Traditional name Zou against Conventional names

Traditional Name 'Zou' Against Conventional Names

Before the Zou society evolved into clan-based organization and segmentation, historical records referred them as Zou, Yo, and Cho.(1) The Pong Chronicle (80 – 1474 AD) recorded that the Pong kingdom has 10 states and 99 districts of which the Zo Province was the 9th state, and the Zo province has 4 districts – Khansei, Kathe-meitei, Kalay and Khampat while Khampat was the district center of the state.(2) In 862 AD, Fan-Cho a diplomat of the Tang dynasty of China, mentioned a Kingdom in the Chindwin Valley 'whose Princes and Chiefs were called Shou (Zo).'(3) Much later, Fr. Vincent Sangermano recorded in 1783; Howard Malcolm in 1839; Henry Yule in 1855, and so on. Therefore, the single syllabic term Zo, Zou, Zhou, Chou, Shou, Yo, Jo, Yaw, Shu, etc., without any prefix or suffix, is certainly the etymological root of the word.

The term “Zo/Zou” was the first written word and the original term used by historians, scholars and writers. The original word has gone several ordeals and definitions, and even almost got lost in the minds and memoirs of the people themselves, who introduced conventional names such as Zomi, Mizo, Laizo, Zotung, Zophei, Zokhua, etc. or derogatory terms such as Chin, Kuki, Lushai, etc. All these are but a connotation of their habitation in relation to their original name. There is not a single essence or necessity to either prefix or suffix the original term. Before they have been given derogatory names by their neighbors, all these people are one and the same people born by the same progenitor – Pu Zou. This has been substantiated by the fact that written records before these confusing names appeared to have recorded them as Yo, Zo, Yaw, Yao, Zau, Chou, Shou, etc. There must be a purpose of God that He forbade all Zou descendants to totally elude from their original name and their progenitor. At this juncture, it may be relevant to briefly describe Pu Sing Khaw Khai’s remark on the Zou people:

The Yos (Zo/Zou) are most unique in the sense of the name they bear and the culture they practice in reflection of the ancient Zo tradition. Their origin myth points back to times immemorial. No proper study has yet been made as to why the generic Yo as spelt in former literature was applied to them. Yo families are today living in north-east of Tedim town, in Tonzang township, in Kale-Kabaw valley, and also in Manipur state, India.(4)

The term Zou has geographical as well as genealogical connotations. Pu T. Gougin opined, “The word Zomi comes from the word ‘Zo’ which means hill…. ‘mi’ means man in the Zomi language. Hence the word Zomi means highlanders… one who dwells on the hillside having the same bearing in manner and custom etc., for ages together.”(5) Another theory stated that Pu Hanghil and his colleague from Chimnuoi founded a new village site called Baljang in the hillside, and those people living in that village came to be known as the Zou people (Zote).(6) But, these speculations could not be held accountable given the fact that the Zou people have settled in different topographies and geographical locations. Chimnuoi was inhabited just a couple centuries ago after they left Khampat kingdom, and there were so many Zou settlements contemporary to the Chimnuoi settlement. Dr. Lam Khan Piang made it clear to the meaning of Zou thus:

Some scholars try to explain the meaning of the name ‘Zo.’ There are two main views regarding the meaning of Zo. One group drawing from local usage considers that the name implies a ‘hilly, deep forest.’ It is however difficult to ascertain whether the deep forest translate into the usage of Zogam/Zoram (Zoland). In other words, it is a mood point as to how this name gets sedimented: is it because the Zo people are living in the deep forest or do they become Zo people after they settled within it as the term ‘Zo’ means ‘deep forest’ in their language. But some of the native scholars argued that before they settled in the hilly deep forest also, they already called themselves Zo. They cited the Khampat settlement in the plian Kabu valley as an example. This group believes that Zo is the progenitor, as the Zo people were always identified with the name of their ancestor.(7)

Of the many fictional names, we will deal with the four most prominent names of the Zou people, viz. Chin, Kuki, Mizo and Zomi. While the first two are derogatory terms given by their indecorous neighbors, the last two are but another example of how different less honest leaders wanted to divide and rule their geographically, dialectally or politically isolated Zou people from the mainstream Zou people. They have called themselves with various conventional names based on geographical or dialectal isolation, but they belong to one ancestor having the same culture, tradition, folklores, and ancient history.

1. Chin:

This is a name given to the Zou people of Chin Hills in Burma. It could either be a Burmese corruption of the Chinese ‘Jin’ or ‘Yen’ meaning ‘man’ or Burmese word ‘Khyan’ which means ‘basket.’(8) Perhaps the Burmese called the people Chin or Khyan because they were always found carrying basket on their back for various purposes. In this regard, Carry and Tuck wrote thus: “Those of the Kuki tribes which we designate as ‘Chins’ do not recognize that name, which is said to be a Burmese corruption of the Chinese ‘Jin,’ or ‘Yen,’ meaning ‘man.’ The Northern Chins call themselves Yo, the Tashons, Haka, and more southern tribes Lai, while the Chins of Lower Burma give their name as Shu.”(9) S. Thangkhangin was clear about it:

They were identified as ‘man with basket’ by the Burmese. The question is ‘will the Zoumi (Zou people) be very cheap to be called as people of basket.’ Are the Zoumi the only people who could carry basket?” Recently the Burmese wanted to justify the word ‘Chin’ by giving a ‘comrade.’ The Burmese never called the Zoumis (Zou people) ‘comrade’ in their history in the true sense of the term. Comrade is a special term for friend applied to those who believe in Maraism (Marxism?). While exploiting mercilessly and threatening their own existence on the surface of the earth, the Burmese did not have even moral right to call the Zou people ‘comrade.’(10)

The second phase of the Chin movement came with the formation of the Chin National Union in 1933. Since then, the Chin movement gained momentum under the Union of Burma. However, the Burman politicians disregarded the principles of Panglong Agreement, and the Chins were denied of their movement when the Union of Burma gained independence from the British in January 04, 1948. On February 20, 1948, over 5000 Chins from all over the Chin Hills (Chinland) held unprecedented gathering at Falam town and proclaimed in their unity and determination to be free from traditional feudal administrative system, and adopted a democratic system of governance which later became the Chin National Day.(11)

The second phase of the Chin movement in Burma started in 1964 when the Chin National Organization went underground to overthrow the military junta and restore democracy. Twenty-four years later, the Chin National Front was formed on March 20, 1988 to regain self-determination right of the Chin people and to restore democracy and federalism in the Union of Burma.(12) The organization got momentum when the Chin students join the organization after the Burmese military junta brutally crushed the Democratic Revolution of August 08, 1988 commonly known to the people as the “Four Eights Democracy Revolution.” The CNF is forming alliance with other democratic forces. Currently, the CNF is led by its president Pu Thomas Thang No, and its vice President is Pu Zing Cung.(13)

2. Kuki:

This was another derogatory name given to the Zou people living on the north-west of Burma, the north-east of India, and Bangladesh by the outsiders. The term Kuki is said to have been derived from the Baluchistan word ‘Kuchi’ which means ‘nomadic’ or ‘wandering.’ Some said that this name was given by the Bengalis and the Assamese to the people living in the north-east of India, the north-west of Burma and Bangladesh. The earliest book written in English, using this name appeared in the ‘Asiatic Research Vol. VII’ form the pen of Surgeon McCrea, dated 24th January, 1799.(14) S. Thangkhangin quoted the earliest book written in English, using the name ‘Kuki’ appeared in 1792.(15) This book, as he quoted, was written in 1869 entitled “The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and the Dwellers Therein with Comparative vocabularies of the hill dialects" by Capt. T.H. Lewin, Deputy Commissioner of Hill Tracts.(16) It does not matter whoever first used it, but S. Thangkhangin stated that the word Kuki was supposed to be given by the Bengalis.(17) Perhaps the Bengalis found them culturally ‘unsophisticated,’ because Kuki literally means ‘wild hill people.’ When the British annexed the Zou country, they continued to use the term ‘Kuki’ because it suited their colonial designs and policy.(18) In course of time, the term Kuki was cherished and marginalized to dialectal denomination, which in turn became unpalatable to the larger Zou people.

3. Mizo/Lushai:

The name Lushai, spelt ‘Luchye,’ first corps up in the Cachar Reports bout 1850.(19) Capt. T.H. Lewin was one of the outsiders who tried to use both Lushai and Kuki interchangeably and spelled loosely when he said, "The Lhoosai, commonly called the Kookies, are a powerful and independent people, who touch upon the borders of the Chittagong Hill Tracts."(20) He further suggested a fine theory that needs the attention of researchers by saying, “The people of Bhootan, who are of undoubted Thibetan origin, call themselves Lhotsa. Can this bear any affinity ot ‘Lhoosai?’"(21) The term Lusei, some feel, means 'head-hunter' or 'head-cutter' (lu = head, sei = to shoot or cut). Others suggest it means literally 'long-head' (lu = head, sei = long). It is form earlier times when the Luseis, male or female, kept long hair, knotting them into a big ball on the head, which appeared long.(22) Whatever the case it may be, the term Lushai, as we know so far, was also a name designated to a person based on the person’s appearance, and it is not the the Zou people’s ancestor.

