LOCKDOWN LITERATURE

Nikuma Times of India July 7 chhuakah Shobita Dhar chuan covid-19 hripui leng vel leh a kaihhnawih ram pum inkharkhipin literary genre thar a hrin chhuah, Lockdown Literature chungchang ngaihnawm takin a ziak a. July ni 7 khan India ramah Coronavirus vei mi 2,59,557 awm tawhin, thihpui pawh mi 20,160 lai an tling tawh a. Mizoram-ah chuan Kolasib district a cheng hmeichhe pakhat, Greece atanga lo haw hri kai thar an hmuh chhuah belh nen hripui vei mi 197 an tling chho ve mek a. Aizawl khaw dai a National Disaster Response Force hmunpui Lungverh lamah mipui mit a fu ṭhuap a, Sairang Dinthar veng phei chuan inkharkhip runpui an puang a nih kha.

Kum 2005 khan Scottish crime writer Peter May chuan ngaihruatnaa influenza hripui lentirin, ‘Lockdown’ thawnthu a lo phuah daih tawh a. A hunlai kha chuan London khawpuia hri hlauhawm tak leng vel tura zeldin a harsat avangin, lungsi taka chhuahsak thei a hmu zo lo. Mahse, “kan covid” hrileng leh May-a suangtuahna vakvel thawnthu phuahchawp chu a inhnerem ta thlup sia, ‘Lockdown’ lehkhabu chuan khaw eng a hmuh phah a. Tunah chuan internet khawvela hetiang lam lehkhabu ngaihven hlawh pawl tak a ni chho ta.

He lockdown literature hian innghahna lungphum pathum: hlauhna, khawharna leh mumal lohna - a neih thu Shobita Dhar chuan a sawi. Chu chuan fiction leh poetry bakah non-fiction tam tawk tak a hring a. Fiction bikah chuan April, 2020 a tlangzarh, Siddartha Gigoo ziak migrant worker-ho kaihhnawih ‘Love in Time of Quarantine’ te, pulp fiction ziak ṭhin Shobha De-in June 2020-a a tihchhuah thawnthu sawm awmna ‘Lockdown Liaision’ te, Gayatri Gill-i kutchhuak ‘The Day Before Today: Lockdown Stories’ te hi India ramah chuan a chhuak hmasa pawl a nih a rinawm.

Kum kalta October thla khan PUC a English Dept. in ‘Exploring New Literature’ tih thupui hmangin national webinar a huaihawt a. Hei hi vantlang hmaa lockdown literature / pandemic literature ṭheh hawnna leh sawi chhuahna hmasa ber a ni hial awm e. Khawvel inlumlet kara indona lo tlazep ṭhin te, hripui leng leh chhiatna chi hrang hrang rawn inlar ṭhin te hian kan thu leh hlaah nasa takin nghawng a nei a. Kan lehkhabu sawi tur pawh hi chutiang literary tradition inthlun zawm chho zel huanga mi chu a ni.

Kumina Zirsangkima tihchhuah ‘Reh Ri’-ah covid-19 thawnthu tawi pahnih khat ka hmu a, midang ziak pawh sawi tur an awm awm e. Nikuma CYMA in thawnthu tawi inziahsiak a buatsaih ṭum khan covid-19 lam hawi mi panga velin an thehlut a, a bua an khawrpumah erawh an lang pha ta chiah lo. May 2020 khan SCERT in Online Edu-Challenge a buatsaih zingah high school leh higher secondary school zirlai tan lehkhathawn inziahsiak, ‘Lockdown laia hun hman dan’ tih thupui a tel a. Hemi thla vek hian MZP pawhin college level tan ‘Inkharkhip a ṭha zawnga Zofate a nghawng dan’ thupui hmangin essay writing competition a buatsaih a, tel pawh an ṭhahnem ṭhawkhat hle.

Margaret L. Pachuau buatsaih (edited) ‘Lockdown Literature from Mizoram’ hi kum 1958 a din tawh Writers Workshop, Kolkata chhuah a ni. Kalphung dangdai tak nei he publishing house hian a lehkhabu dang ‘Hand-Picked Tales from Mizoram’ (2008) leh ‘Folklore from Mizoram’ (2013) a chhuahsak tawh bakah, kum 2015 khan Dawngi Chawngthu poetry dahkhawm ‘of butterflies and lullabies & Unfinished conversations’ a lo ti chhuak tawh a. Kum 1996 khan Prof. Margaret Ch. Zama doctoral thesis rawn hlawh tak, ‘The Dark Beastie: A Study of the Protagonists of William Golding’ a chhuahsak tawh bawk. Hand-operated press a chhut, cotton puana tuam ngat Writers Workshop lehkhabute hi chi 13-a thliar niin, sava hming hrang pek vek an ni, entir nan: Babybird (children’s book), Blackbird (serious comics), Bluebird (drama), Greenbird (fiction), Greybird (reference), Gurubird (educational texts), Indi-bird (regional language versions), Mini-bird (small size classics), Neobird (experimentalia), Redbird (poetry), Saffronbird (transcreation), Silverbird (screen plays), Violetbird (miscellany) tiin. Kan lehkhabu thlur bing bik hi ‘Writers Workshop violetbird book’ a ni.

