ADOPTION OF THE NAME ZOMI BAPTIST
CONVENTION
There had ever been any formally constituted organization of the Christian Churches in
the Chin Hills. When returned from the U.S.A. arriving at Rangoon on 18th September, 1950
I was invited to speak at the Annual Meeting to the American Baptist Missionary Fellowship
in October. I my speech I attempted to express what I thought to be most essential for the
growth of Christianity among our people. I explained that the Chin Hills had been the most
neglected and the least developed area in Burma. To remedy this I made the following two
proposals:
1. In order to strength Christian churches, the village churches be formed into properly
constituted local association and there should be overall organization embracing all the
organizations
2. A well-experienced missionary should came and a survey of all the Chin-Hills and give
us advice on various projects of development.
The missionary Fellowship approved both proposals. Accordingly, March 1952. Mission
Secretary E.E. Sowards visited the Chin Hills during February and March 1952. By the time
both the Tedim and Hakha missionaries had left on furlough. So, I myself had to accompany
him throughout his survey tour. A the conclusion of his survey tour he advised me as follows:
a) He said the government in recent months changed its policy on mission work in
Burma. Under this new policy our days of missionaries in Burma numbered. And we
might be asked to leave the country and day. What you proposed in October 1950 must
be proceeded forthwith. Just forming properly constituted Christian bodies-local
association and an overall convention, as speedily as you could. This properly
constituted Christian bodies must be ready to make overall missionary whenever the
missionaries had to leave.
b) And when this convention was formed it should be purely national organization,
bearing national name, and run by national personnel. No foreign missionaries and
should hold any official position and should not be a member of any committee, but
should work in an advisory capacity only.
According to his advice, I began forming the Tedim, Falam, and Hakha associations
during 1952. The in order to constitute to overall organization, asked the three Associations
to selected ten leaders each form the three associations to form a Constitution Drafting
Committee.
This Consitution Darfting Committee met at Falam Baptist Church during the last week of
October and the first week of November 1952. I acted as Chairman of the Constitution
Drafting Committee.
1) Having explained to the Committee that we were forming a purely national
organization, I proposed the name of our organization should bear our national name.
Outsiders call us Chin, but we never call ourselves by that name. So I believe you all
agree to reject Chin to be the name of our organization and all the members of the
Committee agreed by acclamation.
2) Then I proposed that we should be take ZOMI as our name as this is our correct
historical name. And we should call our organization: ZOMI BAPTIST CONVENTION.
3) A man sprang to his feet and rejected the name ZOMI outright saying, “Saya, in Hakha
we apply this word, ‘Zo.’ to the most backward and the despicable people. So we do not
want this name for our big Christian Organization.
4) “In that cases what name do you like,” I asked and replies, “LAIMI,” 5) Then I explained,
“I proposed ZOMI because I believe it is the correct original
historical name of our people, from the Naga Hills to the Bay of Bengal. To the north of
Tedim, the Thados and others tribes call themselves ZO, the Lushais MIZO, in Hakha,
ZOTUNG, ZOPHEI, ZOKHUA. In Gangaw area ZO is peonounced YAW, in Mindat JO
or Cho, and in Paletwa KHOMI, In Prome, Thayetmyo, Sandoway and Bassein areas they
call themselves A-sho. So, I convinced that in spite of slight variations this ZO is our
original historical national name”
6) After this explanation the Rev. Sang Fen who was the most senior and revered pastor
from the Hakha stood up and said, “What Saya Hau Go has just said is correct. In our
younger days we were told that we were born at YOTLANG. And ZO is our original
name. The word LAI is not our national name. LAI was first uses by denizens of Hakha.
It means our village people, our own local people, as distinct from outsiders. It is not our
national name,” Saying this, he wayed to Rev. Sang Fen who also was the second eldest
and most respected pastor and asked, “What is your opinion on this, Saya?
7) The Saya Sang Feb stood up and briefly said, “I agree. I believe ZO is our national
name and I myself am the pastor of ZO-KHUA.”
8) After the two most senior and revered pastors of the Hakha area rose and spoke in
support of my proposal, not a single voice of dissent was heard and the ZOMI BAPTIST
CONVENTION was unanimously approved.
9) What the Constitution Drafting Committee had approved at the Falam meeting was
officially and universally adopted by the general meeting at Saikah, March 5-7, 1953.
The alone dissenting voice seemed to be a more idiosynacracy or at best a limited local
usage without any sound historical basis, because not a single member of the Constitution
Drafting, Committee voiced any support at Falam. The general meeting was held on March 5-
7 1953 at Saikah village in the now Thantlang township of the Hakha area was attended by
3,000 people Christians. Of these about two hundred were from the Falam area and less than
ten from the Tedim area, because Saikah was 7-8 days’ foot journey from Tedim area. Even
there, where by far the vast majority of delegates were from the Hakha area there was not a
single voice of support for LAIMI. I, but the name ZOMI BAPTIST CONVNTION was
born, named and based on the foundation of the historical truth, confirmed by the General
meeting at Saikah with the most remarkable spirit of Christian harmony and unity never
experienced before or since.
I was asked, out of necessity to serve temporary for one year as General Secretary,
pending the arrival of the Rev. Van Bik who was ear-marked to relieve me on arrival from
U.S.A the following year.
Signed
Sukte T. Hau Go
Ref: “ZO PEOPLE & CULTURE,”
First Edition 1995. Pgs. 69-71.
