IV. Laihkik ding or khekkik ding
Min dang khat a’ kivawh or min maanlopi aa kilo, Cikha, Tonzang, Tedim khuapi sung nawk Tiddim Road teng amin maan Tedim Road tawh laih kik, khek kik ding.
British kumpi in, Leitung Galpi II or Japan gal hunsung, 1942 kum June kha in, Imphal pan Tedim khua ciang mawtaw lampi hong zik uh aa, tua lampi a min “Tiddim Road” naphuak uh hi. Tua lampi in Zomi te khuapi: Lamka, Sing-at, Cikha, Tonzang, Tedim khuate na nawk hi. Imphal pan Lamka 39 mile, Imphal pan Tedim 165 mile pha hi. Lamka khua sungah tua lampi min “Tiddim Road” mah na ci uh aa, etlawm mahmah hi.
Pu La Cin Khup hong gen ngeina ah; Mikaang kumpi in a gel cil in Tedim pan India gamgi ciang mawtaw lampi zik ding hi aa, Tedim pan Meitei gun Phil luitun’ ah kan in Tuithang, Tungzang, Ngalbual, Zampi, Khuabem, Singial taang, Lennahkot ah pai sak ding sawm uhhi. (Tu hun aa ZRDC Pu Vum Nang bawl mawtaw lam teng hileh kilawm kasa hi.) A hizong in Ukpipa Pu Pum Za Mangin, Tonzang hong nawk kei ding leh kei uksung pan coolies or taangtha hong pia zoloding hi ung a cih ciangin, lampi alignment pen, Tedim, Tonzang , Tuitum, Nakzangah Meitei gun kan in, Mualkawi, Tuikhiang, Singgial Taang, Kansau, Cikha ah pai ding in hong khel kik uh hi ci hi. Pu La Cin Khup gen leh Kelly’s Burma Campaign laibu sung aa tawh kituak bilbel hi. (I have been ordered to make my road from Lennakot to Tiddim motorable, and also to make a new motorable road west of the Manipur from my Northern border. Pg 110)
Van (Tools) zat ding khempeuh vanleeng tawh hong kikhiat khin aa, Tedim pan Tonzang lampi bawl, 19 October 1942 ni-in kipan pah hi. Ciimtaang to teng Soklek kahleei (Chocolate Staircase) cii’n minphuah aa, tai 7 sung’in (Tai 4; Kelley in, ci hi. Ken tai 7 manzaw inteh ka ci hi.) samkilh bang aa kawi (Hairpin bend), kawi 38 vei kawi-in, asau pi 12 teh pi 1 gradient tawh pi 3000 sea level ciang kahto hi. (Defeat into Victory; Sir W. Slim pg. 357). Tua mah bangin Imphal leh Tedim kikal a’ciang a’ciang pan in, lamzik na’kipan uhhi. Mun thupi te amin tawh lo’lo in milestone in kilo zaw hi. 110 milestone Sakawng,(Tuikhiangzaangah Mawtaw Khawlmun om hi.) 119 milestone Mualkawi, 126 milestone Nakzaang leei, 135 Milestone Tonzang, 147 milestone Tualmu Buzung, 150 Milestone Beltang Leei, 155 Milestone Tualzang Buhlo Buzung, 161 Milestone Teeklui Lamka, Laaitang pen Tuitum Saddle ci in na ciamteh uhhi.
161 Milestone pan in Tedim Road in No. 1 High School ah pai phei hi. Tu aa kimawlna innpi mun teng ah mualbo (Pi 30 val bang asang ding numei te nawibawk bang mualbo) 2 om in, Tedim Road in tua mualbo khat ii nisuahna lam pai phei in, tu aa Kam Hau tualpi nisuahna lam nawl zuiphei hi, (1973 or 74 kum Kam Hau tualpi kiziikmaa ciangciang, Kam Hau tualpi teng munzaang pian hi-aa, Tedim Road ii anawl ah Theikung a’ kisuan bang in pi 10 kiim kihal in po phei dewdeu hi. Tua theikung te Japan galkap te’n Tedim Road lampi nawl aa, ek a’thaak naa pan aa po hi ki ci hi.)
Tu aa Kam Hau Road ih cih dungzui in pai phei aa, tu aa Soldier Board zum nuai ah, suangtawh kiciang kumpi quarter khat omin tua quarter mai tawn phei hi. Tua pan zum kong nuai ah. Lawibual zaang (Lawibual Primary School) ciang: Tua bansiah teng Tedim – Kawlpi (Tiddim – Kale Road) ki ci thei ta hi. Lawibual phei teng pen tu aa lampi hilo in, anuai nidang innte kituahto maa, inntual lampi dung hizaw hi. (Ih mutheih ding Pu Kham Sial Khup taih-innpi tual hi.) Tua Lawibual zaang pan in, makeshift Zato mun, tu aa SDA te huang gei mualdang tengah lampi khat tokah hi.
Lawibual khua taw, han (Cemetery) paam teng Brigade head quarter hi aa, Lawibual zaang pan lampi khat Rev. Thang Khawm Pau sang inn mai ah, Pu Gin Thaul innpi leh Pu Kai Nang innpi kikal ah paisuk in Brigade Hq ciang tung hi. Lampi dang khat; Pu Dal Za Khup leh Rev. Neng Za Sawm te inn kikal ah paisuk in, Pu Khup Zam (Sawn thum leh hamsiat) kong tawnsuk aa, Brigade Hq ciang tung hi.