Writers Workshop hian hmar chhaka poet hming nei tham, entir nan T. Ao (Songs that Tell, Songs that try to Say), Robin S. Ngangom (Words and the Silence), Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih (The Sieve, Moments) te poetry a lo tihchhuahsak tawh ṭhin a. Chutiang zelin, Indian Literature / Indian Writing in English huanga palian rual: AK Ramanujan, Nissim Ezekiel, Jayanta Mahapatra, Kamala Das, Shashi Deshpande, Anita Desai, KN Daruwalla, Ruskin Bond, Vikram Seth te ho bakah Times of India-a satirical column ‘Jugular Vein’ neitu Jug Suraiya thu leh hla a lo chhuah tawh bawk.

Mizoram Christian College principal Rev. Dr. Lalchungnunga’n Aizawl Chanmari venga The Book Café-a March ni 27, 2021-a a tlangzarh, lehkhabu chhuanawm leh belhchiandawl tak mai ‘Lockdown Literature from Mizoram’ (phek 92, ₹ 300) ah hian mi 22 kutchhuak, prose leh verse khung khawm a awm a. Thu thawhtu tam zawk hi Department of English, MZU hnuaia MA zirlai te, zirzo tawh te, MPhil leh PhD bei lai te, zo tawh te leh he department a zirtir hna lo thawk tawh ṭhin te an ni hlawm.

Thu thawhtute zinga mi, kan ‘Mizo English’ poet lar Mona Zote hi lehkhabu tihlu zualtu a ni. Literary journal bakah cultural magazine lian tham leh anthology ṭhenkhatah a poetry-te hi hmuh tur a awm a. Hmarchhak mai ni lo, ram pum (Sahitya Akademi in regional poet a kohkhawm ṭhin ang ni lo) huap pawha mi hriat hlawh a ni. Thu thawhtute zingah hian poetry collection ‘Wild Hearts’ (2020) ziaktu Somte Ralte, Rambuai fiction ‘When Black Birds Fly’ (2019) ziaktu Hannah Lalhlanpuii, MIELS (Mizoram English Literary Society) Poetry Writing Competition, 2015 lawmman pakhatna dawngtu Malsawma, Wingword Poetry Prize, 2018 lawmman latu Jane M Joseph, Frankenstein’s Dreamworld blog neitu Kima Miller te an tel a. ‘Contemporary Short Stories from Mizoram’ (2017) a Mafaa ‘Thihna Thangvalh’ letlingtu Henry Lalmawizuala leh Mafaa ‘Tawnmang Thamral’ lehlinsaktu ZD Lalhmangaihzauva an tel bawk. Anni bakah hian creative writing lama sulhnu ṭha tak tak nei tawh leh tawnhriat la nei lo an kat nawk a, Mizo Writing in English / Mizo English Literature ṭhan zelna tura mi chhuanawm tak vek an ni. Chungte chu: Lalrinsangi Nghinglova, Lalthansangi Ralte, Lalsangliani Ralte, Lydia Ralte, Lalbiakdiki (BD Chawngthu), F. Laltlankimi, Janet Lawmsangzuali, Afra Lalawmpuii, Gideon Lalmuanpuia, Lalramengmawia Khenglawt, Lalhriatsangi, Tommy Remchhunga leh Lalruatkimi Jongte te.

Lehkhabu buatsaihtu Margaret L. Pachuau pawh hi poet anga a inlarna hmasa ber a ni awm e. ‘The Heart of the Matter’ (2004) a ‘Lali’ leh ‘Sialton Official’ a lehlin te, Mona Zote nen Tachhip tlangval Kaphleia thawnthu tawi ‘Chhingpuii’ an lehlin te hi a hming chherna a nih bak piah lamah, vawiin thlenga college zirlaibua rinrawl ber an la ni. Khawvelin hun harsa, hun manganthlak leh hun thim kan hmachhawn lai a, kan tawnhriatte thamral mai lo va ziaka dah tura midang a cho chhuak hi a fakawm hle. Kan boruak tawn apiang hi ziakmite tana tuikhur hnar (source of inspiration) ṭha ber ber a ni thei zel tih a lang chiang khawp mai. Chu chu amah pawhin, “I thank the traumatizing circumstances that made this anthology possible” a ti thlawt reng a. Hripui leng lo se, he lehkhabu hi a piang dawn lo tihna a nih chu.

