Voila! Lailapur!
By Zodinthara
zodintharamail@gmail.com
I am a young lad living in the upcountry in the North East part of India. Although we are a part of India, the cultures and the physical built of the hill tribes in this part of India are very different to those of the plains, more popularly known as the Mainstream Indian. We are stocky in built and our facial features pointed out our ancestry to be of mongoloid in origin.
Now that the world is shrinking in terms of distance and information due to the ever widening reach of the Information Technology and means of transport and communication, many news and stories of travels that my compatriots took outside our habitat began to be incessantly shown on local TV channels and newspapers. Most of them are travels in foreign countries, especially the European and the American states. They describe how big their mansions are, what an efficient administration they laid out, how civilized are their behaviours etc. I used to watch these shows with eyes wide open and jaw hanging in the air.
But the part that I hate most never failed to be inserted. That is the last footage where the traveler insisted that the narration he had just given were not meant to be boastful but in fact, it was out of concern for his tribesmen that they might get to benefit in terms of education and knowledge from his humble journey. Yeah, those are the exact words. Humble journey.
I promised myself that first chance I get to visit places out of the hills, I would not only take it but even if I don`t have a camera, I`d write them down still for the magazines. My own humble journey. Just like them. Just like those schmucks whose mind are purported to be still beating with concerns for their tribesmen back home even while walking in Wai Kiki beach, even while brushing past long legged full blown American bombshells with only a couple of rags clinging to their bodies. I am going to show them how patriotic I can be too while going pub-hopping, how pure are my feelings for the hill eco-sytems even while I am standing right in front of a strip teasing, pole hugging, Bible-allergic Latina. How my thirst can be quenched only with the sweet water of Mizoram and not with the cold filled -to –the-brim pitcher of foam laden fizzing draft beer I am holding with my left hand. Not even (gulped) close. Someday, boy, someday.
I think it was around the middle of last year, that a friend of mine, whose wife was posted along the inter-state boundary between Assam and my homestate, Mizoram, invited me down on account of his daughter`s birthday. He and his lovely wife promised to take me for a sightseeing trip down in the border hamlet at the plain if I can spare my time. At the plain. I said ‘Ok’. Not exactly European trip-like, or for that matter, not even close to Mainland Indian Cities-like, our side of the Indian Plain. More like a miniature Bangladesh.
But still, an out-of-station trip is an out-of-station trip. Luggage has to be packed, toilet kits has to be stored. It`s more or less the same. The usual length of prayer before foreign journey are also accorded for this kind of trip as it also entails crossing the border. London, Athens, Constintanople, Lailapur. It doesn`t even sound so odd. Besides, I don’t intend to pose pick- the odd- one-out prize quiz for magazines anyway or showcase my vanity, No? Just a humble few pages detailing minutely 101 ways of how everything is so much better there and of course, the inevitable politically-correct end note saying, ‘ I hope my 10 paragraphs of saliva-dripping exhortation of the glory of other people`s land and my nit-picking, self-loathing, lack of breeding, confidence killing, tribal self-image dry gulching, half-baked education exposing derision of the mizo people may be forgiven in the light of this tiny weeny little line that says, almost as an after-thought, “ all for the benefit of the tribe”’ . Yeah, I am familiar with the format. By the book, lad, just by the book. One must do what one can for the glory of the tribe. Me correct, No?
Now, now…lets get to the actual trip. So …..
Actual trip hi chu ka hre ta dawn lo a nih hmel 
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July 17th, 2014 at 11:34 am
A khawngaihthlak emai, comment pakhat tal kan dah sak ve a nge.
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July 17th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
Ka Aizawl kal in ka thleng chiaha, ram riak turin ka in buatsaih nghal.
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