The word Mizo was a recently adopted nomenclature of the Zou people. The Zou people of the Lushai hills were called Lushai. It was on the 9th April 1946, that the Mizo Union was founded at Muallungthu conference.(23) The primary objective of the Mizo, according to Pu S. Thangkhangin, was to bring all the Zou people who were called by different names under one nomenclature and to set up an independent state of the Zoumi who were living in the Indo-Burma borderland, when the British left the country. But this never came true.(24) He further stated that under the banner of the Mizo Union, the Zou ethnic groups fought unitedly for the abolition of chieftaincy and integration of the Zoumi into one administrative unit. When this movement gained momentum, the government of India gave a bourgeois concession, a Lushai Hill District under the Sixth Schedule of Indian constitution, to the Mizo leaders. To this bourgeois concession the Mizo Union leaders satisfied fully.... Those who did not enjoy the fruit of their hard-bitten movement for integration began to feel ashamed to call themselves Mizo.(25)

4. Zomi:

The word Zomi was the latest of all the conventional names that we gave to ourselves. It was first as a religious organization that aimed at consolidating all the Zou people of the Chin Hills State under one banner. The Baptist convention held in 1953 at Saikah village in Thantlang Township unanimously adopted, on the recommendation by the constitution drafting committee, Zomi to be the national title for the new Baptist organization. Hence Zomi Baptist Convention.(26)

The second phase of the Zomi movement kicks off as a political and national movement. The Zomi National Congress (ZNC) took its birth in a humble hamlet called Daizang in Churachandpur, South District, Manipur, India, on the 21st January, 1972. Pu T. Gougin took the first step and along with his trusted friends established Zomi National Congress in the year 1972 in Daijang. He was the First President and Pu Thangkhangin Ngaite became its first General Secretary.(27) This was a far reaching movement in that it was well responded and accepted across the Zou inhabited area – India, Burma and Bangladesh. The movement waned down in the 1980s for a reason unknown to the public. The movement it is still functioning under a slightly different name called Zo/Zou Re-unification Organization (ZORO) with its backbone in Mizoram. R. Thangmawia is currently the president of the Zo Re-Unification Organisation (ZORO).(28)

The third phase of the Zomi movement came with the local turmoil between the Thadous and the Paites (Zomi and Kuki: One and the same stock…one origin(29) ) on June 24, 1997(30) to October 1, 1998.(31) The Zomi Revolutionary Organization (ZRO) was formed in 1993 and its armed wing, the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), was formed in 1997 following an escalation of ethnic violence between the Kukis and Paites in the Churachandpur district of Manipur.(32) The Zomi Council was formed as a result of the escalation of the aforesaid ethnic violence. Apparently, the current Zomi movement was founded to address only the other side of the so called Zomi-Kuki conflict which means the Zomi movement has been downsizing its constituent membership. Thus, the definitions of Zomi at the time of its inception and that of today have vast differences in terms of essence, nature and boundary.

Dr. Vumkhohau, a Zo scholar and diplomat from Burma, in his profile of the ‘Burmese Frontier Man’ has affirmed that “we called ourselves Zomi from time immemorial.”(33) Dr. Vumson Suantak Ph.D. Zou scholar was of the opinion that Zou people have been given the name “Zou” because of their progenitor – Pu Zou.(34) Dr. Vumson Suantak also believed that names such as Kuki and Chin which originated as abuse names create misunderstanding between the abuser and the abused.(35) In his article entitled “Our People and our Language,” Dr. Tualchin Neihsial Ph.D. wrote, “Many scholars are of the opinion that Zou is the name of our common progenitor and that people who have descended from him called themselves “Zomis” by natural practice. Although the term is written variously like ‘Yo,’ ‘Zhou,’ ‘Jo’ and ‘Zao,’ yet there is every reason to believe that this terms have one and the same identity.”(36) The Zou people were known by outsiders as Kuki in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam; Chin in Burma and Lushai in Mizoram, Tripura and other Zou occupied areas. Carey and Tuck, in their book entitled The Chin Hills noted:

Without pretending to speak with authority on the subject, we think we may reasonably accept the theory that the Kukis of Manipur, the Lushais of Bengal and Assam, and the Chins originally lived in what we now know as Thibet and are of one and the same stock; their form of government, method of cultivation, manners and customs, beliefs and traditions all point to one origin.(37)

It is also because of this fact that scholars like Dr. Vum Kho Hau, Prof. Laldena, Dr. Vum Son, Dr. Tualchin Neihsial, Dr. H. Kamkhenthang, Dr. Mangkhosat Kipgen, Cap. Sing Khaw Khai, Dr. J. M. Paupu, Pu K. Zawla, Pu R. Vanlawma, B. Langthanliana, Dr. V. Lunghnema, Dr. Hawlngam Haokip, Pu L. S. Gangte, Pu T. Gougin, Pu Thang Khan Gin Ngaihte, Rev. S. Prim Vaiphei, Rev. Khup Za Go, Pu L. Keivom, Rev. S. T. Hau Go, Dr. Khen Za Sian, Prof. Thang Za Tuan, Rev. Sing Ling etc. concluded that ZO is the ancestor of the Zo people.(38) Now, Zou historians and scholars began to understand and accept that Zou is their original name. This renaissance will go a long way until all the Zou people come together and have a common vision, hope and aspiration. There will be a time when they will shun their imposed prefixes and suffixes and come under the dignified, yet long forgotten progenitor – Pu Zou.

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References: (This article has not been reviewed and edited yet)

1. Grierson, G.A., Linguistic survey of India Vol. III, Part 3, P.2

2. Kham, Kam Za...[et.al.] Naulak Innkuan Laibu AD 2003. P. 3

3. Fan-Cho, The Manshu: Book of southern barbarians.

4. Khai, Sing Khaw, Zo people and their culture: A historical, cultural study and critical analysis of Zo and its ethnic tribes, Churachandpur, Manipur, 1995, p.22-23

5. Gougin, T., The discovery of Zoland, Zomi Press: Zion Street, Churachandpur, Manipur, 1980, p.12

6. Sian, En Za, Teddim Innkuan Laibu,


7. Lam Khan Piang, L., The Process of Ethnification of the Zo People in Prism of the Zo People, (Lamka: Compiled, Edited and Published by Publication Board, 60th Zomi Nam Ni Celebration Committee, 2008) P.30

8. Gangte, L.S., Who are we? In search of identity, Imphal: Printed and published by the Kuki Chin Baptist Union at Kuki Baptist Press, 1986, p.46

9. Carry, Bertram S. and Tuck, H.N., The Chin Hills: A history of the people, our dealings with them, their customs and manners, and a gazetteer of their country, 1896 Vol. I, Rangoon: Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Burma, 1896) P.3

10. S. Thangkhangin, Why Should We be Called Zoumi? In Search of Identity, (Imphal: Printed and published by the Kuki Chin Baptist Union at Kuki Baptist Press, 1986), P.59


11. See http://www.chinland.org/ Accessed on February 19, 2010

12. Ibid

13. Lian Uk, Suppression of the Chin National Movement for Federalism Under the Revolutionary Council and the Burma Socialist programme Party (1962-1988)

14. Mr. L.S. Gangte, Who are We? In Search of Identity, (Imphal: Printed and published by the Kuki Chin Baptist Union at Kuki Baptist Press, 1986), P.44

15. S. Thangkhangin, Why Should We be Called Zoumi? In Search of Identity, (Imphal: Printed and published by the Kuki Chin Baptist Union at Kuki Baptist Press, 1986), P.60

16. Capt. T.H. Lewin, The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and the Dwellers Therein with Comparative vocabularies of the hill dialects, (Culcutta: Bengal Printing Company, Limited, 1869) P.98 The book said, “The Lhoosai, commonly called the Kookies, are a powerful and independent poeple, who touch upon the borders of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.”


17. S. Thangkhangin, Why Should We be Called Zoumi? In Search of Identity, (Imphal: Printed and published by the Kuki Chin Baptist Union at Kuki Baptist Press, 1986), P.60

18. Ibid. P.60

19. T. Gougin, The Discovery of Zoland, (Zomi Press: Zion Street, Churachandpur, Manipur, 1980) P.8

20. Capt. T.H. Lewin, The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and the Dwellers Therein with Comparative vocabularies of the hill dialects, (Culcutta: Bengal Printing Company, Limited, 1869) P.98

21. Ibid. P.98

22. Col. Ved Prakash, Encyclopaedia Of North-east India, Volume 4, (New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors (p) Ltd., 2007) P.1761

23. R. Vanlawma, Kan Ram leh Kei (My Country and I), Aizawl, 1972, P.88

24. S. Thangkhangin, Why Should We be Called Zoumi? In Search of Identity, (Imphal: Printed and published by the Kuki Chin Baptist Union at Kuki Baptist Press, 1986), P.60

25. Ibid. Pp. 61-62


26. Sing Khaw Khai, Zo People and Their Culture: A historical, cultural study and critical analysis of Zo and its ethnic tribes, (Churachandpur, Manipur: Published by Khampu Hatzaw, 1995) Pp.69-71

27. See http://daijang.blogspot.com/ Accessed on February 6, 2010. This blog was administered by T. Zamlunmang Zou.

28. See http://zolengthe.net/2010/03/06/zoro-held-an-informal-consultative-meeting-at-churachandpur/ Accessed on March 7, 2010

29. Carry, Bertram S. and H.N. Tuck, The Chin Hills: A History of the People, Our Dealings with Them, Their Customs and Manners, and a Gazetteer of their Country – Vol. I, (Rangoon: Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Burma, 1896) P.2 It says, “Without pretending to speak with authority on the subject, we think we may reasonably accept the theory that the Kukis of Manipur, the Lushais of Bengal and Assam, and the Chins ooriginally lived in what we now know as Thibet and are of one and the same stock; their form of government, method of cultivation, manners and customs, beliefs and traditions all point to one origin.”

30. A Critical Analysis of The Kuki-Zomi Conflict: Chapter-I @ www.zogam.com Can be directly accessed at http://zogam.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6534&Itemid=32 Accessed on February 6, 2010

31. Final Peace Accord Between Zomis and Kukis (1st October 1998) @ www.zogam.com Can be directly accessed at http://zogam.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6319&Itemid=32 Accessed on February 6, 2010.


32. See http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/manipur/terrorist_outfits/ZRA.htm Accessed on February 6, 2010

33. Dr. Vum Ko Hau, Profile of Burma Frontier Man, (Bundung, Indonesia, 1963) P. 214

34. Vumson Suantak, Zo History: With an Introduction to Zo Culture, Economy, Religion and Their Status as an Ethnic Minority in India, Burma and Bangladesh, Aizawl, Mizoram, 1987

35. Ibid P.6

36. Tualchin Neihsial, Our People and our Language, Siamsinpawlpi Annual Magazine, Silver Jubilee Issue, 1987, P.1

37. Carry, Bertram S. and H.N. Tuck, The Chin Hills: A History of the People, Our Dealings with Them, Their Customs and Manners, and a Gazetteer of their Country – Vol. I, (Rangoon: Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Burma, 1896) P.2

38. See www.zogam.org Accessed on March 12, 2010

Zou History

Zou History

Introduction

Khai Minthang

The Zo/Zou people who have inhabited the no-man’s land since the intertestamental period were of Mongoloid by physical characteristics,1 Jewish by cultural and oral tradition,2 Tibeto-Burman by linguistic affinities,3 and have lived in the land of their own that lies to the East of Bangladesh, to the West of Burma, to the South of North-eastern India, and to the North of the Bay of Bengal. In course of time, the family-tree of the Zou people has spread quite a good number of branches and sub-branches to have come to the present era. The most recent division is based on dialectal variation which was preceded by clan division which was again preceded by their original progenitor – Pu Zou.

