Zikpuii pa leh Mizo Literary Criticism

-Lalzarzova
Department of Mizo, MZU

Zikpuii pa hian Mizo literature-ah hnuhma a nei \ha hle. Drama tih lohah chuan hnuhma a hnut chhi-
ah vek a ni. Thiamna lamah BA niin kum 1962-ah IFS (Indian Foreign Service) a ni a, Mizo zinga IFS hmasa
ber a ni. Zikpuii pa hi December ni 27, 1929 khan Aizawl Venghlui Lal, Hrawva Khiangte leh Lalluii Chhakch-
huak fate zinga a upa ber dawttu niin a lo piang a, a nu leh pa hnam hming chawi kawpin K.C. Lalvunga tia koh
a ni. September 5, 1948 khan Darhmingthangi nen inneiin an fanu upa ber Lalzikpuii hming chawiin Zikpuii
pa tia hriat a lo ni ta a ni.
Zirna lamah Zikpuii pa hi Boys ME School a\angin middle school a zo a, Mizo High School a\angin
matric a pass leh a. Nupui a neih hnu kum 1953 khan St. Anthony’s College, Shillong a\angin B.A a zo leh a ni.
B.A a zawh hnu hian Mizoram-ah lo hawin Zalen Pawl chanchinbu, Zoram Thupuan-ah Editor niin hetih lai
vek hian Mizo Zirlai Pawl-ah President ni tura thlan tlin a ni.
He mi hnu hian sawrkar hna hrang hrang thawkin, Sub-Inspector of School, High School Headmaster
hnate a thawk a, District Council Member a thlan tlin a ni bawk. Kum 1962 khan Mizo-te zinga a hmasa ber ni
turin IFS a inziak tling a, India ram tan palai hna thawkin kum 28 chhung zet chu khawvel hmun hrang hrang-
ah Ambassador hna a thawk a. A hna a\anga a pension hnu hian Mizoram-ah rawn letin October ni 10, 1994
khan an chenna in Venghlui, Aizawl-ah a boral ta a ni.
Zikpuiipa hian thawnthu (novel) panga, thawnthu tawi (short story) sawmpahnih, hla (poetry) sawm,
hla sak chi (song) pasarih leh essay sawmnga leh pahnih a ziak a, literary criticism huanga khung theih a thu-
ziak hi sawm a ni. Literary Criticism-a a kut chhuakte chu hengte hi an ni:
Lushai Literature - 1954
Pu Rokunga Thlirna - 1960
Zosapthara Hla - 1973
Kan Mizia leh Insawiselna - 1973
Literature |ha - 1977/1975
Ka Lungkham book review - 1990
Bible, Literature Hmanrawpui - 1991
Lehkhabu Ramtiam book review - 1993
Zozam Par ‘Thuhmahruai’ - 1993
Liangkhaia: Thu leh Hlaa Mi ropui - 1994
Mizo Literature-a literary criticism kan hmuh hmasak ber hi kum 1912-ah lo pawm ta ila, chu chu Bible,
Thuthlung Thar-bua Chanchin |ha an lehlin tharnaa lehlin hmasak \hat tawk lohna laite Thuhmahruai-a an
dah kha a ni (Lalhlimpuii 2). He mi kum a\anga chhiar hian, a hnu daih kum 40 chuang hnu, kum 1954-ah,
Zikpuii pa hi a lo lang ve ta a. Hei hi Mizo literary criticism-ah chuan thil chhinchhiah tlak tak a ni awm e.
