In a small hamlet in the interiors of Lamka (Churachandpur) District, Manipur, a family of five is having lunch, sharing among themselves whatever meager amount of food they had. The smallest among the three siblings, aged four, obviously unaware of the hardships they are going through, utters, “Papa, why haven’t you get me any Christmas gift this year?” He looks at his wife and three children, wipes a silent tear and mutters to himself, “How long will our meager stock of rice last?”. He thinks about his better-off relatives who had migrated to Lamka. Deep down, he silently hopes for help to arrive from them.
In Lamka, a daily wage earner glances through the morning paper, Lamka Post, before setting off for another gruelling day at work when a headline catches his eye, “Help Your Fellow Zomis in Need, Contribute in Cash or Kind” . He opens his “savings box”, counts the meager savings he made for the purchase of the much-needed inverter (you all know without my telling you the quantity of power supply we get in Lamka) and heads towards the Mautaam Relief office. The inverter can wait for another year, the plight of his fellow Zomis in the villages is much more acute.
In New Delhi, a government servant is woken up by an early morning telephone call from a Mautaam Relief representative entreating him to contribute towards helping the victims of Mautaam Kialpi. He heads towards the bank, transferred his savings meant to buy a computer to the Mautaam Relief Fund and heads towards North Block. The computer can wait, however necessary it may have become in today’s world, he couldn’t turn a deaf ear to the cries of his brethren back home.
In Bangalore, a call centre executive is about to sleep for the day after her shift ended at 5:00 am in the morning when her Nokia N73 makes a beeping sound. She grabs her mobile and reads the SMS on Mautaam forwarded by her friend in Gurgaon. She calls up her broker, instructs him that she wants to redeem/sell her mutual fund units and dozes off to sleep. When the money is credited to her account, she will contribute towards the Mautaam Relief Fund. What does it matter if she can’t go for her weekly shopping and hangout with her friends at the most happening joints in the city. What better way of unwinding than helping those who are in distress.
In Mumbai, an executive working in a reputed multinational checks his e-mail on his laptop before setting off for another hectic day at work. He quickly glances through the mass e-mail seeking monetary contributions towards Mautaam Kialpi. He logs on to his internet banking account, and clicks on the ‘Transact’ button to contribute towards the cause. He had slogged during his IIM days, landed his dream job at this large multinational and saved diligently to buy that dream home. But that can wait for some time, God has put him in this position today to help his fellow Zomis in their hour of need.
Reams of paper and bits and bytes of web space have been used to write about the dreaded Mautaam, which rears its ugly head on Lamka District and the neighbouring Mizoram state. The Mizos have their own state, a government run by their own people and they are ready to face the challenges posed by the threat. We, the Zomis, cannot afford that luxury. We are in a much more depressing situation. Should we wait for the government to bail us out of our predicament? I don’t think so. We can no longer remain a mere spectator to this. We must do whatever is in our power to help our fellow brethren while the government is doing its bid. Will we turn a blind eye to the sufferings of our people, or a deaf ear to their cries of the innocent and helpless children in hunger?
This is a conscience call to all Zomis, whether living in Lamka or London, from a government servant to a call centre executive to help their fellow Zomis in this time of need. It may be a small amount, the price of a bottle of beer or a movie ticket, your contribution today can save the life of a fellow Zomi, dying of hunger, just for another day. You all know the saying, “Little drops of water, little drops of sand, make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land.”
For those of you who want to contribute, whatever be the amount, towards Mautaam Relief, a website http://www.mautaam.org/ has already been set up by like-minded individuals with a view to helping their fellow Zomis in their times of need. The recommended mode of contribution is by bank transfer to:
Account No.11343809077, State Bank of IndiaChurachandpur Branch - 6182
Operated by Shri H.PauchinlianDorcas Veng, New Lamka, Manipur.
For people living in and around Delhi donation in cash can be made to the following persons:
1) Shri T Kamzalian, NABARD (Cell: 9910982456)
2) Shri Kamkhenthang Guite, M/o DONER (Cell: 9868934337)
3) Shri Kamsuanthang, MHA (Cell: 9968270231)
4) Shri Haumuanlun Samte (Cell: 9891418402)
5) Shri N.T.Khankhup (Cell: 9958340949)
6) Shri L.T.Ngaihte, MEA (Cell: 9811211941)