The Zo/Zou people can be classified into two categories – one pointing to the cave dwellers of the very ancient era, and the other pointing to the people who called themselves Zo/Zou in the present era because they are one and the same people who were all the descendants of Pu Zo/Zou. However, time and space has taken its own course to branch out the Zou people into various tribes based on dialectal or geographical isolations. Yet, the main root or the inner stem remained intact although the tree have spread its branches beginning form the lowest branch to the budding branch that is yet to spread out. All these branches, leaves, flowers and fruits have the same name, came from the same seed, have the same story, and thrive as one and the same tree even though they might make their own photosynthesis for their respective branches. But, they belong to one and the same origin. The author is trying to follow the main root and the inner stem of the Zou family tree because following all the branches, leaves, flowers and fruits in detail will only maximize the complexity and derail the train from the track.

Oral tradition maintained that Pu Zou begot three descendants - Songthu, Songza and Zahong from whom the Zou people traced their genealogy. But, who beget Pu Zou is a mystery. It is more than likely that there could be generation gap (Gap theory) between Pu Zou and the three people – Songthu, Songza and Zahong who were believed to be the forefathers of the Zou people. Pu Zou must have died in the cave and his descendants – the Zou people eventually came out of the mythological cave to an open and independent land which they called Zoland/Zouland.4 We don’t know for how long, what eras and how many times they lived in the caves.

But, where was Pu Zou born? Was he the Peking man? Was he a biological human being or just a legend? We never know, but can speculate that he was a biological human being because he has descendants. But, we do know that the ancestors of the Zou people once lived in and around the present Tibet, India, China and Burma borderlands before they begun their traceable civilization. But, this has to be substantiated by archeological discoveries and carbon dating of relics such as ornaments, tools and implements, etc. of the Zou people. Above all, the oral tradition of the Zou progenitors and that of the Israelite people added more sand to the crude oil which really made the mission so worthy to struggle for.

The origin of the term Zo/Zou is absolutely shrouded in myth and legend, and there is no concrete evidence on the term Zou. Could it be the 'Peking Man' or the 'Ch'iang' people? They can be both in the sense that the Peking man was the first man of the Mongoloid race, and the Ch’iang (Pronounced Khiang written Qiang in Chinese) people were believed to be the progenitors of the Tibeto-Burman linguistic group of people. The Ch’iang tribes, who were the ancestors of the Tibeto-Burmans, lived in the modern day Szechuan province and in the mountain ranges of Kansu and Shensi, in western China flourished around 2500 B.C. They inhabited the stripes of land between the sources of Yangtse and Wei Rivers during the Chou/Zhou dynasty (722 – 481 BCE).5 “The land has high and tangled wilderness of mountain ranges, the sources of great rivers such as the Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Mekong, and Salween. These rivers wander great distances through rugged upland as high as 3000 to 9000 feet, marshy plains and grassy valleys lunching their swift southward course. Anthropologists and historians agree that the ancestors of the Tibetan and related people including the Zo people were in this region” says Dr. Vumson Suantak.6 The Chinese records noted that this people were mountain dwellers originally living in the northwest of China two millennium BCE. Due to constant hostilities between the Chinese and the Ch’iang the latter were forced to take refuge in northeast Tibet. And during the Han dynasty the Ch’iang tribes appeared as Tanguts – a Tibetan Tribal Federation trying to prevent the Chinese from entering into Turkistan. They were defeated in 73 AD, and the Chinese drove them to the south which might probably be the ground for the Tibeto-Burman’s mass migration to the south.7 If they were the Ch’iang people, where and how did they pick up the name “Zo/Zou?” Could it be a man (or people) from the Zhou dynasty? Or, could it be Judah (Youtai in Chinese)? Or, could it be a person's name?

The term Zou has geographical as well as genealogical connotations. Pu T. Gougin opined, “The word Zomi comes from the word ‘Zo’ which means hill…. ‘mi’ means man in the Zomi language. Hence the word Zomi means highlanders… one who dwells on the hillside having the same bearing in manner and custom etc., for ages together.”8 Another theory stated that Pu Hanghil and his colleague from Chimnuoi founded a new village site called Baljang in the hillside, and those people living in that village came to be known as the Zou people (Zote).9 But, these speculations could not be held accountable given the fact that the Zou people have settled in different topographies and geographical locations. Chimnuoi was inhabited just a couple centuries ago after they left Khampat kingdom, and there were so many Zou settlements contemporary to the Chimnuoi settlement. Before the Zou society evolved into clans-base organization and segmentation, historical records referred them as Yaw, Jo, Chou, and Zhou. The Pong Chronicle (80 – 1474 AD) recorded that it has 10 states and 99 districts of which the Zo Province was the 9th state, and the Zo province has 4 districts – Khansei, Kathe-meitei, Kalay and Khampat while Khampat was the district center of the state.10 In 862 AD, Fan Ch’o Hao a Chinese historian has used the term Yo in his book Manchu. Much later, Fr. Vincent Sangermano recorded in 1783; Howard Malcolm in 1839; Henry Yule in 1855, and so on. Therefore, the single syllabic term Zo, Zou, Zhou, Chou, Shou, Yo, Jo, Yaw, Shu, etc., without any prefix or suffix, is certainly the right word for the people. It is also because of this fact that scholars like Dr. Vum Kho Hau, Prof. Laldena, Dr. Vum Son, Dr. Tualchin Neihsial, Dr. H. Kamkhenthang, Dr. Mangkhosat Kipgen, Cap. Sing Khaw Khai, Dr. J. M. Paupu, Pu K. Zawla, Pu R. Vanlawma, B. Langthanliana, Dr. V. Lunghnema, Dr. Hawlngam Haokip, Pu L. S. Gangte, Pu T. Gougin, Pu Thang Khan Gin Ngaihte, Rev. S. Prim Vaiphei, Rev. Khup Za Go, Pu L. Keivom, Rev. S. T. Hau Go, Dr. Khen Za Sian, Prof. Thang Za Tuan, Rev. Sing Ling etc. concluded that ZO is the ancestor of the Zo people.11 The Zou people were known by others as Kuki in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam; Chin in Burma and Lushai in Mizoram, Tripura and other Zou occupied areas. Carey and Tuck, in their book entitled The Chin Hills noted, “Without pretending to speak with authority on the subject, we think we may reasonably accept the theory that the Kukis of Manipur, the Lushais of Bengal and Assam, and the Chins originally lived in what we now know as Thibet and are of one and the same stock; their form of government, method of cultivation, manners and customs, beliefs and traditions all point to one origin.”12

In the beginning human beings were hunters and food gatherers.13 It is a mode of subsistence in which all food is obtained from wild resources without any reliance on domesticated plants or animals. This has been the dominant means of subsistence for 99.5 percent of the 2.5 million years of human existence.14 Early human dwellings as pointed out by archaeological evidences started in caves. Cave dwellers date generally from the Stone Age period known as the Paleolithic, which began as early as 2.5 million years ago. Caves are natural shelters, offering shade and protection from wind, rain, and snow.15 The Zou people were no exception. This could have been true of the Zou people as well because one post-cave dwelling song of the Zou people goes:

Eiteng khawlkhawm, atuom umlou

Vannuoi chiteng Khul a pieng,

Tunsung khat a pieng hi ngeingei e.

Tunsung khat a pieng hi ngeingei e,

Suohpi-sanggam laugui zawng khawm hi ngeingei (hang) ee.16

Free translation:

We, who gathered together here, are not aliens,

Everyone under the sun is born at khuul (a Cave),

Truly (we were) born of a single mother,

Truly (we were) born of a single mother,

Surely brothers and sister we are, being joined together by a naval cord.

The most irrefutable and common belief of the origin of the Zou people is a mythological cave which is pronounced by different dialectal groups as Khuul, Sinlung, Chhinlung, Tsinlung, Chingnunghut, etc. The mythological cave theory goes into two directions – one pointing to the Zhoukuodian or Choukoutien cave,17 and the other pointing to the caves along the foot of the Himalayan mountain range. But, where is the 'Mythological Cave' located? Could it be the 'Zhoukoudian Cave' of the 'Peking Man' or the caves along the foot of the eastern Himalayan mountain range? The first one dated back to several thousand years ago and the second one dated to around 400 years before the Common Era (CE) or the Anno Domini (AD)? If there are sufficient archeological evidences to substantiate the first theory, the origin of the Zou people is as old as the Peking man. But, if there are no had evidences to substantiate the first theory, it is more than likely that the Zou people might have taken shelter in the caves along the foot of the Himalayan mountain range for the fear of their enemies. Although there are no hard evidences to this claim, almost all oral traditions, genealogical roots, folklores do not stretch beyond the foot of the Himalayan mountain ranges. David N. Keightley recorded thus:

Historical evidence to trace the movements of other Tibeto-Burman peoples now found in southwest China, northern Burma, Assam, Nepal, and northern India seems almost wholly lacking. Certainly the arrival of Tibeto-Burmans in those regions must have occurred many centuries ago (if we are right in assuming that they came in from the north). There are some inscriptional remains of the language of the Pyu kingdom which preceded the Burmese, but they are too fragmentary to permit precise conclusions about the language, except that it was certainly Tibeto-Burman. Shafer (1943) compared the language with Karen, which is not implausible on geographical grounds, since the Karens are farther south than the other Tibeto-Burman peoples of Burma and are the only ones found in the plains, but proof seems impossible at present. The evidence he presents could as well be used to show a relation to Kuki-Chin, a group of tribal languages in the western borderlands between Burma and India. Benedict (1972:10) suggests rather a connection with Nung, which in turn is said to stand between Burmese/Lo-lo and Kachin.18

Here, David N. Keightley made a sharp distinction between the Pyu Burmese and the Tibeto-Burman peoples. While the Tibeto-Burman live in the Northern Burma, the Pyu kingdom had its capital in the central part of Burma, at Ava. The Zou people didn’t share anything in common with the king of Ava, and no Pyu culture and tradition have penetrated to the Zou people. They called the king “Kawl mangpa” which literally means the “lord of Ava,” but not “Kawl Lengpa” which would mean the “King of Ava.” They considered and addressed him as lord, not a king. Not all the Tibeto-Burman people might share a common ancestor although they might be under the Tibeto-Burman family of languages. The Pyu people have a script of their own customized from the Pali, Sanskrit, Mon, etc. in addition to the script of their neighboring people.