Mizo literary criticism-ah hian tu nge kut chhuak nei hmasa ber tih thu-ah hian inhnialna leh pawm
dan inang lo a awm nualin a lang. C. Lalsiamthanga chuan Pastor Vanchhunga’n Lusei Leh A Vela Hnamdangte
Chanchin (1955) a ziahna lehkhabu a, “A ni tak e, hla phuah \anna hi mihring rilru tidangphuttu a awm hun
hi a ni fo reng a ni. Hla hi thu par a ni, thu aia thu,” (Thu leh Hla 25) tih hi bul \anna niin a ngai a. Siamkima
Khawlhring chuan “Book review Mizo \awnga ziak kan chin tak hi Mizo Zirlai pawl Chanchinbu Editor ka nih
lai, kum 1973 a\anga ka tih \an a ni a; R.Vanlawma lehkhabu Ka Ram leh Kei tih review article ka ziak MZP
Chanchinbu, January, 1973-a ka chhuah chu, ka hriat sual loh chuan, Mizo \awnga book review ziak hmasa ber
a ni...Ka ziakna chhan ber leh, tun hnûah Thu leh Hla chanchinbua ka chhunzawm duhna chhan pawh kan \
awnga literary criticism tih chhuah ka duh vang leh, literature lamah hmasawnna a nih ka beisei vang a ni a,
mi lehkhabu ziak a \hat lohna lai zawna a tui tla lo thei ang ber zawnga sawi tumna a ni lo,” (Zalenna Ram
168) tiin. Ani hi chuan book review a ziah khi Mizo literary criticism bul \annaah a ngai a tih theih ang. Book
review hi criticism peng pakhat a nih avangin hei hi awmze nei deuha Mizo literary criticism bul \annaah mi
tam tak chuan an ngai ta rêng a, amah heti lama a khaipa ber chan chang a lo ni bawk nen mi tam tak chuan
a ngaihdan hi an pawmpui rêng a ni. Kum 1972 a\anga chhuah \an Didakhe issue hmasa ber January - March
a\ang khan Rev. Beiseia chuan ‘Book Review’ tih huang siamin a lo buaipui tawh a, a lehkhabu review hmasak
ber chu ‘Kristian Chhungkua’ tih Leslie & Winifred Brown ziak, H.K.L. Thanga leh Rev. C. Pazâwna-te lehlin
leh ‘Kohhran pianhmang leh a kohna’ Rev. William Steward ziah, Rev. P.D. Sena lehlin a ni nghe nghe (Didakhe
7). Ani hian lehkhabu eng emaw zat chu Didakhe-ah hian a lo review ve tawh a ni. Amaherawhchu, Siamkima
Khawlhring chuan, “Didakhe-in Book Review a lo tih \an ve tâk khan lehkhabu thar zawrhna leh sawi mawi-
na ang deuh maiin an ziak \hin a,” (Zalenna Ram 168) tiin a sawi a, Rev. Beiseia book review kha chu literary
criticism-ah a pawm chiah lo niin a lang. He mi chinah hian duh tawk ila, Zikpuii pa chungchang sawi a \ul
ta a ni. Zikpuii pa hian kum 1954-ah Lushai Literature tih article a ziak a, “Milton-a ‘Paradise Lost’ te, Pope-a
‘Epistles on man’ te kan chhiar chuan, keini hla chuan kawtchhuah a lo pel lo tih kan hria ang,” (Zikpuii Pa
Hnuhma 134) a lo ti a. Amah ngeiin, “Kum 1954 vel khan article pakhat ‘Lushai Literature’ tih ka ziak chu Sikul
Thlirnain min chhuahsak a. Chuta ka tum rilruk chu Mizo literature critical review nen neih a ni....Chu article
bakah chuan ‘Pu Rokunga Thlirna’ tih leh ‘Awithangpa tan thu kamkhat’ tih ka chhuah leh a. Tumah dang ziak
ve awm ta lo chu, \hangkhat lian zet kan ngawi tlang a,” (195) a lo ti bawk. Thlirna hrang hrangte leh an kut
chhuakte hi ngun taka enin kum 1912-a Bible lehlin \hatna lama lehlin hmasa zawk duhthusam lo lai an selna
kha heti lam hawi thuziak awm hmasaah hahdam takin a pawm theih a, awmze nei zawka bul \anna erawh chu
a kumte nena en chuan kum 1954-a Zikpuii pa thuziak Lushai Literature hi a dangte aiin a hmasa zawk a ni tih
a pawm theih bawk awm e. Pastor Vanchhunga thuziak kha chu kum 1955-a chhuak a ni a (Lehkhabu Zempui
634), Siamkima Khawlhring-in awmze neia bul \an anga a inngaih hun hi kum 1973 a ni bawk. Tichuan, Zik-
puii pa pawimawhna chiang taka lo lang chu Mizo literary criticism-a awmze neia bul lo \antu hmasa a ni tih
hi a ni ta a ni.
