Banlam K Lyngdoh
“Stupid, desperate followers create half-assed, dangerous leaders”
“Ki nongbud kiba kada bad kutlad ki pynmih ïa ki nongïalam kiba ma bad shiteng-tdong”
– Tarun Tejpal
U Tarun Tejpal u ong ïa kine ki kyntien ha ka novel The Alchemy of Desire. U ong ba ha ri India ngi ïoh ki nongïalam kiba khwan, kiba lehjubor bad lehmon ïa ka jingdon-jingem jong u paidbah ne jong ka ri, bad kiba shim ïa ka kam shakri-paidbah tang kum ka synrang ban riehtngen bad ban pynaram ïalade.
Ka dawbah jong ka jingmih jong kum kine ki nongïalam kadei ka jingbieit, ka jingbuaid-rong, ka jingmutlop, bad ka jingkutlad jong u paidbah uba bud ïa ki. U Mahatma Gandhi u la ïohi shai kdar ba katba ki briew kim pat laitluid na ka bieit-ka them, na ka sngew jaidbynriew, na ka sngew-niam bad na ki jingngeitbieit, ka jinglaitluid ha ka synshar-khadar kam don jingmut eiei. Uba synshar, la udei u nongwei ne uba na ïing, un lehbor haba u ïohi ba ki shah synshar kidei kiba dang duna ka bor tip bad ka bor pyrkhat, bad kiba dang shah bat mraw ha ka jingkhim mynsiem.
Ka long kaba shisha bad kaba la long hi ha ka mariang ne ha u briew ba ka bor ka klop (power corrupts). Te, namarkata, lada pyrkhat jngai bad jylliew, ngim lah ban kdewkti, kynnoh ne pynrem ïa uba leh jubor, namar u shu pyndep ïa kaei kaba ka mariang ha u ka batai ne ïalam. Ka wah ka tuid kat shaba ka tuid. Ka burom u briew ka shong ha ka jinglah jong u bad den ïa ka, ban pynmih bor-ding, ne ban shna jaka saitjaiñ. Kumta ruh ka burom jong ka ri kam shong ha ki nongsynshar kiba don ka bor ban ïaid kum ka wah, hynrei ka shong ha u khun ka ri, lada u tip, u nang, u sngewthuh, u shemphang kumno ban den bad shano ban pynphai ïa ka lynti ïaid jong ki. Ba ka United States of America (USA) ka ïoh ki President kum u Abraham Lincoln ne u JF Kennedy, ka burom ka leit sha u nongshongshnong jong ka USA, uba la jied ïa ki bad ailad ba kin ïalam. Ngi sngewieit ïa ki paidbah America kiba ieng rasong ban pyrshah ïa la ka sorkar haba ka USA ka thombor ïa ka Vietnam ha ka spahsnem ba arphew. U paidbah udei ka bor. U Voltaire, u nongthoh bakhraw ka ri France, u ong: “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” (Ka sur-paidbah kadei ka sur-Blei). Hynrei kaba tieng bad ma ka long haba ka sur u paidbah ka shah ïalam ha ka jingbieit, ka jingbymtip, ka jingbymshemphang bad ka jingshongshit, namar shisien ba ka sur ka dei ka jong uba bun, wat la ka dei ka sur bieit ruh, ka pynngeit ïangi ba ka dangdei hi ka sur u Blei.
