Addicted

I have a personality wired for addiction. It manifests in obsessions as well, I believe. I have no proof of this, though. It’s just a hypothesis I am working with. All I know if whatever I do or feel, I go at it hard.

There was a time when I was preparing for Civils and I was highly addicted to the sweet dye-red mango jams packed in tiny little poly-bags that we get in Mizoram from Burma. The ones that have a turtle on its little pocket. Usually we call it Hai-Um. Jams? Pickles? Pickled mango, maybe. I have no idea where the turtle on the packet cover was heading, but my sister supplied me with about a 100 bucks worth of them about 3x a week. My tongue was always red.

I got the job and then a year later I moved to Faridabad to do my MBA under a government programme. I’d stay the week in Faridabad and return to my dad’s quarters in West Kidwai Nagar for the weekend. WKN was next door to INA Market where they sold local-made yam chips. I devoured them. I bought them by the kilo. I had a salary by then. And being no real big spender, I threw it on chips. My metabolism what it was at the time, it didn’t show on my body but man, I ate yam chips like there was no tomorrow.

Momos I won’t even mention. I ate momos like God designed them to be my main source of sustenance. I have never really stopped. But I don’t eat momos like I used to. Majnu ka Tila, Amar Colony, and Lajpat Nagar momos were where all my student pocket money went. 

I returned to Mizoram and got posted in Champhai and living alone, and salaried, I began to fixate on sunflower seeds. Dear lord, how I consumed sunflower seeds! Most people share a 20 bucks packet together over a chat. I usually ate a 100 bucks worth in one sitting, watching a movie maybe. The speed and accuracy of my shelling skills became legendary. They are still quite something to behold, if I do say so myself.

That gave way to cheese wafers by Nabati. As with the sunflower seeds, I got them in bulk from the wholesalers rather than buying retail because the amount I was consuming, it did not make sense to buy retail. I saved 10 or 20 bucks here and there buying wholesale. But more importantly, it saved me the mortification I’d feel from the judgment based on my greed and gluttony over these snacks, which I could not truly fault. That, however, stopped one day when I was happily buying Nabati in bulk when the innocent woman wholesaler marveled: Wow, how do you sell them so quickly, it is very impressive! I was properly shamed because not one of those wafers had ever been sold or shared. I’d eaten them all. I have not eaten Nabati wafers since.

When I was in Aibawk, one time a doctor told me to cut off potatoes and flour from my diet. Suitably scared, I started looking for substitutes for potato and maida snacks. I tried these really umami packed peas but they came in really tiny air-filled packets. I didn’t feel good buying them in bulk. They were too conspicuous. So I started eating Kurkure. I figured as this was corn-based, it was some sort of a legit loophole snacks deal. I ate Kurkure like my life depended on it. I got them from RPi who runs a petty shop and she could never stock them fast enough because I ate them all. The only thing I was ever hesitant about Kurkure was that when I was in college, U Sangpuii had needed to get her stomach pumped after consuming too much Kurkure at one go.

So I decided to switch tracks and started eating cold sausages instead. RPi who was my dealer even warned me against it. These were not good snacks. They had too much MSG in them for that amazing umami flavour for them to ever be good for the body, per se. I didn’t care. They were really good snacks. I ate cold sausages till my sweat and pee started stinking of them. I knew I had to stop. The withdrawal was something awful.

I have been trying very hard to not feed into this obsessive nature. It always needs to be a very conscious effort because my god, it is easy to slip! I slipped in Hnahthial and started eating Kurkure again. My driver would buy them for me and at one point he bought 2000 bucks worth of Kurkure and he packed them in a giant cardboard box. And when Champhai was repeated with the shopkeeper asking him whether the DC Office was hosting some sort of kid-friendly programme, I was chastened and I knew I had to stop.

I believe that if I ever get addicted to booze, that'll be the end of me. I’d die in a month from alcohol poisoning. Or, to paraphrase Daniel Radcliffe, it could be hard drugs. So all things considered, things could be worse. I guess I am still fine.

