Awakening of Zofates national identity

Dr. Zaichhawna Hlawndo

I often receive comments on my social media accounts along the lines of ‘Zaichhawna has no idea about nationality or identity, did he not marry his daughters off to foreigners?’. This article isn’t to address this question directly or to justify our actions. My question to these ‘nationalists’ is this - what is the nationality that we seek to preserve?  What is the name for our nation, the term in which we identity unanimously as a people?

In 2012 while I was in active ministry as a pastor and lecturer in Birmingham, England, I received a divine calling to return to my homeland. I made the radical and unpopular decision to leave the comfortable lifestyle and returned to my motherland Mizoram in 2016. For three consecutive years, we travelled the length and breath of the state of Mizoram exposing the existing highly corrupted system of politics and the need to eradicate it; to usher the will of God and build His kingdom politics in our nation. In 2018, we made the courageous step to stand for the kingdom of God in the MLA election. In 2019, as per progressive calling and revelation that this henious politics was the reason for the distorted understanding of who we are as a nation, we began to educate and preach the need for our nation to realise our true national identity. We travelled to different districts in Mizoram holding Press conferences in the District Capitals. I often asked the journalists and editors this question: ‘What is the name of our true nationality that we identify our people as? I would get a host of different answers ranging from those identifying as Indians, Mongolians, Mizo, Lai, Kuki, Hmar, Mara etc. This exposed the crisis we were in.

Are major influential NGOs in Mizoram who often talk about the clarity needed in our nationality and identity actually clear on which identity we must adopt? Which nationality do our nationalist politicians fight for? Since the nationality and identity that we educate each other to adopt is different, although we are one nation, we have been divided for many decades regarding the adoption and understanding of who we are as a nation. As one people with common ancestry, we are divided into numerous tribal names and identities until present day!

Forces like the British and India have used the policy ‘Divide and Rule’ to divide our people. Though we are one nation living within the same geographical area, we have been separated through different independent administrations. The nation that used to be one was dispersed throughout Myanmar, Bangladesh and India. India has divided us into 25 different tribal identities. In the list of tribal identities under the Indian constitution, order No 1956 Act 81 of 1971, it is stated that there are 14 different tribal identities in Mizoram alone. The major tribes include Kuki, Hmar, Pawi (Lai), Lakher (Mara) any Mizo (Lushai). So which identity is it that we are fighting for? Which identity should I be clear in when my own people challenge me? According to these constitutional facts, the simple argument or statement that all those residing in Mizoram are ‘Mizo’ is therefore deeply erroneous. The Indian Constitution clearly differentiates our brothers and sisters and recognises them as different tribal identities - Mara (Lakher), Hmar, Lai and Kuki. When we claim we are Mizo, that simply means we identify as one of the tribes who use Lusei = Lushai as their main language.

Our clarity as a nation should come from asking the question ‘Who has caused division and war between us through different identity labels?’ The fact that we have no common identity or national name as a people is the root of our identity crisis. Instead of researching and identifying our common ancestry as a people, we date back to China and name ourselves Escapees of China (Chhinlung Chhuak)! Such facile conclusions do not justify or conclude our national identity. Furthermore, our continuous efforts in highlighting or trying to elevate certain tribal identities, ethnic groups and clans result in further division amongst ourselves. This is one of the driving force behind our collapse as a nation and the cause of disunity amongst our people.

When we wake up to our true  national identity with one common forefather, and hold on to the National identity as the children of ZOVA (Zofate), an ancestry that we unite in, we begin to make our mark in the world. There is an urgency in the need for realisation of a single national identity that we can unanimously accept and adopt. The only term we have used since time immemorial is Zofate. The sole forefather that all our historians concur with is Zo or Zova. In order to reach our destiny and for the promised land and people of God to rise up, we must first apprehend the vitality of uniting in this one national identity. Let us make the song we ring true that ‘Zofate will have victory, we will raise our flag of victory in the world.’