The cultural practices and the oral tradition of the Zou people dated back to time immemorial. The proximity of the Zou people’s cultural practices and oral traditions with that of the Israelite cultural practices and traditions strongly convinced me to believe that they might have been in one way or the other related to the Lost Tribe of Israel. Cross cultural communication in terms of marriage, trade and commerce, etc. might have contributed to the phenomenon. They were tribal federation known as the Tanguts who made alliance in various aspects of their lives – domestic, military, inter and intra community services.19 Such a cross cultural communication might have assimilated and cross-breed the Zou people with their neighboring tribes and communities such as the Hmong, Miao, Lolo, Yao, Yi, Tai, etc. people who were mountain dwellers of the eastern Himalayan mountain range during the Intertestamental Period. If they were not Israel, or have no connections with Israel, who would have imparted their Israelite culture and tradition, given the fact that they were totally isolated from the rest of the world? They were around 4000 miles away from the origin of the tradition that they practiced since time immemorial. The Zou people have been practicing these cultural practices and oral traditions since time immemorial. Some of the many traditional/ritual chants used in various sacrifices and in other sacred matters where the name of Manasia or Manase is used are:

Those above and those below, go away, flee, We the children of Manasia are coming…. Manmasi, you came crossing seas and rivers. You came through hills and mountains. You came through all this to the Land of Strangers.... We observed the Sikpui feast, crossing over the Red Sea, running dry before us. And the walking enemies of mine, the riding foes of mine were swallowed by the sea in their thousands. We were led by the fire at night and by cloud in the day.20

One early missionary among the Shinlung (Zou people) is quoted as having said “You look like the descendants of the Jews... But your faces are not like the Jews, you look a bit different. But you have the same way of doing things.... You are nearer to them than we white people... Your way of living, custom, cultures are like it is said in the Bible. In the Bible it's written - do this, don't do this. These are already taught by your ancestors. There are no other people like you in the world.”21

The entry of the British imperial colonists in the 17th Century A.D. brought a wind of change in the lives and practices of the Zou people. History was re-written, culture was transitioned, and religious practices have been transformed by the advent of the Westerner civilization. The Zou people who fought against each other on the basis of dialectal differences and geographical isolations; marauding each other, blood shedding against each other, head hunting each other as a game have been administered under one government. T. Gougin has rightly noted thus:

Many English people especially those with whom the Zomi came in contact did try their best to know something of the Zomis. Had they not attempted to record something of everything of Zomis in their day to day reports, including the Gazetteers of Lushai Hills, Chin Hills Gazetteer and Manipur where the Zomi settled and lived for centuries, most probably nothing could have been known about the Zomis of the past. Hence all those English explorers who first attempted to record something of the Zomis deserved my unfeigned admiration even though we cannot accept their records in total. But, for want of an authentic record one has to depend on the record put down by the English administrators.22

On the other hand, the schism was broadened with the coming of the British imperial colonialists who ruled the Zou people according to their geographical habitations and their dialectal variations. They knew that the Zou people were one and the same people, but sliced their land into various administrative units based on hills and mountain ranges such as Chin Hills, Lushai Hills, Chitagong hills tracts, Cachar Hills, etc. for their administrative tranquility. Furthermore, they were denied of their right to govern themselves when their neighboring countries were given the opportunity to govern themselves from the yoke of the British colonial rule. The Zou people who were animistic from time immemorial have never been attached to such religious fundamentalism although these religions have come to them from time to time. They have their own history, culture, folklores, folksongs, traditions, customs, and rites and rituals that fully sufficed the definition of the indigenous people. Yet, they have been deprived of their rights, their land sliced manifold, and their history, culture, folklores, folksongs, traditions, customs, and rites and rituals have been neglected intentionally.

The result of intentional negligence is that their rights and freedoms have been curtailed, their history and culture neglected, and their dreams shattered by their respective governments. Even a child could see and tell that the Zou people are distinct and unique in their physical appearance and history, their cultural and traditional heritages, and their religious rites and rituals. The Zou people have manifested this truth by a stiff resistance against British colonial expedition, but their resistance was brutally put down. Even worse, their land was sliced and given to three independent countries before they leave their colonies. They eventually left their colonies and put the dreams and hopes of the once friendly people into harm’s way. The future of the Zou labor corps who helped them in the First World War in France, and who fought against the Japanese invasion in the Second World War have been intentionally betrayed. They left the destiny of their allies to the hand of their colonies, who, as a matter of fact, will never willingly yield an inch of the sliced land to the right owners anymore. The Zou people demanded their land be given back to them. But, instead of paying attention to their demands they have been tortured, persecuted and driven out of their land. This worse scenario can be seen among the Zou people of Burma who have fled their land and take refuge in more than 30 countries of the world. They have been stranded between life and death in their neighboring countries before they are officially accepted as refugees. Many people died before they were officially accepted, and many more will parish as I write their story now. There are more than one million Zou refugees around the world, and many more are expected in times to come.

The first wave of the huge tsunami was followed by another wave of enlightenment. The Zou people began to hear the Good News that their sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. Although they were surrounded on all sides by people of different faiths – Communism to the North, Hinduism to the West, Islam to the Southwest and Buddhism to the East, they have only been impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This could be partly because of the fact that the Old Testament history and traditions have so many similarities with that of the Zou people; and partly because the Gospel bearers brought some elements of modernism with them. They might have thought that they were fully satisfied with their religious practices before the fullness of time has come.23 Pu Thawngpau has rightly put:

Pisei pusei lungmawlte’n ana theiphah lou;

Mallam huikhi hing laang in, aban banin hing seem in.

Tu’n ei khangthate lai a, paa namtui bangin,

Ahing zelta lailung sunga.

Bang paa namtui adiei, Mallam huikhi’n ahing sem?

Bethlehem bawnginn paa namtui ahi.

Khum pa namtui luttheina di’n na sinlai dawngkot nahon le,

Na mawna puonbang sawpsieng diing.24

Free translation:

Unknown to the uncivilized progenitors;

The Northern breeze came along, and blows one after another.

Like a sweet aroma to the new generation of ours,

It has impacted the core of the heart.

What a sweet aroma, the Northern breeze has blown?

It’s the sweet aroma of the Bethlehem’s manger.

If you open the door of the core of your heart to let the sweet aroma in,

Your sins will be washed away.

The wave of the Gospel hit their land and impacted entirely in terms of their social, economic, political and religious practices. The Gospel bearers brought the Gospel with their culture. They might not essentially impart their culture but, the Zou people received their culture in addition to the Gospel. Eventually, the Western culture set a deep root in their land. The wave of the Gospel swept their land and saw a seed of Western socio-cultural practices. As a result, new systems of education, literature, social values, economy, politics and religion have been set up in the lives and land of the Zou people.

In due course of time, dialectal Bible translation brought chaos and confusion among the Zou Christians to an extent that nobody can heal. Division in terms of tribal recognition, dialectal accent, church denomination, clan-based, family based, status and profession based, etc. are rampant, giving a very bad signal to progress and development. Should they have not accepted such divisions, there could have been a way for them to tell the world that they are one and the same people who have their own land, history, culture and tradition.

 
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References:
(This article, specificaly the references, have not been revised and edited as of now)
1 Tualchin Neihsial, Interview Dr. Tualchin Niehsial - Part II, Tuesday, 07 October 2008 12:53, www.zomilibrary.com Accessed on January 29, 2010
2 Dr. Shalva Weil "Lost Israelites from North-East India: Re-Traditionalisation and Conversion among the Shinlung from the Indo-Burmese Borderlands", The Anthropologist, Vol. 6, No. 3: 219-233, 2004
3 See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibeto-Burman_languages Accessed on March 12, 2010
4 Haochinthong, Zou Sung Kivaihawmna (Administration Among the Zou Tribes), (Lamka: M/S Express Printing Press, Manipur, India, 1988), P. 36
5 See http://www.siamsinpawlpi.org/ Accessed on January 30, 2010
6 Vumson Suantak, Zo History in Prism of the Zo People, (Lamka: Publication Board, 60th Zomi Nam Ni Celebration Committee, 2008) Pp.
7 Vumson Suantak, Zo History: With an Introduction to Zo Culture, Economy, Religion and Their Status as an Ethnic Minority in India, Burma and Bangladesh, Aizawl, Mizoram, 1987, Pp.27-28
8 T. Gougin, The Discovery of Zoland, (Zomi Press: Zion Street, Churachandpur, Manipur, 1980) P.12
9 En Za Sian, Teddim Innkuan Laibu,
10 Kam Za Kham et.al. Naulak Innkuan Laibu AD 2003. P. 3
11 See www.zogam.org Accessed on March 12, 2010
12 Carry, Bertram S. and H.N. Tuck, The Chin Hills: A History of the People, Our Dealings with Them, Their Customs and Manners, and a Gazetteer of their Country – Vol. I, (Rangoon: Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Burma, 1896) P.2
13 Jamaluddin Md. Jahi, Kadaruddin Aiyub, Kadir Arifin and Azahan Awang, Human Habitat and Environmental Change: From Cave Dwellings to Megacities, European Journal of Scientific Research, ISSN 1450-216X Vol.32 No.3 (2009), pp.381-390, © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2009, http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_32_3_09.pdf, Accessed on February 3, 2010
14Answers.com The World’s Leading Q&A site @ http://www.answers.com/topic/hunting-and-gathering-1. February 3, 2010
15 Jamaluddin Md. Jahi, Kadaruddin Aiyub, Kadir Arifin and Azahan Awang, Human Habitat and Environmental Change: From Cave Dwellings to Megacities, European Journal of Scientific Research, ISSN 1450-216X Vol.32 No.3 (2009), pp.381-390, © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2009, http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_32_3_09.pdf, Accessed on February 3, 2010
16 G. Zamzachin, Paite Tanchin, Paite History, (Imphal: Tongvom Press, 1992), Pp. 2-3
17 See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhoukoudian Accessed on March 12, 2010
18 David N. Keightley, The Origins of Chinese Civilization, (London: University of California Press, 1983)
19 Kamkhosoi, The Impact of the Gospel of Jesus Christ upon the Zou people of Manipur in India, An M.Th Thesis, Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary, Seoul, Korea, 2000, p.10
20 Tudor Parfitt and Emanuela Trevisan Semi, Judaising Movements: Studies in the Margins of Judaism, (London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2002) P. 32
21 Ibid P. 34
22 T. Gougin, The Discovery of Zoland, (Zomi Press: Zion Street, Churachandpur, Manipur, 1980) P.23
23 Galatians 4:4
24 Pasian Labupi, Manipur Gam Presbyterian Church, Zomi Colony, Churachandpur, 1995