Haba u paidbah, ha ka jingbieit ne ka jingshah pynbieit, u pynmih ka sur-jied ïa ki nongmihkhmat ki bym don ïa ka bor ïalam bad ki bym pat ju shah hikai skul ïa ka jingmut jong ka jingong “shakri paidbah”, hangta kein ka bieit-ka them ka shah rahskong, ka mutlop ka kiew rynsan, ka bam-klop bad ka khwan ki sdang sei reng, ka lehjubor ka ïaid pyngngad bad suki-suki kine ki bor jingdum ki shop ïa ka ri sha Krem Lamet-Krem Latang. Ha ka juk synshar syiem ne patsha, u raïot um don sur; namarkata um don bor. Ha ki kti jong u syiem uba bha, ki nongshonghima ki bha-ki miat, hynrei ha u shabuk jong u syiem runar, ki long khlem jingim, namar la shimnoh na ki ïa ka jinglaitluid kaba long u soh jingim. Kumta, haba ngi pule shaphang ka juk syiem, ka jingïaroh ne ka jingpynrem jong ngi ka long ïa u syiem ne u patsha. Lada u syiem ne u patsha u la long uba bha bad uba khraw ha ka jinglong nongsynshar, kum u Marcus Aurelius, ne u Asoka, ne u Akbar, kata u la ïoh jingïaroh bad jingpyrto shaduh ki pateng ki ban dang wan. Lada udei pat uba amrang bad jyndong jingmut kum u Herod, u Nero, ne u Aurangzeb, ka history hi ka pynrem ïa u. Tang ka history; hynrei u paidbah uba im ha ka jingsynshar jong ki um lah leh eiei, wat la u dap da ka jingbymhun bad ka jingsngew saja. U raïot bapli, haba u hap ha u syiem uba runar, khwan bad leh jubor, u shu duwai sha u Nongthaw ba yn mih bujli noh da uwei pat u nongsynshar. Tang kata kaba u lah ban leh bad kumta u la im haduh kaba jan kut ka spah snem kaba khatphra.
Ki briew bad ki jaidbynriew kiba la mad ïa ka jingkyrduh-jingim ha ka jingsynshar jong ki syiem ne patsha ki la sngewthuh ba lada ki shu ïai im ha ka jingkhñium bad ka jingshah shim kabu, ka por khlem pep kan sa poi ha kaba yn ym don shuh ban ithuh ïa ka hok ne ban sngewthuh ïa ka jingmut jong ka jingim. Kumta ki la ïeng rangbah ban rah ïa ka lama jong ka jinglaitluid namar ki la sngew bad sngewthuh ba dei tang ka jinglaitluid kaba lah ban pynkha ïa ka jingïalong ryngkat bad ka ban pynthikna ba baroh ki briew ki donhok ban ïoh ïa kijuh ki hok bad ki lad ha ka longbriew-manbriew, ha ka trei-ka ktah, ha ka mane blei, ka ngeit-blei, bad kumta ter-ter. Ka jingkylli ka long kaei kaba la pynlong ïa ki ba kin ïeng ïaleh? Balei baroh shikatta, da ki spah-spah snem kim shym ïeng rangbah bad ki la shah la ka shah katba leh kiba donbor ne kiba synshar ïa ki? Ka daw kadei ba ki la jied ban ym sah bieit shuh; ki la jied ban ym shah pynbieit shuh; ki la jied ban ym shah shuh ba ka jingduk kan long ka jingtlot ba kiba donbor kin shim kabu. Mano pat ba la ai ha ki ïa kum kane ka jingpyrkhat thymmai? Hato ymdei ki symboh pyrkhat jong ki khraw-jabieng kiba shong durïap ha ka jingshai barit jong ka sharak-miet? Hato ymdei ka umphnïang bad u sai-sharak jong ka synnïa bad u khulom-sner ba noh-khmut da ki spah ki hajar sien sha ka thwei jong u klong-sïa kiba sei pyrthei ïa ki jingmut ba thymmai, kiba kren shaphang ka dor u briew bad shaphang ka jinglaitluid kaba long ka shyiengkrung thymmai jong u? Bad kine ki symboh pyrkhat thymmai ki kren shai ba lada u briew udei ban ïohkynti ïa ka jinglaitluid udei nyngkong eh ban laitluid ha ka mynsiem; bad ki la kyrsiew bad ai mynsiem ïa u knup-u traw ban ïakhun na ka bynta ka synshar-paidbah. Bad kata kadei ka jingmut ba shapoh jong ka Democracy. Ka Democracy ka ong ba ka synshar-khadar ka dei ka jong u paidbah, ïa ka ban pyntreikam da u paidbah, na ka bynta ka bha-ka mïat bad ka suk-ka sain jong u paidbah. La batai kumta ha ka nongrim jong ka jingsngewthuh bad jingpdiang ba u paidbah un lah ban leh ïa kane namar udei uba la laitluid ha ka mynsiem. Ka Democracy ka ïeng ha ka nongrim ba u paidbah u lah ban synshar ïalade namar ba u la long uba laitluid ha ka mynsiem.