Kumpui Sul A Lo Vei Chang Hian

Ka pi Santhiami leh ka pi Hauvi te kha an inkawm ngeih reuh khawp a. Lunglei Luangmual 2nd Bn MAP hmunah an rawn zin dun a. Thlasik zing kar nilum ai pahin Uipum tlang dung an en dun a, kan in unau ang ka ring, an han ti dun ṭhin a. Ka pa nu leh ka nu ni te an ni a, kan inah khan an rawn cham dun ṭhin a. Naupang ho an rawn awm ṭhin nge, ka hre chiah lo.

Gypsy-ah kan inhnawh khawma kan zin kual ṭhin lai chuan min zai pui ṭhin a. Ka pi Hauvi hian a khat tawkin “Pitar putar naupangte... kha sa leh ang u,” a ti a, hla a thlang a. Midang chuan U-A-Ma an tih hla kha. Hemi line hi naupang ho kan awm ṭeuh ṭhin vang kha a ni mai thei, a duh thei viau a. Ring deuh deuhin kan sa ṭhin. A hnu deuh lawkah keimah emaw Samuela emaw kan rui a, kan luak leh nge nge bawk a. Motor ruih hi zin hrehawmna ber a ni mai thei. Tarmit ka bun tak hnu khan ka rui chhunzawm ta miah lo bawk a, a va han lawmawm tak. Mi motor rui ka hmuh hian ka ngai lo.

I digress. What was I saying?

Ringtu Zawng Zawng Te U, tih ah kan awm tak e. Christmas lai ani mai thei thin an rawn zin/kan va lam ṭhin lai kha, kan sa nasa thei em mai.

Tun kum ang reng renga ka rilru a Christmas loh hi ka la hre ngai lo. Kum dangah chuan Christmas hi nuam ka tia, ka phur thei phian a. Tun kum chu Santa Claus aiin The Grinch ka hnaih zawk tlat. 22nd December ah pawh ka Christmas Spirit thei bar lo chu a ni.

Chuti chung chuan zinkawngah tal Christmas Carols ka la play ve ṭang ṭang a. Christmas hla hi an mak khawp a. Kum tluanin kan sa lo vang vang a. A hun a lo thlen hi chuan lyrics en ngai lova sak pui theih hi an lo ni ve leh zel. Kan memory hi a lo ṭha awm ngawt mai. Kan hria tih pawh kan hriat tawh loh te pawh hi ISIS Sleeper Cell ang deuh hian a hun taka kaihthawha activate theih nghal hi a dang pawh kan thluak hian a neih ka ring. Mi hming te hi ni ṭhin se a tha tur hi a nia. An hmel ka hriat si, an hming ka hriat tak miah loh te nena in mawl biak tawp chang a tam. A zia lo hret ṭhin.

Mahse 2018 Inthlanpui buai rum rum laia kan senior pakhat sawi ṭhin ang deuh a nia. “Esi, ti hian hun hi a kal ang a, a zo ve leh mai ang,” a ti ban charh charh zel a. A dik phian. Lalsangzuali Sailo te hla ang kha ania, kumhlui mual liam tur auh din theih ni hek lo, a kal ve zel a. Hun hi a liam ve mai zel a. Hunin hun hrehawm te a tihdam phei chu ka hre lo a, a liam thuah hi chuan a liampui ve zel a. A liam ve leh mai ang, tih mai hi a lo ṭha ta mai.

This too shall pass. C’est la vie!

Eng hun mah hi a lo rei tak tak lo. Hriat loh karah kan lo puitling a. Kan upa ve zel a, kan nu leh pa te pawh tar lam te an lo pan a. Mavena ringawt pawh thla sarih ka kawl hnu chuan kut khingkhat in ka chelh zo ta reng reng lo. Einstein-a theory of relativity fiamthua an sawi ang deuh ani, a tawngtu a zir hian hun hi a lo reiin a lo rei lo mai hi a lo nia. 