The Zou Script

The Zou Script

Oral tradition maintained that the Zou people once have had their own written script in olden days. Emperor Shih Huang-di (First Sovereign Qin Emperor - Chinese: 秦始皇帝; Qing Shih Huang-di) defeated the Warring States (Seven Kingdoms) and became the first emperor of China in 221 BC, until his death in 210 BC. Between the period of 213 and 206 BC, the Hundred Schools of Thought were pruned and legalism survived. Beginning in 213 BCE, all classic works of the Hundred Schools of Thought — except those from Li Si's own school of philosophy known as legalism — were subject to book burning. It was during that period that the Zou script was confiscated and burned down by the Chinese emperor Shih Huang-di, who enslaved them to build a certain portion of the Great Wall of China. Another tradition maintained that the Zou script that was written on a leather scroll. The leather scroll that was inserted on the inner-roof of a house felled down on the muddy wastewater. The leather decomposed and later was eaten by a dog. The third tradition maintained that the Zou script was written on leather and a bark. The first one was written on leather, and the last written on a bark. Unfortunately, a hungry dog ate the leather on which the script was written, and the script written on the bark was burned. Quite ridiculous, yet the late Rev. Khup Za Go said “The Zo script was eaten up by a hungry dog” in his book entitled Christianity in Chinland. The story goes such that the only script that they have was written on a piece of animal skin and there was only one person taking care of it. The person who took care of the script traveled to another place on foot, with his dog. It apparently was a hot and sunny day. He passed by a creek and stripped off his load and went down the creek to get a sip of it. Then, the saddest story ever told happened there - The script was eaten up by his hungry dog.

One must be very clear of the Zou culture that gives derogatory names such as dog, jackal, wolf, tiger-man, etc. to someone they hate or someone who is foreign to them. This is true even today. This could be found in one of the Zou folklores which says, “Nidang in la Kawl Mangpa zi’n ka um ee; Tunla tunla ngahsanu nau ka ching ee.” (I was once the queen/wife of the lord of Ava; Now, I am baby-sitting the she-jackal’s child). This is also true with the Chinese culture who called their neighboring Yao tribes ‘Wild dog or jackal.” This might have been true with the incident of the lost script. So, if this was true, the Zou script might have been confiscated by their enemies. The event of the lost script was followed by a Dark Age in Zou history where they didn’t have time to rewrite the script. Barbarism because of staying in the caves for long times could possibly contribute to the lost script. Dr. David Vumlallian Zou opined, “In traditional Zou society, the knowledge of script (If at all it existed) would have been confined to a small section of the people like the village priest or the tribal chieftain.” The lost script has become legends and myths to the Zou people now. Whatever the case it might have been, I am reminded of Sing Khaw Khai’s words, “In fact, legends and myths are not the creation of memories, but are the reminiscence of the past experiences.” Therefore, it would be safe to conclude that there was the Zou script in ancient times.

The second generation of the Zou script came in multiple forms - the Pau Cin Hau’s script in 1902, Dr. Khuplam’s script in 1949, and the Siahzathang’s script in 1952. These three scripts were invented by Zou natives based on their revelation of the last script. It did not get any popularity mainly because of the fact that the Zou people of that time were uncivilized, and don’t really bother if or not they have any script.

In the Chin Hills of Burma, Pau Cin Hau claimed to have been revealed a script which he called Tual Lai (Local script). “The Pau Cin Hau script is the ecclesiastical script of the Laipian religious tradition, which developed in the Chin Hills region at the turn of the 20th century. The script is named after Pau Cin Hau (1859–1948), a ‘Sukte’ (Tedim) Chin, who founded the Laipian tradition and developed the script in order to convey his teachings” says Anshuman Pandey who made a research on the Pau Cin Hau’s script. The revised alphabet consists of 21 consonants, and the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew was printed in this script in 1931.

In Manipur, Dr. Khuplam Milui Lenthang claimed to have been revealed a script by YHWH for the Chikim people (Chikim is an abbreviated form used by some Zou writers to denote the Chin, Kuki and Mizo ethnic groups). Although he had been struggling to rewrite the lost script since 1949, his hard work on the script got paid off in 1967. He was quoted to have said that after a profound prayer to YHWH and deep meditation on the Scripture, he got the revelation of the lost script. His script called “Bulpizem” has 32 characters and numerals 1 to 10. He sent his Bulpizem to Mr. Lal Thanhawla the then Chief Minister of Mizoram for further research.

In Manipur, M. Siahzathang Zou claimed to have discovered the old Zou Lai (Zou script) in his father’s diary book. If this was true, where did Siahzathang’s father get the script? He further developed the original 25 characters of the alphabet into the present form of 27 characters with numerals 1 to 10 in 1952. The Manipur State Kala Academy has twice honored the achievements of M. Siahzathang Zou both in 1976 and in 1991. The United Zomi Organization adopted the M. Siahzathang’s system of writing as the Zou script in 1976 at its General Assembly held at Tuaitengphai. This system of writing gained momentum among the Zou students of the 1970s for the first time that was followed by gradual decline in the late 1980s. It has been resurrected again in the late 1990s when the Zou Literature Society became functional again. The ZLS had their sub-committee named Zou Laimal Saipawl who brought out mimeographed copies of Zoulai Sinna (Zoulai Self-instructor) in 1999. Furthermore, the Zolai Simpat Bu (Zou Primary Book) was released on October 10, 2009 at the Zoumunnuom Community Hall, Churachandpur, Manipur, by the then Education minister of Manipur L. Jayantakumar Singh.

The third generation of the Zou script began with the formation of International Phonetic Association. In 1886, a group of French and British language teachers, led by the French linguist Paul Passy, formed what would come to be known (from 1897 onwards) as the International Phonetic Association. The original alphabet was based on a spelling reform for English known as the Romic alphabet, but in order to make it usable for other languages, the values of the symbols were allowed to vary from language to language. It was only after the IPA formation that the missionaries in Zou inhabited areas begin to introduce new scripts for the Zou people, at different period and region.

In Mizoram, this dialect (Duhlian dialect of the politically dominant Lusei clan) received a further boost when Christian missionaries arrived in 1894, namely, Rev. F.W. Savidge and Rev. J.H. Lorrain, who reduced the language into writing, using a simple and effective phonetic Hunterian system of Roman script. In the Chin Hills, Rev. JH Cope introduced Kamhaw dialect into writing in 1910.

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References:

1. Ren Changhong, Raise and Fall of Qin Dynasty, Singapore: Asiapac Books Pte Ltd, 2000 See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_books_and_burying_of_scholars Accessed on February 24, 2010

2. Dr. Shalva Weil "Lost Israelites from North-East India: Re-Traditionalisation and Conversion among the Shinlung from the Indo-Burmese Borderlands", The Anthropologist, Vol. 6, No. 3: 219-233, 2004

3. C. Thang Za Tuan, “Zomite’ Sang Lai Pilna Masawnna Zia”, in ZOLUS Journal, No. 2, 1997. p. 28

4. Tualchin Neihsial, “The Paite And Its Literature”, in Siamsinte’ Thu Manpha Vol I, 1995 p. 29,

5. Khup Za Go, Christianity in Chinland, (Guwahati: Christian Literature Centre, 1985)

6. Samuel R. Clarke, Among the Tribes in South-west China, (China Inland Mission, London: Morgan & Scott, Ltd., 1911), P. 19, 115

7. David Vumlallian, The Idea of Church Archieve and Literature Ministry: A study of the historical literary consciousness of the Zou people with special reference to the role of the church in JCA Golden Jubilee Souvenir, 1953 – 2003, Zomi Colony, Churachandpur, 2004, P.76

8. Green , Census of India, 1931, Vol. XI, Part – I. Report, P. 217. It reads thus: “In 1902 I had another dream. I this dream I saw an Englishman who appeared to me to be divine. He wanted me to learn lessons, taught by means of stones in the shape of letters, which put together formed a book. I tried to learn the same and eventually succeeded and my eyes opened.

“When I got up from sleep my passion for learning and teaching the symbols and sounds of alphabet was so great that I could not sleep either day or night until I had written them on paper. Though the Deputy Commissioner of Chin Hills advised me to have my invention printed I was not satisfied with it and revised it more than once – the third and last revision being carried out in 1931.”

9. Anshuman Pandey, Preliminary Proposal to Encode the Pau Cin Hau Script in ISO/IEC 10646 See http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n3781.pdf Accessed on March 7, 2010

10. Census of India 1931, Vol. I, Part I, P.194

11. Jamkhogin Lhungdim, “Research Odyssey on Chikim’s Lost Script”, in Eastern Panorama, Vol V, No. 11, Sept, 1997, edited by Dr. K. K. Jhunjhunwala, Hill Publications (P), Ltd., Saraighat Offset Press, Guwahati.

12. Sutzalian Tonsing, Lai Mangsakte (The Lost Scripts). See http://www.scribd.com/The-Lost-Scripts/d/3852507 for details. Accessed on February 19, 2010

13. David Vumlallian Zou, “The Idea of Church Archieve and Literature Ministry: A study of the historical literary consciousness of the Zou people with special reference to the role of the church” in Jou Christian Association Golden Jubilee Souvenir, Churachandpur, Manipur, 2004. P.75

14. See www.zolengthe.net for details at http://zolengthe.net/2009/10/11/zolai-simpat-bu-hong-zsf-general-conference/ Accessed on February 19, 2010. The Chief guest was quoted to have said that he, having had the privilege to inaugurate the Zou script that has been put into hard copy, will take every measure to ensure that the Zoulai Simpat Bu which was meant to be studied as a vernacular subject up to the fifth grade, be included in the syllabus up to tenth grade.

15. Handbook of the International Phonetic Association, (Published by The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1999), Pp. 194–196

16. C. Lalremruata, Director, Zo Indigenous Forum, www.zoindigenous.blogspot.com, Accessed on January 29, 2010

17. Khup Za Go, Christianity in Chinland, (Guwahati: Christian Literature Centre, 1985)

Zou Kuol a Hinna Thu Hing Lutdan

Zou Kuol a Hinna Thu Hing Lutdan

Khai Minthang

Beaumont, Texas

Aizawl Apat Zou Kuol: Arthington Aborigines Missionaries FW Savidge leh James Herbert Lorrian-te khu 1894-1897 tan Aizawl ah missionary nasem in ana um uhi. Tuahun sung in Khantanhoi John leh Nasepte Lushai ham in ana letdoh uhi. Tuazou in Arthington Mission-te’n mission dangtawh semkhawm nuom nawnlou in FW Savidge leh James Herbert Lorrian-te nasepna khu tawpsah ahita hi.