A chhung thu lo bih dawn ila, a vai erawh chuan kan en hman lo vang. F. Laltlankimi leh Lalruatkimi Jongte te thawnthu tawi hi a tawi dun naa an thu pai erawh a thukin a ril hle. Kan hun tawn ang zela insiamrem tura min fuih bak piah lamah, hun duhawm, kawl lo la eng tur min thlirpui a. PB Shelly-an ‘Ode to the West Wind’ a “If winter comes, can spring be far behing?” a tih kha min hriatchhuahtir lo thei lo a ni. Lalhmangaihzauva thawnthu tawi hi kum 1988 a Burma buainaah inṭanin, chumi avanga lo raltlan hmeichhe pakhat, Mawii nu lo ni ta chungchang a ni. Mawii nu hmeithai chuan a fate pathum kalsana an khaw hlui lama thihna thila a thang hlanin, covid hripui a lo hrang ta sia; ramri pawh duh anga kan a remchang ta lo. Mawii nu khawsikin a na hle tihte chu rala an chanchin hriat chhun a ni ta chauh mai. Chinchang kimchang zawk hre turin an khawvelah information communication technology in awmzia a nei miau si law. C. Ṭhuamluaia thawnthu tawi pakhat dungthulin, “Engtin awm ta zel ang maw?”

Lalrinsangi Nghinglova thawnthu tlawhchhan hi a huapzau khawp mai. March ni 23, 2020-ah Delhi veng pakhata ‘Preetish’ vur zawrhna dawr neitu Nitish leh Preeti te nupa min hmelhriattir a, anni hi beiseina kawl eng hmuh ngei tuma Bihar aṭanga pem lut an ni. Hemi ni vek hian Tamil Nadu lamah medical graduate pahnih, Dr. Aadithya leh Dr. Aadvika te kan hmu ve leh a. Tiam tlat e tih mai tum an nih bakah, mi harsa zawkte tana private hospital la din tum an ni. Hemi ni vek hian Zoteii, college kal lai kan hmu ve leh a. Second semester-a an English zirlai, Jawaharlal Nehru-an Nainital jail aṭanga a fanu Indira Gandhi lehkha a thawn: mi naran te te pawh a chhan azira a ṭhat phawt chuan mi huaisen leh mi chhuanawm an ni ṭhin, a tih chuan a rilru a hneh hle. Amaherawhchu, March ni 24 zan dar 8 a India PM thu puan chuan thawnthua a changtute leh a taka a tawngtute khawvel a chawk buai zo ta vek a nih kha.

Lockdown firfiak tak avangin nunphung a chingchivet a, harsatna chi hrang karah migrant worker nuai tam tak kein mahni inlam panin an tleh dul dul a, Nitish leh Preeti te pawh an bang thei bik lo. Lydia Ralte poem pakhat a “And go they must - towards home” (Burning Petals) a tih angin muang thei an ni lo va, chawl hman an ni hek lo. Thawnthua Aadithya erawh a lei taksa a chawlh a ṭul ta mauh thung, a damlo enkawl aṭanga hri a kai avangin. Chu chuan Shillong-a Dr. John L. Sailo leh Chennai-a New Hope Medical Centre MD Dr. Simon Hercules te thihna kha rilruah a lo thar a, an damlaia vantlang tana an thawhhlawk tehlul nen an ruangin zalhna tur hmun a hnawng ta tlat a nih kha. Zoteii pawh ram leh hnam tan a penchhuahna hmun, ramria a chhar sikserh natna a buan hneh ta lo, Sangau nula H. Lalvenmawii ang khan.

Thihna hi a tuartu tan a na a, a zahthlaka a mualphothlak em em. Lockdown nat vanglai phei kha chuan a tlawmthlak tel bawk. Hripuiin kan kawtkai a rawn thlen hma hauha hmun ṭhenkhata mitthi kan dawnsawn dan te phei kha chu, BD Chawngthu-in “What is this that we are terrified of?” (Times Like These) a tih hi zawhna awm tak pawh a ni. Sawi nawn chakawm loh fu fu dang pawh kan hre ṭeuh awm e. Chutiang boruak karah chuan Ramhlun North-a musician rual khatin lusun hnemtu pawl an din a, Pathianin talent ṭha bik a pek hmangin midang tan an luangchhuak ṭhin. A thawnthu kaltlanga he chanchin ṭha min hrilhtu Lalthansangi Ralte chuan, he Tlaivar Group hian an venga lusun chhungte hnem turin zai leh rimawi tumin an tlaivar ṭhak ṭhak mai ṭhin, a ti a ni. An chhuanawm mang e.