Circular Road ih cih pen, Tedim Road pan tu aa Haimual-Ciau paina lampi mengkhiana, Pu Dal Za Khup te kongmai, pan mah in meng khia aa, Pu Vung Khaw Mang inn mai, meiset nuai ah, zato nuai ah Vansangdim ah, palik leen nuai ah TKBC biakinn nung ah, Kyuaktai nawl (Nitumna lam nawl) ah, Kam Hau tualpi nitumna lam nawl ah pai phei in, atung aa ih gen mualbo nih te pang ah Tedim Road tawh ki mat hi. Imphal pan van pua convoy hong pai ciangin Jeep bekbek sawm nih sawn thum, za khat phialphial bangzong pha thei aa, van teng akhiatkhit uhteh kileh hei (Reverse) nawnlo in, paisuak suak aa, Circular Road ah kot in, Imphal lam kileh kik hi kici hi.
Tedim khuasung pai na’ding Pu Kai Za Dal (Siapi Gin Khaw Thang’ inn mai) te innmai pan lampi khat mengkhia suk aa, nidang Laito zum mai, Tedim sumbukpi teng mai ah, Palik leen lui nuai, Municipal zum mai, Pu Tual Khan Mang te inn mai ah, Vansangdim bual nuainung dek ah pai phei in, Tedim Road tawh Sakollam Tuiphum biakinn mai, Pu Hau Lian Thang te inn mai ah kimat kik hi.
Hih Tedim Road tawn in, Lord Louis Mountbatten; The Allied Supreme Commander, South-East Asia in 11 February 1944 ni-in Thuamvum (Kennedy peak) ciang pai aa, Kalemyo gal-et (Galdot) hi. Tua hun sungin Lawibual zaang ah, thugenna hun tomkhat neipak in, Khuasak hausapa Pu Lian Thawng minphatna Ahmudan gaung Tazeik ya Min (ATM = Burmese Good Service Medal) pia hi.
Tu laitak aa Tedim Road (Tiddim Road) min kivawh lampi pen Tiddim Road amaan hilo hi. Kei neulai; 1959-1962 Zomi Baptist Academy sang, tulaitak kangmeiphel (Fire Brigade Quarter) aa om, Zo Education Board (ZEB) sang inn luui aa kakah lai ciangciang tua lampi mawtaw pai theih naang’ (Motorable) dingin vang suak lo hi. RCM biak inn ciang mawtaw (Jeep) pai thei bek hi. Tua zom aa inn Pum Nang (Tuilang khuami, siiksek siam) inn kong ah jeep kihei thei lai; tua pan Pu Lam Zam (Meiset) innpan zato lui kiang tamah/BOC Pa Kham Ngaih Lian te inn ciang mihing sakol noptak kipai thei mawtaw pai theilo. Luikawi teng lampi neu mahmah. Lui gal lam pan, Pu Hang Cin (Thokap; Tamdeng/Akbutun khua) te inn pan Pu Gin Za Dal (Sang lai-atpi) kong, Pu Go Suan te kong ah, a tung aa ih gen Brigade Hq paina lampi pan aa ki ziikphei Jeep pai theina lampi om bek hi. Tu aa Tedim Road ki cii; Lawibual zaang pan a kipan, Pu Tun Za Kam (Sitni), Pu Thual Khan Suan (Thual Neu) te inn mai a pai phei lampi, Myoma veeng Pu Mang Lian Suum te kongtung aa suakphei lampi pen Tiddim Road hilo hi.
Ataktak in, ke’n a mantakpi kong cih in ah, tulaitak aa Kam Hau Road ih cihcih pen tuma kum 75 lai (World War II, Japan gal) aa kizik Tiddim Road ci aa Mangkaang Kumpi in min a’phuak lampi pen ahi hi. Myanma Socialist Lanzin Party hun, Pyitu Council hun ciang, tumaa kum 40 kiim pawl aa min kilaih in Kam Hau Road kici ahi zawhi. Tua ahih ciangin tu aa Kam Hau Road ih cihkhialh pen, a min man or adik Tedim Road or Tiddim Road ci kik ni in, tu aa Tedim Road ci aa ih vawh mawkmawk pen Kam Hau Road ih ci kik ding kilawm or manzaw hi. Bang hang hiam nacih uh leh Innpipa Pu Kam Hau, Pu Khaw Cin te Galkap tualpi khang leicial mun teng ateng ahihi. Tiddim Road nawkkhakna, Lamka khuasung, Sing-at khuasung, Cikha khuasung, Tonzang khuasung, Tedim khuasung teng ah tua Tiddim Road, min dang vawh selo in Tedim Road or Tiddim Road mah ihcih pah tiltel ding mihing lungsim hizaw hi. A min maanlo ih vawh khialhkhak khempeuh khelkik ni.
Cikha, Tonzang Tedim Myone GA, Myone Municipal leh Hausa teng tavuan ahihi.
Related: 2017 kum Zomi te maasuan #1 ~ Khup Khan Thang
Figure 1. Hih man kizaih na munpen tulaitak aa Kam Hau Tualpi nawl, Pa Kim Za Tun (Tunta) inn mai, Tiddm Road pan hikha ding hi. Galkap Tualpi sak aa Beleng kung, Mawngkung, thong inn lui, nupi leen, Tedim khuapi sung leh sumbukpi pan aa paito Tiddim Road matto na lampi zong tawm kimu thei hi.
Khupkhan Thang Taithul
Norman, OK
sklangh mung says
khauh pai ei .thupii thu ei.