Tuazou in Rev. & Evan David Evan Jones leh Rev. & Mrs. Robert Evans-te’n missionary nasep ana sem uhi. Amaute umlai in Dr & Mrs Peter Frazer leh a zi Welsh Calvenistic Methodist Missionary Society-te sponsorna nuoi ah 1908 October-November pawl in ana tung ua, Aizawl a Welsh Mission Clinic ah nasep anapan uhi.

Watkins R. Roberts khu missionary lunglut mama nanleh sponsor diing neilou ahizieh in Dr. Frazer-te nasepna ah panpitu in ana pang vevaw hi. Nikhat a nasepna uh clinic ah Senvon khuo Manipur apat mi khat damlou in ang kizensah a, Robert in a houlimpi leh Senvon, Manipur apat ahidan athei a, Senvon hausapa’n lai asimthei hi chi atheitah chieng in a laibu Khantanhoi John khu a peta hi. Ha thum sung veel dawnna bangma mulou a aum zou in nikhat a laibu amakung ah ang kilekia a, a ningkhat ah Senvon a pei diing a chielna ana kigiel hi. Tuami in thanuomsah mama in a naseppite tawh kikum in Senvon, Manipur a pei diing in khensatna ang neita hi. Hilezong bangchi pei diing? A lawm diing mi asui a hilezong koima’n lampi athei sih uhi.

Hun hing pei zel in, nikhat Lungpau of Maite village leh Thangkai of Bualtang village te’n 1910 laiveel in Dr. Frazer in Aizawl a Mission school ah sangnaupang 50 veel sponsor thei chi thu athei chieng un a kankhe diing in kuon uhi. Watkins R. Roberts in tua sangnaupang lunglutte ana houlimpi leh amaute khu Manipur a kipan ahidan uh agenpita uhi. Robert zong thanuom mama a, tua naupangte khu a lamhiltu diing a chiel in May 7, 1910 in Senvon, Manipur zuon in ang kipankheta hi.

Hinna Thu Senvon hing Tung: May 07, 1910 a Senvon a Watkins R. Roberts leh a kaizatamte hing tungta ahi. Tuami hun lai in church planting sang in evangelism na thupi bawlzaw uhi. Tuahun lai in Manipur North lang ah William Pettigrew pawl in mission nasepna na panzouthamta uhi. Pettigrew in Roberts nasepna mataldan amu chieng in ama zong Senvon tan survey bawl in va kuon a, khomite ama mission a zom diing a achiel anga zoulou chieng in Pettigrew in Robert nasepna khu Protestant Mission Society working in India-te dankalna chia “Where on mission society had already started working, the other missions should not undertake any work without prior undersanding between them” chi’n na mantaang hi. Tambang dan in mission nasepna khu deibang a piching thei tahtah lou in sawtveipi ana um hi. A mission headquarters zong Senvon, Tinsuong, Pherjawl, Lakhipur leh Churachandpur chite ah a kituon kawikawi hi.

Manipur simlam a Pasian iitna theiloute lah a Pasian thu taangkoupi ahita chi ang kitheikhiet chieng in Tumlam gam England leh United States-te bilsung ah ana gin-ngai mamata hi. Tuachiin, England leh United States ah Mission Board “Thado-Kuki Pioneer Mission” (1910-1024) chi’n ang kiphutkheta hi. 1924 in North East India General Mission chi’n ang kihengta hi. London Council apat A.H. Williams leh J.E. Turnley leh Philadelphia Council apat H.H. Coleman, General Secretary-te khu Roberts nasepna enkhe diing in ang kisawlta uhi. Nov. 17, 1928 in London ang nuasue ua, Culcatta ah Chritmas ang zang malam uhi. Tuahun lai in Roberts khu Culcutta ah aum a, Dohnun khu Lakhipur ah mission nasepna supervise bawl in aum hi. Nasep enkhe diingte longtung a Barrack luipi tan ni guh vingveng ang tuon zou un, mile 70 sung keng a lam hing zawt in Pherjawl ah January 17, 1929 in atungta uhi. Pherjawl ah special meeting han in mission nasep dan ang suikhiet chieng un a mission sum uh thelthangtah a kizang a, Roberts, Dohnun leh Chonga in Culcutta a “Pine & Co” a a mission sum uh na invest ahidan ang thei uhi. Tuachiin kitheisiemlouna thupitah ang tung a, Gauhati High Court tanpha ana kitun uhi. Tuanah Coleman guolzou in mission nasepna ah buoina nasatah ang tungta hi. Hun bangtan amakhat London Council leh Philadelphia Council in ang sepkhawm zou un London Board-te ang kijutkheta uhi. Tami hun laitah in Mizote khu Presbyterian a na umsate’n Tuithaphai Presbytery ana tungding in NEIGM tawh ana kikhenta uhi.

Roberts in mintha khat hing phuokhie in Manipur pulang a umte a diing in “Indo-Burma Pioneer Mission” leh Manipur sung a umte a diing in “Independent Church of India” ang chita hi. Tami zieh in Roberts nasepna zomnuomte khu “Indo-Burma Pioneer Mission” leh “Independent Church of India” ah alut ua, adangteng (Coleman ate) khu North East India General Mssion (NEIGM) ah a ki-umta hi. Tam pen 1929 lai ahi hi. Tuachiin NEIGM Mission station khu Churachandpur ah Coleman chiel Dr. G. Crozer in-charge na tawh 1930 in ang kisuonta hi. Crozer zou in Mayers in ang puo a, tuazou in Paul Rostard in hing potou in a zi Ella Rostard May 01, 1950 a ang damlou chieng in Paul zong tawldam diing in a kihanta hi. Tuazou in Rev. & Mrs. Royal C. Paddock-te’n tan ang potou uhi. Hilezong Government in “November 1953 tan a gamdangmi kichi zousie in tuami area a pawtsan diing uh” achi thusuo ang bawlta uhi. Tuazou apat in khotuolmi Nengzachin in hing potou in 1980s bullam a pension tan ang potouta hi.

1948 in NEIGM khu Presbytery nga in ang kikhen hi: Simsak Presbytery, Simkhang Presbytery, Malsak Presbytery, Malkhang Presbytery, leh Vangai Presbytery. Tami Presbytery-te lah ah Zou tamzawte khu unau Paite kampau zangte tawh hing kimeehtha in Simsak Presbytery ah ana ki-um hi. Tuazieh in NEIGM nuoi a umte pawlpi a kikhenneenna tahtah khu 1948 a hing kipan china ahita hi.

Hinna Thu Zou Kuol a Hing Lutdan: I gensa bang in Zou mite lah ah evangelism na um kawikawi lezong pawlpi piching in ina ding zou ngai sih uhi. 1922 lai in unau Mizote evangelist khat Hrangsuaka in Singngat ah ang sem hi. Hilezong, Pettigrew leh Roberts-te kibuoina zieh in kumpite apat Baptist loute in Pasian nasep na pantheilou diing chi aum zieh in Saikot ah ana kituonta hi. 1935 in hing kipankia leuleu in Khianglam ah ang busata a, 1937 tan asemta hi. Tualai in Pu Suohdou lampu diing in ana zawpi kawikawi hi.

Tuazou in unau Paite kampaute apat in Thongluan in Khajang ah evangelist nasep ang panta hi. Japan gaal (World War II) lai in tomkhat asem a, tuachin akhawlta hi. Japan gaal zou in kum kuo sung ang sem kia hi. Japan gaal zou 1946 in unau Paite kampau zangte khat ma Pumzaneng in Munpi ah LP school ang phut hi. 1947 in Singngat ah unau Paite kampau zangte ma khat in LP school ang phut kia hi. Tami hun pawl in Zou mite lah ah Pasian thu ang lut panpanta a, Christian zong khat-le-ni ang umta hi. Tambang a unau Paite kampau zangte’n ang buoipi zieh zong ahi diing a, NEIGM khawmpi in Simsak Presbytery nuoi ah Paite leh Zou mite i umkhawmta uhi.

March 1953 kum in Saikot a NEIGM khawmpi ah Presbytery khu kampau (dialect) dungzui a bawl diing in pha ang sata ua, tua dungzui in Evangelical Synod Church (Gangte), Evangelical Assembly Church (Hmar), Kuki Christian Association (Kuki), Evangelical Convention Church (Paite) leh Manipur Christian Organization (Vaiphei) in ana kikhenta hi. Lamkai diing gina umlou zieh in i teenna dungzui in Presbytery tuomtuom ah ang kithethangta hi. Tuahunlai in Zou mite biehna lam ah ki piching nailou – Pastor, Evangelist, Upa leh biehna makai diing umlou in Presbytery a kiphut thei sih hi. Tuahun lai in tribal identity a nase mama hi. 1951 kum in Manipur a Zou khuo 66 um lah ah Christian umna khuo 4 maimai aum nalai hi. Tuazou sawtlou in Zou lamkaite leh migunte hing kipan in JCA dintheina diing ah nasatah in pan angla ua, a tawp in February 20, 1954 in Jou Christian Association khu Daizang khua ah ang dingdohta hi. JCA khu nampi iitna zieh (politics???) apat mass conversion zieh a hing dingkhie abang hi.

Concluding Remarks:

1. Tumlamgam missionary-te apat direct a Pasian thu hing lut hilou in i teenkhawmpi namneu dangte apat i-nga uh ahizieh in 1910 in Hattuom na kidingzou pai nailou hi. Tuazieh in, church planting sang in personal evangelism khu ana thupibawl zaw uh zong hipai mai diing hi. Tumlamgam missionary-te apat hilevang church planting a hing kipatpi diing ahia, 1910 mama a zong eima minam min ahiei eima minam panlaahna tawh pawlpi min na umzou diing hileh a kilawm hi.

