them that Thangkhal is one of the dialectal accents of the Zou dialect. I will also tell them that no dialectal accents such as Haidawi, Khuangnung or Khodai does not and will not run for any recognition, but will do everything to defend and develop the tribe with their teeth and nails. I will not relent in defending the interest and welfare of the Zou community wherever it takes me. If I cannot pursuade, I will not give away the Thangkhal accent to them because history knew and have recorded that Thangkhal is not and will not be a tribe, but one of the accents of the Zou dialect. If they insist, I will make sure that the cannot have it for their recognition, but I will also give them a room to choose a name for their recognition, never Thangkhal. If this should happen, I will take my dialectal accent and the people who speaks with pride and honor.
I will pay a very special attention and take utmost care when I am confronting with inter-communal issues. I will seek the advise of the educated, Think Tank and the experienced individuals or groups when I am confronting with foreign affairs. I will honor the intellectual and students’ forum and organizations and their ideas - spoken and written in hard or soft format. I will try to find divine and human favor to any issue I am in notwithstanding, the fact that I will not be able to please everybody. I will be the true representative of my community’s interest and concern.
As a Commander-in-Chief: I will acknowledge that we are living in a violent and hostile environment, but we are not a violent and hostile community. I will acknowledge that our enemy is not the forces of other community, but it is the forces that tries or wants to dismantle our interest and our security. I will acknowledge the words of MK Gandhi that all through history there are murderers and tyrants. For a time they seemed invincible, but at the end, the always fall. I will tell my people that tyrants or murderers such as Hitler or Germany, Pompey of Cambodia, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, and many other have chosen to take up arms and committed genocide without mercy. For a time they seemed quite invincible and powerful, but at the end, they have fallen nowhere, but against the conscience of humankind. The world is better of without them.
I will acknowledge that we have been beaten and murdered mercilessly from time to time, but we do not retaliate, nor do we fail to engage in peaceful dialogue with them. I will remember and revive what MK Gandhi have spoken: “Whatever they do to us, we will attack no one, kill no one, but we will not give our fingerprints, not one of us. They will imprison us, they will fine us, they will cease our possessions, but they cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them… I am asking you to fight. To fight against their anger, not to provoke it. We will not strike a blow, but we will receive them. And, through our pain, we will make them see their injustice and it will hurt as all fighting hurts. But we cannot lose, we cannot. They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then, they will have my dead body, not my obedience.”(2) I will acknowledge that 91% of the anonymous voters of the Zouworkshop (Members only) and 81% of the Zokuamthawn’s (Open site) straw poll about the Zou victims of the Thadou-Paite conflict and the Zomi movement that followed suit, do not support the movement before some sort of customary compromises has been made. (3)
As a Judge: I will acknowledge that I am in-charge of the Court of Justice. I will give equal opportunity and honor to everyone. I will count value and honor with the individual‘s principle, but not by social status, economic status, or intellectual status of an individual or group. I will, however, give them the opportunity to exert their talents and potentials for the cause of our tribe. I will always maintain a working court by demonstrating equality before law in word and in deed.
As a Representative: I will represent my people in times of war and peace. I wil represent them to the government and to the other tribes. I will make myself available to them and for them whenever they need me. I will be a beacon of hope to the hopeless, savior to the bonded, food to the hunger, law to the lawless and everything to everyone. I will speak for their grievances to the designated officials and faithfully execute my power, honor and responsibility for them. I will pay a very close attention to the advise of my cabinets, opinion polls, Think Tank, Advisors, etc. of my people when making tough decisions. I will never ever represent my people against their conscience, and for their common welfare. I will never misrepresent my beloved people.
Finally, I will acknowledge with pride and honor that it is always worthy to live and die for my people.
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Ref:
1. Manlun, Zamkholian, Nampi Suongphum, ….Recording, Lamka, 1999
2. Attenborough, Rechard, Gandhi, RCA/Columbia Pictures home Video, Burbank, CA 1990
3. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZouWorkshop & http://www.zokuamthawn.tk/ A straw poll was taken on March 26, 2008 with the Zou Workshop which was followed by Zokuamthawn. The figure/percent cited here was as on April 04, 2008.
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