Kan nghah hun te a lo thleng a. Ni thei lo anga kan ngaih te a lo thleng bawk a. Ni thei tura ngaihruat nachang kan hriat loh te pawh a lo thleng a. Ecclesiastical takin kan hun hman dan kan ngaihdana kan fimkhur hi a lo pawimawh ber zel chu a nih hi. Midang vei hman pawh hi a lo ni tak tak lo.

Feliz navidad!

Dan Hriat/Loh

Dan hriat loh hi chhuanlam a tling lo, tih hi Dan Thupui pakhat a ni bur mai a. Dead ve fu a ni. 

Sociologist ka ni a, Lady Shri Ram leh JNU ah te Sociology ka zir thin a. Sociology ah chuan Sual hi Dan lampang aṭang ni lovin society/khawtlang zawkin engtin nge Sual a ngaih tih philosophy hi kan tui pui ṭhin a.

Crime is that which offends the sensibilities of the society, tih hi Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, tih tluk zeta College atanga ka by-heart a nih phah a ni. 

Crime discussion ah hian interesting deuh chu Dan leh Khawtlangin Sual a thliar dan hi a in ang lo ve fo a. Thil lian tham – human trafficking, drug smuggling etc. ah hi chuan Khawtlang leh Dan pawh a inkalh lo a, an thu a rual khawp a. 

Thil lian tham ni lem lo, Dan pawi sawi si lo, Society pawi sawi si a lo awm thung a. Example awlsam ber pawh Incheina hi a ni ang. Engemaw laia emo culture hluar em em lai te, tunhnaia Korean culture lar leh te, heng popstars/actors te inchei dan anga tleirawlte an inchei hian Dan chu an bawhchhe lo, mahse khawtlang ṭhenkhat mit chu an ti kham a, pawi tlem chu a sawi ve det chu a ni. 

Sual han tih pawp rau rau pawh hi a thlirna – a Point of View – kan en a ngai a. Sakhuana lamah Christianity nen sawi zawm chuan Crime leh Sin an lo awm a. Entirnan “Awhna Sual” te kan ti a. Christian mit aṭang chuan Sin a ni a, Dan mit atang chuan a lo ni ve lem lo a. Chutih laiin Tualthahna te chu sakhaw dan aṭang leh Dan mit atang pawhin Sual a lo ni ve ve a. 

Mihring inthahna te pawh a chang chuan debate chiam a lo la ngai a – tunge tual thattu, tunge a thah, eng vanga that nge a nih, tih te a zir hian a la debate theih cheu ṭhin a. Female Foeticide te society leh sakhua chuan a pawm, mahse Dan in a pawm lo. Self-defense lamah thah tuma min bei tu laka kan lo invenna lamah kan lo that palh anih chuan Dan leh Society chuan thiam min chan tir mai thei; sakhuana in enge a sawi tih chu a sakhua a zir te a lo ni leh ang a. Indona ah ram tan mi kan that a, ram tan kan thi a; Sual a ni em? 

Dan Mit te kan han ti ṭhin a. Justice is Blind, kan ti bawk a. Dik taka Rorelna chu a mit a del a ni. Art ah Lady Justice lem (a lim te pawh a niang chu) kan hmu ṭhin ang a, bukna a keng a, a in buk tawk a, a mit erawh chu a tuam ani. He art hi ka ngaina khawp mai a. Rorelna Dik kenkawh dawn chuan tu chungah nge ro ka rel, tih hriat loh hi a lo him a. Mihring ve tho kan ni a, familial leh social circles kan nei ve a. Kan personal relationship te office/professional life ah ken luh a mawi lo te, a thiang lo te, a lo awm a. Eng chen hi nge “kan in support” kan tih hian a huam, tih te pawh kan in zawh ṭhin a ngai. Theih chin chinah chuan Dan a dik taka kenkawh hi kan tum a, kan ti tur a ni.