2. Zou minamte khu culture leh tradition ngainate leh zangte ihi uhi. I culture leh tradition pulam ah bangma khawhsahna inei sih ua, koiteng in bangteng gen in bangteng chilezong i hina uh ina peipi mielmuol uhi. Tuazieh in i thupil un “Saipi lamzawt a zawt” ana chi hi. Culture leh tradition kichingtah neite’n thudang bangma a buoipi man ngaisih ua, a culture leh tradition uh pammai asa uhi. Tuazieh in Pasian suina khu lunglenna apat ahizaw tangpi a, mi lunglengte khu mi lungkimloute ahia, mi lungkimloute khu lungsim tasamte (moral poverty) ahia, lungsim tasamte khu peidan kichien neilouta ahia, peidan kichien neiloute khu tawndan leh khandan (culture and tradition) neiloute ana hi taangpi uhi.

3. Missionary-te’n a evangelized masapente uh khu a taangpi thu a gen in milunglengte, chinate, panpi neiloute, etc. ahi uhi. Kolkata a William Carey in missionary aseplai in zong intellectual circle leh conservative Hindu-te zoulou in nam ngiempente lah ah ang lawching masapen hi. Dalit Theology, Minjung Theology, etc. chite veel zong nam ngiemte leh ahuoi diing neiloute apat a Pasian iitna chituna khat ahi hi.

4. Zou minamte khu i umna poupou ah tawndan-khandan kichientah neisa leh biehna kichien neisa ihi zieh un thudang ah ibuoi man sih uhi. Nam lapi, be lapi leh khanglui tangthu tampi neite ihi zieh ua, tuami ngaisutna tawh pei kawikawi a, ihina leh i ngaina ngaina deu imah chi thei ahi. Singtaang apat Lamka i tunzou nua ua zong hausa ma nei teitei nalai leh hausa-upate vaihawmna nuoi a um nuom gigete ihi uhi. Tua in zong i ngaina ipai theilou dan ang langsah hi. Lamka veng tuomtuomte en lei Lamka khosung vengkhat ah hausa aum nawnsih a, hilezong Zou mite sung enlei – Zomi Colony, Kamdou Veng, Zomunnuom, New Zoveng, Tuibuang, etc. chite ah hausa in i kipo nalai uhi. Tami in i hausa culture i paikhiet theiloudan a langsah mama hi.

5. 1948 apat Presbytery nga a hing kikhen a, 1953 a dialect dungzui in Evangelical Synod Church (Gangte), Evangelical Assembly Church (Hmar), Kuki Christian Association (Kuki), Evangelical Convention Church (Paite) leh Manipur Christian Organization (Vaiphei) in ana kikhenta hi. Tambang ahileh, 1910 khu Manipur South District a Pasian thu lutna ahia, nam or kampau level pawlpi phuna khu 1953 ahipan hi.

Laibu ette:
1.Liankhohau, T., Social Cultural Economic and Religious Life of a Transformed Community (New Delhi: Mittal Publications, 1994)

2.Khosoi, Kam, The Impact of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Upon the Zou People of Manipur in India, M. Th. Thesis, Graduate School, Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary, Seoul, Korea, 2000

3.Thanglienkham, Rev. & Tungnung, T.C., Eben Ezer (JCA, MCC, MPC, MGP, ABFM, ZCC, ELCC Tanchin tomkim)” in Tapidaw – 50 (JCA Golden Jubilee) A Memento of 50 Years of Christianity, Souvenir Feb. 20, 1954 – 2004, Zomi Colony, Churachandpur, 2004

4.Zou, David Vumlallian, The Pasts of a Fringe Community: Ethno-history and Fluid Identity of the Zou in Manipur, Indian historical Review, Vol. 36(2) 209-235, 2009 pp. 291-222

5.Minthang, Khai, Servants of the Cross in Zou Kam (Bangalore: Indian Evangelical Mission, 2001).

Maxwell’s Levels of Leadership

Maxwell’s Levels of Leadership

Khai Minthang

Beaumont, TX

Introduction: Leadership type, capacity, level and style differ from person to person, organization to organization, location to location, and people to people. However, the one thing that is common to all is the individual leader’s development from a positional leadership to that of a respected leadership. Maxwell has defined leadership into five levels or categories.

Level One: The lowest level of leadership for any person is based on a title or a job description. All leadership begins on the position level. But leadership that stays on this level for long becomes weaker, not stronger. The longer you stay on this level, the higher the turnover will be in your organization, and the lower the morale.

Level Two: On this level, people begin following you beyond your stated authority. As followers grow to like and trust a leader, they begin to follow because they want to. However, staying too long on this level without moving up to the production level causes highly motivated people to become restless.

Level Three: At the production level, influence is cemented and respect is increased because of what the leader and the people accomplish together. People begin to follow because of what the leader has done for the team or organization. On this level, people like you and what you are doing. It is at this level that most feel successful. Because of momentum, problems are often easily solved with little effort.

Level Four: On this level, people follow because of what you’ve done for them. This is where long-range growth occurs. Commitment to developing leaders ensures ongoing growth of individuals and the organization. When you become a people developer, you strive to reproduce your leadership in others and help people reach their potential. The time you spend with people is an investment. As a result, they respect you not only for what you’ve done for the team, but also for what you’ve done for them personally. Strive to stay on this level.

Level Five: The fifth and highest level of leadership is personhood. On this level, people follow because of who you are and what you represent. Only leaders who have spent years developing leaders and growing organizations achieve this level. It is the true respect level. A leader who spends his life developing people and organizations makes such an incredible impact for so long that people follow him because of who he is and what he represents. He is the best of the best.

Conclusion: Leadership is not much about the people being led, but it is more about the personalities of a leader. There are some self imposed leaders on the one hand and some popular choice leaders on the other hand. Maxwell’s levels of leadership are very helpful steps to becoming a positional leadership to that of a respected leadership.

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Maxwell, John C. The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leaders's Day (Nashville, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2000)

The Five Styles Leaders may use to Prioritize Their Work

The Five Styles Leaders may use to Prioritize Their Work

Khai Minthang

Beaumont, TX

Introduction: Without the limitation of time, there might be no need to prioritize. But time limits you and forces you to make choices. The more time you spend on the wrong thing, the less time you have to invest in what’s right – and the longer it takes to succeed. Being successful is not about how hard you work; it is about how smart you work. Generally speaking, there are five ways that people decide how to spend their time.

Urgent – Loud Things First: You have no doubt heard the saying: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. That shouldn’t always be the case in leadership. Though it’s tempting – especially if you happen to be a people pleaser – you have to learn to discern which wheels really need grease, which ones can be greased by others, and which ones will squeak no matter what you do.

Unpleasant – Hard Things First: You need to be able to check your motives. If you have a strong work ethic, you may naturally want to get the harder things done first. But don’t just start in on the hard stuff before determining the value of your actions. If doing something easier is a better use of your time, then do that before you tackle a difficult task.

Unfinished – Last Things First: If you are like most leaders, you work on a day-to-day schedule. And many times your to-do list is left partially undone at the end of the day. Before you spend time completing an unfinished task from the day before, evaluate it in comparison to the other things you need to accomplish. If finishing the task is still not a top priority, place it at the bottom of your list again, and work on it after you finish more important items.

Unfulfilling – Dull Things First: Of the five styles, this one is probably the most common. If you subscribe to this notion, your tendency is to do the dull, mindless things first, but these things are rarely the most important.

Ultimate – First Things First: Do you naturally spend time on the most important things first? Although it’s admirable to be ambitious and hardworking, it’s even more desirable to be smart working. It’s in forming the habit of prioritizing your time so that you are always doing what’s most important. When you are able to do that, it won’t be long before you begin to exceed your expectations as a leader.

Conclusion: Missionary Amy Carmichael wisely noted, “We will have all eternity to celebrate the victories, but only a few hours before sunset to win them.” When you learn to spend your time wisely on the things that bring your organization the most fulfillment and success, you often end up with some time to spare. Therefore, it is imperative to invest your time wisely, because time and tide wait for no man.

Incentives and Other Rewards: How they are used to help Teams

Incentives and Other Rewards:

How they are used to help Teams

Khai Minthang

Beaumont, TX

Introduction: Behavior that’s rewarded is repeated. The idea is that when you positively acknowledge good performance that you see it happening again. That is the principle of positive reinforcement. Appreciation and acknowledgement of the efforts of another human being is one of the most powerful gifts you can give to someone. Conversely, wrong behaviors that are not fixed will keep happening again. Every time a staff member who habitually does sloppy work makes another error, you step in and fix it. Behavior that is rewarded is repeated.

Incentives: Traditionally employees earn a living based on the pay scale for their position, modified by changeable factors such as labor market conditions, where a position fits within the hierarchy of an organization, and how long a person has been in a job. Your base salary is what you see in your paycheck every pay period, no matter how many good days or bad days of performance you have experienced. Unless you are being terminated, your base pay remains constant until your manager and organization give you a raise, such as once a year.

Incentives have long played an important workplace role motivating, rewarding, and energizing employees and providing employers with powerful tools to retain valuable employees. They are designed to inspire employee loyalty and increase productivity over the long term. Incentive pay is a form of variable compensation. Sometimes called a bonus, it is a component of wages that varies by performance and is proffered in addition to your base salary. Incentive pay in a way of rewarding good performance with money rather than with promotion, and without adding costs to base salary structures. Incentive pay for teams can be a strong management tool that drives team-work and performance. It is also a tool that can be helpful when you are working with work-unit teams and project teams.

Some objectives to aim for with a team incentive plan are:

1. Stimulating increases in productivity. Stimulating increases in productivity.

2. Rewarding key behaviors that you need for good productivity.

3. Increasing an understanding of business needs and the kind of performance required for meeting those needs.

4. Aiding in the retention of good performers

An incentive pay plan can turn some people off. Some team members take great pride in their work and don’t view money as a motivator for this pride. They approach their work with passion and treat what they do as a special craft. For some of these people, extra pay in the form of incentives is an insult. They are already getting paid, and that is fine. The way they see it, they don’t need some sort of bribe to produce good results.

Recognizing Achievements: Research from Fred Herzberg and many others repeatedly shows that money is not the primary reward for working adult. Money alone is not the be-all and end-all for team member motivation and retention. A sincere thank-you means a lot. You can hand out a dozen job-well-done trophies, but unless you make the recipient feel that the reward was heartfelt, you are not truly recognizing the individual. A recent national survey by Robert Half International shows that limited praise and recognition is the primary reason employees leave their jobs today, ahead of compensation concerns, limited authority, and personality conflicts. Employees expect to be recognized when they do good work. This is a truism supported by dozens of studies and surveys, and easily confirmed by asking almost employee. Thanking employees for doing good work increases the likelihood that they will want to continue to work for your organization, and it serves as a catalyst for attracting talented new recruits.