Zikpuii pa chuan, “Essay emaw, poem emaw, eng thil ziak pawh a hmasa berin objective tak leh imper-
sonal takin kan thlir tur a ni,” (165) tiin duhtuina thu a lo zam daih tawh a. T.S. Eliot-a khan he mi chungchang
hi a lo buaipuiin a lehkhabuah pawh chiang takin a lo sawi tawh a. T.S. Eliot-a sawi dan chuan, “Poetry lairil
chu mimal hmer bik nei lo (impersonal) a ni. Hla phuahtu chu a hla phuah tura a inpumpek loh chuan he mi-
mal hmer bik neih lohna dinhmun hi a thleng thei lo,” (Tradition and the Individual Talent 42) a lo ti a. Zikpuii
pa hlutna leh a hnathawh lo lang chu, Mizo literary criticism kal chho zel tur tan thlir dan tur leh kaihhruaina
a lo ziak hi a ni awm e. A thlir dan a sawi mai a ni lo va, literary criticism hi hetiang hian kalpui tur a ni e a
tihna tluk a ni awm e. Kum 1973-ah daih tawha hetianga literary criticism kalpui dan tur a lo sawi chhuak hi a
chhinchhiah tlak hle. Hei tho hi a ni Matthew Arnold-a pawhin ‘disinterestedness’ a lo tih kha. Thil nihna dik
tak zu hmu chhuak thei tur chuan critic chu rilru inhawng tak leh awn lam nei sa a ni tur a ni lo va, amah ngei
pawh a fimkhurin \an lam neiin a awm tur a ni lo tih kha Matthew Arnold-an disinterestedness a sawi dan ber
niin a lang a, chu tho chu Zikpuii pa hian a lo sawi a ni. Zikpuii pain Mizo literary criticism bul a lo \an dan hi
a hniam lem lo hle a ni.
Mizo literary criticism hmasawn chhoh dan hrim hrimah hian mi pawimawh tak tak pathum an awm
ti ila a dik thei ang. Zikpuii pa, J.F. Laldailova leh Siamkima Khawlhring hi anmahni zawn \heuhah an \ang-
kaiin awmze nei takin Mizo literary criticism hi an buaipui a, anni hi lungthu pathum pawimawh tak an tling
a ni. Zikpuii pa hian poetry chu thu inphuah mar thiam siakna ringawt a ni lo tiin a sawi bawk a (Zikpuii Pa
Hnuhma 146), poetry chungchanga thlir dan fel tak a lo neite hi a hlutna kan la zir chiang tawk lo deuh em ni
aw tih theih a ni. Poetry thlir dan tur chungchangah tho hian, hla phuahtu chuan, “...eng thu pawh, eng sawi
nan pawh lo hmang se, ngaihtuahnaah thil mawi engemaw min pek theih emaw, suangtuahna thar min pek
theih chuan thil pawi lo mai ni lovin thil duhawm lamah ka ngai zawk mah,” (147) a lo ti fel thliam mai bawk.
Poetry chungchanga classical ngaihdan pakhat, a chhiartuteah hlimna (pleasure) a pe tur a ni, tih ai kha chuan
thil mawi leh ngaihtuahna thar han tlar hi a duhawm zawk hial lo maw? Zikpuii pa hian he fakselna kawng lo
la zawh zel turte tan kawng a sial a, a kawng sial pawh hi a duhawm viau a ni.