Ngi la pynduh noh ia kiwei pat ki rukom synshar namar ba ka nongrim jong ki hi ka pynbor ia kiba synshar ban khem ne khñiot pyniap ia ka mynsiem laitluid jong ki shah synshar. Baroh ki riew synshar leh donbor marwei kidei ha ka jingshisha ki briew kiba shah teh mraw ha ki kynjri jong ka tieng bad jingartatien, bad, namarkata, ki kylla long ki jait nongsynshar ba sniew tam. (Democracy works on the principle that people are equipped to govern themselves for the very reason that they are free in the spirit. We did away with other forms of government because they, by virtue of their principles, necessarily make those in the helm of governance alien to the freedom of the spirit. All autocrats, tyrants, and dictators, at the end of the day, turned/turn out to be victims of insecurity and fear. They were/are simply not free and therefore, the worst kinds of rulers.)
Kumta ha ka synshar-paidbah la pynkhamti ha ngi u paidbah ïa ka ïap-ka im, ne ka ïoh-ka duh jongngi. Ngim don nongrim shuh ban ïaroh ne kynnoh ïano-ïano. La khmihlynti ba haba ngi jied ïa ki nongïalam ki ban thaw-aiñ ne pynïaid ïa ki kam-ki jam jongngi, ngi leh kumta ha ka jingtipbriew, ka jingsngewthuh, bad ka jinglaitluid ha ka mynsiem. Lada ngim pat sngewthuh katta, ka mut ngim pat donhok bad donbor ban synshar-paidbah, bad kum ki jakoid to ngin ïa pan syiem biang na ki blei-ki dken. Kumba la ong haneng, ha ki juk ba la leit ngi dang lah ban ïaroh ne beiñ ïa ki syiem, hynrei to ngin kynmaw ba ha ka juk bad ka lyngwïar synshar kaba ngi im, ngim don nongrim bad ngim donhok ban beiñ ïa la ki nongmihkhmat . Balei ngin kynnoh ne ïaroh ïa la ki shakri? Haba ngi la bakla ba ngi ai kam ha ki, haba ngi la bam jakhluit ban pdiang ïa ki haba ki leh rit bad wan shong ha ka lyngknot ha ingshetja, da ka jingmut ba kine kidei kiba lehrit bad ki ban trei shitom, haba ngi la shah ïalam bakla ha ka rong ka rup, ka doh masi syrwa, ka kyïad-ka um, ka kotstem-ka kotsaw, ne haba ngi la sngew myllung eh ba ki donpor ban wanshong sngewlem haba ïap – haba ngi la bakla katne te ngin hap pynrem ïalade bad im bad kata ka jingbakla.
Kumba ka long mynta ha ka Jylla jongngi, ngi u paidbah ngim pher eiei na kito ki trai ïing kiba pynsyor bad shaniah ïa ki shakri-shakor ha ïing, kiba ailad ïa ki ban rung sha baroh ki kyndong jong ka ïing, kiba shaniah ïa la ki khun ki kti ha ki, tang ban lap ha kawei ka sngi ba ki khun ki la shah rah jubor ne ba ka ksiar-ka ksah, ka pisa-ka pilaiñ ka la shah sar lut bad ki la phet sha bym lap shuh. Tang kawei ka jingïapher ka don. Namar ba kum u paidbah ngi beiñ ïa la ka jong ka iktiar, kine ki shakri-paidbah kim lehraiñ shuh bad ki wan shi wan, ki phuh samrkhie, ki kylli la ngi ïadap-ïabiang ne ïoh ngi donkam eiei, ryngkat bad ki kular thymmai. Bad ngi u paidbah ruh ngi ailad ïa ki ba kin kular. Balei haba ngi la don la ka iktiar bad ka bor ngi sngap ïa kaei kaba ngim donkam? Hato ngi donkam jingkular na ki shakri? Lada ngi dei kiba burom ïalade bad ïa la ka iktiar ba la pynkhamti ha ngi, ngi dei tang ban aikam ïa ki bad phikir ba kin ym shukor ïa ngi ne tuh na ngi.