Other Rewards at a Little or No Expense: Decide how to determine who receives rewards. Careful thought should be given to this part of the plan. You want the goals you set to be attainable through hard work and dedication, but you don’t want them to be so easy that they lose their meaning. And the goals you rewarded should be ones that reinforce the company’s mission as a whole, not necessarily the individual’s personal goals.

Rewards work best when they are meaningful. Be creative with your rewards. Your employees will appreciate it. The following ideas for showing appreciation for team performance generally cost little or nothing in terms of dollars and require only a bit of time and attention; however, they sometimes are the best investment you can make in motivating team members.

1. Write a thank-you note

2. Offer a personalized gift, such as a poster or book

3. Buy movie tickets

4. Give a framed photograph of an employee event

5. Hold a lunch in the employee’s honor

6. Provide them time off or extra vacation days

7. Create a bulletin board that contains the photos of top employees

8. Bring bagels or doughnuts to a team meeting to honor the employee

9. Give fruit bowls or freshly baked chocolate chip cookies

10. Hold a meeting just to discuss how good a job the person is doing

11. Allow employees to take a long lunch or have a short workday

12. Offer a round of applause from the team

13. Hold a celebration

14. Designate an employee-of-the-month parking spot

15. Print a photo and brief article about the stellar performer in the company newsletter

16. Arrange events that involve family members, such as a children’s fair or holiday bazaar.

Conclusion: Recognizing accomplishments the same way every time gets pretty stale; everyone likes variety. So, periodically ask team members, “Money aside, when the team performs well, what should we do so that people know that they are appreciated?” Keep few notes on what team members tell you, and remember: What motivates one person may not be the same for everyone else. Whether you are managing individuals or teams, recognizing and rewarding the right behaviors is the point. Taking good performance for granted never has been much of a motivator.

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Bibliography:
1. Bob Nelson and Dean Spitzer, The 1001 Rewards and Recognition Field Book (New York: Workman Publishing, 2003)
2. Marlene Caroselli, Leadership Skills for Managers (New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000)
3. Max Messmer, Motivating Employees for Dummies, (New York: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2001)
4. Blair Singer, The ABC’s of Building Business Team That Works (New York: Warner Business Books, 2004)

The Three Common Obstacles

The Three Common Obstacles

That get in the way when leading a team forward and their Solution

Khai Minthang

Beaumont, TX

Introduction: Leading a team across an everyday business landscape is tough enough. Nobody needs the added hassle of unexpected obstacles that get tossed in your way. But, it happens all the time. Sometimes a team member lays down the speed bumps! Sometimes they come from elsewhere in the organization. In any case, you are the team’s point guard and they are counting on you. Here are the three common obstacles:

Obstacle No. 1: New directives from on high: Bosses usually mean no harm and simply want to help you work through the change process. But they often just don’t see what havoc their brainstorms create and how much unnecessary work they may be drumming up for your team.

Solution: To overcome this obstacle, plan on some face-to-face, one-on-one conversations with the boss. Remember the rule when you challenge upward: Do it privately, not publicly. Here are some tips: 1) Assume management means well, 2) Ask for the gold, 3) Talk about priorities, and 4) Document agreements and plans.

Obstacle No. 2: Cold shoulder from other groups: Sometimes the biggest obstacles to making change efforts work within your team come from other groups in the organization. Your team may depend on their support in the form of providing essential information, responding to your inquiries or requests, or applying their special expertise to help you solve problems.

Solution: These are legitimate interdepartmental requests, yet for one reason or another, the other guys aren’t responding. Here’s a process to help you tackle this impediment: 1) Assume they mean well, 2) Go in to solve problems, 3) State your team’s problem objectively, 4) Listen to their side of the story, and 5) Solve the problem together.

Obstacle No. 3: A counterproductive team member: Sometimes the biggest obstacle a team faces in its development comes from the inside. You may observe disruptive outbursts, chronic complaining, low quality or sloppy work, or very little work.

Solution: If it only amounts to an incident here or there, you can pull the person aside for counsel and correction. But if the problem persist and shift into patterns, the effect on a team’s morale and productivity can be devastating when the situation is left unaddressed. Aim your initial efforts at coaching to improve the performance of the person involved by: 1) Stating your concerns, 2) Exploring reasons for the problem, 3) Finding a solution and forming an action plan together, and 4) Following up periodically.

Conclusion: Don’t tolerate actions by certain team members that poison the overall team’s chemistry and performance. But remember to intervene early and coach for improvement first. Quite simply, the earlier you act to address an unsatisfactory pattern of performance, the more likely you are to gain improvement in the team member’s performance and the team’s morale in general.

Strategies for Evaluating the Team’s Progress and Results

Strategies for Evaluating the Team’s Progress and Results

Khai Minthang

Beaumont, TX

Introduction: The accountability cornerstone is a foundation for your team members to begin sharing in the team’s overall results while remaining responsible as individuals. Distributing the burdens and successes of the team’s work to everyone who is part of the team is your obligation as team manager. In nautical terms, although you may be the captain of the ship, every member of the crew shares responsibility for bringing the ship to its destination. So, as a manager, you need to install a shared sense of accountability by including the team when assessing its progress and evaluating its results. Each strategy can help your team focus on how it’s performing while work is in progress and assess how it has performed once the work is done.

Conducting status review meetings: Meetings are an exchange of ideas, information, or opinions by a group of people who play an active role to achieve specific results. At status review meeting, the team reviews the status of its work. For status meetings to be useful, they need to happen on a regular basis, depending on what the work dictates and what team members need. Some managers still only pull their employees aside for a talk when performance is poor. Then, the employee is on the defensive and expecting censure- not at all the right atmosphere for coaching and improving performance. A good status review meeting focuses on what people are getting done, not merely what they are working on. The spotlight is on results, not activities. For status review meetings to be useful, they need to happen on a regular basis.

Publishing Results through Company Newsletter: People outside the team, like management above you and groups affected by what your team does, may sometimes wonder, “Just what are you folks accomplishing?” Publishing a company newsletter can serve many purposes to get your name into the community and enhance your image with customers. Publishing a company newsletter can bring many benefits to your small or home-based business. Even if you are not good at writing or know nothing about publishing, you can either hire a freelance writer to do this for you or learn a few basics to get the job done.

Publishing a summary report: A summary report is a written progress review of your team’s work. The report is not only for the team’s use. It also is for broadcasting the team’s progress and results to those outside the team who want or need to know. Generally, you want to publish the team’s summary reports at reasonable intervals – once a month to once a quarter often works best. A good summary report gives those outside the team a picture of its progress. So stick to the highlights and avoid globs of detail.

Making a team presentation: The second useful strategy for spreading the wealth about your team’s progress is making presentations to management above you or to other groups that are interested in your team’s work. Presentations help other people, especially those in management, understand what your team is doing. Because the stakes are high, you want to make sure that your team looks good when it delivers a presentation.

Conducting regular customer surveys: Project teams need regular and meaningful feedback from their customers. Other aspects of a periodic survey can be specific to a recent project task or mini-project: Customer can provide timely and immediate feedback about recent team behaviors focused on client-desired outcomes. Teams need to dedicate time to reviewing the survey results, and to seeking additional information when any feedback is not clear. Further, teams need to act on feedback that exposes weaknesses in the team’s performance. Doing so has the doubly positive effect of improving the weak area and demonstrating to the clients that the feedback it provided was meaningful, and contributed to positive changes.

Evaluating team performance: Effective teams know what excellent performance is. Effective teams do more than simply understand when excellent performance occurs – they acknowledge and celebrate these instances. Your journey toward strong team performance and a sense of shared accountability continues. There are two ways to evaluating team performance:

1. Conducting postmortems: In medical jargon, a postmortem is an examination of a body after the person has died. For teams, death is not involved. A team postmortem is an evaluation of performance after a project or special event has concluded. The idea is to learn lesions from the past, the pluses and minuses, and then to apply them to future performance. A project postmortem is most relevant when your team know it will take on similar projects in the future. Two ways work best for teams’ postmortem - Reviewing the past and planning the future.

2. Conducting a performance evaluation: A team performance evaluation is similar to a postmortem. It is an evaluation of the team’s overall performance at the end of a given cycle, generally at the end of a quarter or six-month period. It is a scheduled event, and the team is responsible for making it happen, evaluating results against established performance criteria that are selected in advance. This is not you evaluating the team but rather the team evaluating itself, including your input. With data in hand, your team is ready to start the evaluation meeting.

Review Lessons Learned: “Lesson Learned” reviews are self-critical processes that help teams consider performance-related and process-related information that is apparent to members of the group, but has not been synthesized as yet. It is a process of internal feedback from the team to the team. Although it is a self-critical exercise, the tone of this session needs to remain positive. The focus of this effort is on future improvement in processes that can achieve better results. Lessons Learned sessions require the members to demonstrate emotional intelligence, to understand that the point of having these meetings is team learning and team self-understanding, rather than individual performance evaluations. The attitudes of members during this process need to be non-defensive and self-examining, with an acceptance that team effectiveness is based on an accurate assessment of what it does well ---- and not so well. It is a unique opportunity to frame all assessments – positive and negative – in terms of the team, thus reinforcing team identity and the relationships of members to the team itself.

Retreats: Along the same vein effective teams understand that there is a great deal of value in conducting intermittent retreats that bring members together in a external context to review team values, goals, norms, processes, and any other aspect of team view. Some retreats are focused on planning for the future, but even these types of retreats benefit from exercises that reinforce team identity. The future is largely contingent on what exists today.

Conclusion: Reflecting on past successes helps a team learn from what it has done well. Distributing the burdens and successes of the team’s work to everyone who is part of the team is your obligation as team manager. In nautical terms, although you may be the captain of the ship, every member of the crew shares responsibility for bringing the ship to its destination – and popping the cork to celebrate a successful voyage.

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Bibliography:
1. Sandra Gurvis, Management Basics, A Practical Guide for Managers, Second Edition (Avon: F+W Publications, 2008)
2. Rose Halas, Essortment, “Do you need a company newsletter?” Articles – free online articles on Health, Science, Education, 2002 http://www.essortment.com/career/needcompanynew_twrp.htm (Accessed on January o8, 2010)
3. Stephen E. Kohn & Vincent D. O’Connell, 6 Habits of Highly Effective Teams (Franklin Lakes, The Career Press Inc., 2007)