Chumi ti thei tur chuan Dan kan hriat a ngai a. Ril taka kan hriat loh pawhin a tlangpui hriat hi a ṭul a ni. Sorkar hnathawk kan nih phei chuan department aiawh, department hmel lanna te kan lo ni a. Keimahni kaltlangin sorkar-in hna a thawk a, sorkar hmel lanna kan ni bawk a. Hetih vang hian a ai kan awh (sorkar) leh kan thawh sak te (mipuite) tan dikna kan duh a, Dan kan zawh ṭhat hi a pawimawh a. Sorkar office kan enkawl a, kan office zahawmna humhim leh a dikna hauhsak hi kan tih tur a ni a. Kan hnuaiah staff te kan nei a, an welfare te pawh kan ngaihtuah sak a ngai a. Hetiang zawng zawngah hian “hman aṭanga kan tih dan thin,” ti ngawt lova Dan awm sa leh Dan Thar te kan hriat te pawh a ṭul a.

Kan khawpui lehkhathiam ṭhenkhatte hi an biak tlak loh, kan ti ṭhin a. Underground sipai tih pawha leihnuaia awm tak tak anga lo ngai BA Political Science te an lo awm leh nawlh ṭhin bawk vei nen. Thingtlang lehzualah phei chuan, lehkhathiam loh chhuanlam tel bawk nen, khaw hawi hi a zim duh khawp mai a. Mi in an tana ṭha tur te, an chanvo ngei ngei te, an lo hre lo a. An hriat reng pawh an lo ban ngam lo fo mai a. Public servant, sorkar thu leh hla man thiam leh hre phak, te hian mawhphurna kan nei sang a ni.

Dan hi kan hriat a ngai, tih hi kan hre chiang tawk lo mai thei. Thil Sual kan tihin “Ka lo hre lo a,” tih kha chhuanlam a tling tlat lo. Mahse engtin nge India ram Dan ngah lutuk mai Dan zawng zawng hi kan hriat kim theih ang? A theih loh. Judge leh Ukil ho pawhin an hre vek seng lo. Mahse “dan hriat loh hi chhuanlam a tling lo,” tih a nih si bau si chuan kan nun min nghawng thei Dan tal chu kan ngaihven a kan hriat ve a ngai a ni. Lirthei ka khalh a, lirthei neih ka tum chuan Traffic Rules te, lirthei lampang Dan te ka in zir a ṭul. Maw!

Dan hriat hian kan tha a ti chak a. Inrintawkna min siam a. Tu in emaw Dan kalha kan chunga an chet hunah Dan min humhimtu kan hriat hian huaisenna min pe a. Kan hnathawhsak mipuite, an hriat loh kan hriatsak a thurawn kan pek te, hma kan lak sak theih na a lo ni a. A ngai a ni.

Tunlaiah mi kan titi dan a dang tawh a. Hmaichhana titi a, topic han discuss tlan a, han zir ho te hi a old-fashioned ta riau a. Social Media a kan platform ah te social leh legal rules ten min phuar ve ta lem lo anga ngaihna kan nei ta lehnghal a. Thu chiang lem lo pawh kan sawi huai angreng a. Internet a kan post te hi nuai reh ve theih an ni ve ta si lo nen tlem chuan kan khawvel hmachhawn dan pawh kan thlak a ngai tawh a ni. A hman hmanin defamation case ka file mai tur ania tih leh FIR file rawh tih leh Side B tih reng pawh hi ṭawng tladah ang deuhah ka ngai a. Hre ve zul si, biak tlaka hre leh si lo te ṭawngkam a ni duh riau.

Hetiang ah hian Dan kan hriat a ṭul. Lo in zir ru aw.

NB: Vawiin 11th Dec., 2025 hian Legal Awareness campaign kan nei a. A vawi khatna atan Keynote Address ka pe a. Nilengin thusawi ka ngaithla a, ngaihdan te te ka lo siam a, zawhna ka zawt a, ngaihnawm ka ti phian a, phek 11 note ka ziak chhuak a, ka hlawk pui hle. ATI leh Mizoram State Legal Services Authority te chungah ka lawm hle a, thubuai in neih chuan Lok Adalat pan rawh u, tih tê mai hi ka lo advise che u bawk e. It’s free anyway.