Ha ka synshar paidbah ym don nongïalam lait na u paidbah. U paidbah uba laitluid ha ka mynsiem udei ma u hi u nongïalam. Namarkata, ngim dei ban pynmlien ban khot “nongïalam” ïa ki shakri kiba ngi jied ban mihkhmat ïa ngi. Uno-uno uba ïalam um lah ban leh kumta khlem ka bor bad ka iktiar. Bad ha ka Democracy ym shym la pynkupbor ïa ki nongmihkhmat ban ïalam hynrei la aibor ha ki tang ban pynïaid bad ban thaw aiñ bad ban thawlad-thawlynti na ka bynta ka bha-ka miat, ka suk-ka sain bad ka roi-ka pa jongngi u paidbah ka jylla ne ka ri. U nongïalam u dei ban don ka mynsiem ba shynrang, bad kum u paidbah uba ïalam ïa la ka nusip lajong, ngi dei ban don ka jinglaitluid ka mynsiem. Ka mynsiem ka laitluid haba ki jingmut-jingpyrkhat jongngi ki khiahkrat. Ka mynsiem ka laitluid haba ngim tieng, ngim smiej ban kren ne leh ïa kaba shisha ne kaba tei. Ka mynsiem ka laitluid haba ngim long mraw ha ka jingngeitbieit, ha ka jingshaniah bieit ne haba ngim ailad ïalade ban shah pynbieit. Ka mynsiem ka laitluid haba ngim pyndem ïa la ka longrynïeng ba kiwei pat kin shong kulai. Lada kum u paidbah ngi shim ïalade ba ngi dei ki langbrot ba kiwei pat kin nïah kata ngi la bret ïa ka jinglaitluid ka mynsiem bad ngi la kylla long kiba shah ïalam. Ngi dei ki trai jong ka kam, bad ki trai kim ju shah ïalam. Ki trai ki ïalam ne ki phah ïalam.
Ka elekshon kadei kawei na ki atïar kiba shabar jong ka synshar paidbah kaba ai ka lad ïa u nongshongshnong ban jied ïa ki nongmihkhmat kiba biang tam ban shakri ne pyndep ïa ki kam jong u (nongshongshnong). Sngew jahburom ban ong ba kane ka atiar ka la kylla long ka tamasa, ka rongbiria ne ka iew-shipor (fete) ha kaba donlut ka bam-ka dih, ka kyïad-ka um, ka tem-ka put, bad ka peitmiet-peitïong. Bad mano ba shah pynbieit ban leh ïa kine baroh? Ki trai ka kam. Balei? Ba ki la bret noh ïa ka atiar kaba shapoh kaba long ka jinglaitluid jong ka mynsiem. Namar ba ka atiar kaba shapoh ka luiñ bad ka shah tyllep, kumta ka atiar kaba shabar ka duh jingmut noh bad ka kylla long tang ka jingpynlehnohei ïa ka spah (ba la pynlut da ka Election Commission) jongngi hi u paidbah. To, kum ki nongshongshnong ha ka Jylla ngin pyrshang ban pyndonkam hok noh ïa ka jinglaitluid ha ki jingmut-jingpyrkhat bad ha ka mynsiem jongngi, ba haba ngi jied ïa ki shakri ki ban mihkhmat ïa ngi ha ka synshar-khadar, ngin ym don daw ban dang pynrem ne kynnoh ïa ki, hynrei ngin sngew sarong ba kidei kiba ngi la da jied kyrpang. Haba ngi sngew sarong ïa ki, ngin sngew sarong ïalade hi, namar ba ngi la pyndonkam bha ïa ka jingstad bad ïa ka jinglaitluid.
Phi don ban ong eiei?