By : Sing Khaw Khai
CONVENTION
There had ever been any formally constituted organization of the Christian Churches in
the Chin Hills. When returned from the U.S.A. arriving at Rangoon on 18th September, 1950
I was invited to speak at the Annual Meeting to the American Baptist Missionary Fellowship
in October. I my speech I attempted to express what I thought to be most essential for the
growth of Christianity among our people. I explained that the Chin Hills had been the most
neglected and the least developed area in Burma. To remedy this I made the following two
proposals:
1. In order to strength Christian churches, the village churches be formed into properly
constituted local association and there should be overall organization embracing all the
organizations
2. A well-experienced missionary should came and a survey of all the Chin-Hills and give
us advice on various projects of development.
The missionary Fellowship approved both proposals. Accordingly, March 1952. Mission
Secretary E.E. Sowards visited the Chin Hills during February and March 1952. By the time
both the Tedim and Hakha missionaries had left on furlough. So, I myself had to accompany
him throughout his survey tour. A the conclusion of his survey tour he advised me as follows:
a) He said the government in recent months changed its policy on mission work in
Burma. Under this new policy our days of missionaries in Burma numbered. And we
might be asked to leave the country and day. What you proposed in October 1950 must
be proceeded forthwith. Just forming properly constituted Christian bodies-local
association and an overall convention, as speedily as you could. This properly
constituted Christian bodies must be ready to make overall missionary whenever the
missionaries had to leave.
b) And when this convention was formed it should be purely national organization,
bearing national name, and run by national personnel. No foreign missionaries and
should hold any official position and should not be a member of any committee, but
should work in an advisory capacity only.
According to his advice, I began forming the Tedim, Falam, and Hakha associations
during 1952. The in order to constitute to overall organization, asked the three Associations
to selected ten leaders each form the three associations to form a Constitution Drafting
Committee.
This Consitution Darfting Committee met at Falam Baptist Church during the last week of
October and the first week of November 1952. I acted as Chairman of the Constitution
Drafting Committee.
1) Having explained to the Committee that we were forming a purely national
organization, I proposed the name of our organization should bear our national name.
Outsiders call us Chin, but we never call ourselves by that name. So I believe you all
agree to reject Chin to be the name of our organization and all the members of the
Committee agreed by acclamation.
2) Then I proposed that we should be take ZOMI as our name as this is our correct
historical name. And we should call our organization: ZOMI BAPTIST CONVENTION.
3) A man sprang to his feet and rejected the name ZOMI outright saying, “Saya, in Hakha
we apply this word, ‘Zo.’ to the most backward and the despicable people. So we do not
want this name for our big Christian Organization.
4) “In that cases what name do you like,” I asked and replies, “LAIMI,” 5) Then I explained,
“I proposed ZOMI because I believe it is the correct original
historical name of our people, from the Naga Hills to the Bay of Bengal. To the north of
Tedim, the Thados and others tribes call themselves ZO, the Lushais MIZO, in Hakha,
ZOTUNG, ZOPHEI, ZOKHUA. In Gangaw area ZO is peonounced YAW, in Mindat JO
or Cho, and in Paletwa KHOMI, In Prome, Thayetmyo, Sandoway and Bassein areas they
call themselves A-sho. So, I convinced that in spite of slight variations this ZO is our
original historical national name”
6) After this explanation the Rev. Sang Fen who was the most senior and revered pastor
from the Hakha stood up and said, “What Saya Hau Go has just said is correct. In our
younger days we were told that we were born at YOTLANG. And ZO is our original
name. The word LAI is not our national name. LAI was first uses by denizens of Hakha.
It means our village people, our own local people, as distinct from outsiders. It is not our
national name,” Saying this, he wayed to Rev. Sang Fen who also was the second eldest
and most respected pastor and asked, “What is your opinion on this, Saya?
7) The Saya Sang Feb stood up and briefly said, “I agree. I believe ZO is our national
name and I myself am the pastor of ZO-KHUA.”
8) After the two most senior and revered pastors of the Hakha area rose and spoke in
support of my proposal, not a single voice of dissent was heard and the ZOMI BAPTIST
CONVENTION was unanimously approved.
9) What the Constitution Drafting Committee had approved at the Falam meeting was
officially and universally adopted by the general meeting at Saikah, March 5-7, 1953.
The alone dissenting voice seemed to be a more idiosynacracy or at best a limited local
usage without any sound historical basis, because not a single member of the Constitution
Drafting, Committee voiced any support at Falam. The general meeting was held on March 5-
7 1953 at Saikah village in the now Thantlang township of the Hakha area was attended by
3,000 people Christians. Of these about two hundred were from the Falam area and less than
ten from the Tedim area, because Saikah was 7-8 days’ foot journey from Tedim area. Even
there, where by far the vast majority of delegates were from the Hakha area there was not a
single voice of support for LAIMI. I, but the name ZOMI BAPTIST CONVNTION was
born, named and based on the foundation of the historical truth, confirmed by the General
meeting at Saikah with the most remarkable spirit of Christian harmony and unity never
experienced before or since.
I was asked, out of necessity to serve temporary for one year as General Secretary,
pending the arrival of the Rev. Van Bik who was ear-marked to relieve me on arrival from
U.S.A the following year.
Signed
Sukte T. Hau Go
Ref: “ZO PEOPLE & CULTURE,”
First Edition 1995. Pgs. 69-71.
By : Sing Khaw Khai
No comments:
Post a Comment