Poetry lam lo bih chhunzawm ta zel ila. Mona Zote poem te hi sawi hmaih uiawm a ni leh, sawi fiah erawh a awlai lo hle thung. A kutchhuak ‘Forgive Me, I Did Not Read Your Poems’ angte hi min tihchhan lo bawk a, a lawmawm hle. Kum 2013 a Dept. of English, MZU in national seminar ‘Writers from Here and Beyond’ an neih ṭuma a chhiar chhuah ‘Rez’ angte kha amah pawhin a hrethiam dawn em ni tih tur ang chi a ni. Hriatthiam a harsatna lai tak hi a trademark pakhat a ni ve tlat, chutiang kawngah chuan kan ‘Mizo poet’ Lalzuahliana nen tlar khata ṭhu dun tur an ni. A poem dang ‘An End is Near’ stanza thumna tlar tawpa “I hope everyone has enough to eat” a tih hi, kan rilrua lo lang ve nghal “I hope everyone has enough to eat” tih nen thuhmun tak maw? Thu phuahtu phuah dan leh a lo dawngsawngtu dawnsawn dan inhnerem ta tlat ṭhin lo hi poetry hausakna kawng khat a ni ve tlat!

Henry Lalmawizuala poem ‘Confined, secluded and isolated’ hi a hawl zauin a hunlai a phawk chhuak kim hle. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale leh a kid-ten March ni 10, 2020 a an “Go corona go, corona go corona” hlimthla te pawh thumal paruk lek hmangin min hmuhpui a, chu chuan “Covid laka him chhan CM Pathian ṭih vang” tih angreng min hriatchhuahtir pah bawk. Covid hripui a len meuh chuan pasalṭha leh mi huaisen kan hrilhfiah dan a danglam zo a. Zan khat thil thuah social media lamah mi thiam, expert kan pung chak em em bawk. Lockdown khauh takin hringnun a tuam dan hetiang hian kan hmu: “Confined, secluded and isolated. / Discovering hidden skills and talents long forgotten, / Dusty boardgames reclaimed for a purpose, / Images posted in obligation, / Home menus flaunted across unwanted eyes, / Beer belly replaced by lockdown belly. / Visually sound, physically distraught, / Separated outside by fear, inside by gadgets, / Conversations are online, memories in the cloud. / Relationships tested and maintained virtually, / Lost intimacy, awkwardly gained. / Futures no longer planned but dictated through mandates, / All seems lost as the pandemic offers a toast.”

Khungbeh nun kha kan ning a, chhungkaw inkawmngeih lehzual nana hmang ta daih lah kan tam. Lockdown nat vanglai kha chuan, lo thleng tur nghak ni awm takin mitin mahni hmunah kan awm ṭhiap ṭhuap a. Kan nghah ber kan hre lo va, thleng tur awm lo napui chu thlen lah a lo thleng thei nahek lo. Chutiang nun ipik, zalen lo chu Hannah Lalhlanpuii ‘Behind Locked Doors’-ah kan hmu: “Separated by the invisible, / Bonded by the feeling of fear, / We sit hunched in isolation. / Blinking at screens to remain in touch, / Until our eyes, dull and tired, finally closed, / Like every door and window in the house. / The days crawl on as we count the numbers – / Affected, death tolls, recovered. / Work clothes begin to collect dust, / Church bells coloured with rust. / We gaze at the horizon, / Looking for signs of a better tomorrow. / We stare at the television, / Looking for news of a solution, / But nothing changes, / Only the numbers rise and rise.”

Thu lungkuai deuh deuh nena inawi tlei chi te, lunglenna thu fahrah te te chauh zawng ṭhin leh inngaihzawnna kawng chhuk chho chauh hi hringnuna harsatna awmchhun emaw ti mi i nih chuan he lehkhabu hi keu buai duh lo mai rawh. Thu thawhtute hian chutiang lungkham buaina chu thupuiah an nei ve hman lo. I lo paltlang hnu lockdown hun thim, i sawi chhuah thiam loh leh i ziah chhuah theih loh kha i la chhiar duh fo dawn a, chutiang lehkhabu chu he lehkhabu hi a ni.

C. Lalawmpuia Vanchiau