Zikpuii pa hian thil sawisel lamah hian a hnua mite aiin \awngkam a chhep fuh zawk em aw tih a ngai-
htuah theih. Literary criticism chu sawisel tur a awm chuan sawisel a, fakna lai tur a awm pawha fak te, a aia \
ha zawk leh thil duhawm zawk kawhhmuh theihte hi a duhawmna leh a hlutna tak pawh a ni. He mi kawngah
hian kan sawi mek Zikpuii pa hi a che \ha angreng viau. Peter Lianhleia’n James Dokhuma a sawisel dan fuh
tawk lohzia leh a lehkhabu sawisel ziaktu rilru nat dan te ziaka hmuh tur a awm a, a pawi hle. Zosapthara hlaa
inhnialna chungchangah tih lohah hi chuan Zikpuii pa hi a \awngkam hmanah te, a sawisel duh a sawisel dan-
ah te, a \awngkam hman dante pawh a fimkhur thiamin critic \ha a nihna a lang thei a ni. Criticism hrim hrim
hi insawiselna tur a nih loh rualin critic-in sawisel tur a sawisel si loh chuan a thuziak hlutna thlengin a hniam
thei a, \an lam nei lova thu lai la tak chunga a sawisel tur a sawisel hian critic chuan a tih tur pakhat a hlen
chhuak tihna a ni. Sawisel awma ngaih a sawisel si loh chuan critic \haa chhiar theih a ni kher lo vang. Lehkha-
bu Ramtiam a thlirnaah Salman Rushdie-a lehkhabu Setanic Verses chanchin lehkhabuin a sawi dan chu a duh
khawp lo deuh a, “He lai hian research paper anna a nei a, chutiang a nih chuan a source sawi se a \ha ang. A
reng thuah lehkhabu pumpuia Biblography a siam lo hi a bul deuh a ni,” (Zikpuii Pa Hnuhma 211) tiin a sawisel
a ni. He lehkhabu a thlirnaah tho hian a ziaktu Dr. Laltluangliana Khiangte-in lehkhabu ropui leh ziaktu ropui
tehna chu a tam lam (quantity) ni a a ngaih thu a ziah chu a hnial a, “Sumdawnna khawvelah chuan a pawi lo,
mahse literature \ha siam kan tum dawn a nih chuan a quality lam kan sawi uar a \ul a ni,” (215) tiin a khak
deuh fak a ni. Mahse, han chhiar hian a lo dawngsawngtu tan pawh chuti teh baka huatthu-a lak a remchang
lem lo va, a \awngkam hman leh a sawisel duh a sawisel danah hian a sawisel chhan a chiang bawk nen a lo
dawngsawngtu tan pawh han huat viau tur chi niin a lang lo. Hei tak hi Zikpuii pa themthiamna pakhat a ni
tiin a sawi theih ang. Zikpuii pa-in literature \ha siam tur chuan quantity aia quality ngaihpawimawh a \ulzia a
lo sawi hi a chhinchhiah tlak hle.
Zikpuii pa hian article leh essay bakah Novel te, poetry te pawh a ziak hi a danglamna pakhat chu a ni.
Ziaktu dangte aia a danglamna pakhat chu heng a thuziak (a bikin Literary Criticism) hrang hrang hi Mizoram
pawn a\anga a ziahte an ni deuh vek hlawm a. IFS hna thawk, mi pangngai chunga leng leh mi thiam a nihna hi
a thuziakah hian a lang a ni. Zosapthara thlavang a hauhna lamah ‘\awngvai’ deuhin mi \henkhatin ngai mah
se a thuziak dangah hi chuan a thil thlir dan a lai viauin a hriat a, ram pawn a\anga ral thlir chunga a ziah vang
a ni maithei, tute emaw chetsualna ang kha ani hi chuan a pumpelh niin a lang. Postcolonialism a\anga thil a
thlir lova kan hriatnaah hian mawhpuh tur an awm chuang em ni? Zikpuiipa danglamna chu min hruai luh a
tumna hi mihring nun zirnaah a ni deuh zelin a lang hi a ni. Literature chu mihring nun hlimthla zirchianna
an ti \hin a, literary criticism chu, chu zirchianna va zirchian lehna chu a ni. Thuziak hrang hrang a zirchianna
a\anga thil pakhat lo lang chu, criticism a ziah pawh hian a tehna sang ber chu mihring nun tho hi niin a lang
a ni. Rokunga a dahsanna ber pawh nun a hriatthiamnaah a ni a, Zosapthara a chhannaa a sawi lansarh ber
pawh mihring rilru leh suangtuahna a\anga a va hriatthiam theihna kha Zosapthara hlaah hian a neiin a inngai
a, mihring rilru leh ngaihtuahna, suangtuahna tar lan a nih a, a chhiartuin a zu hriatthiam bawk chuan chu chu
a ropui ber niin a ngai a tih theih ang.
A tir lama kan sawi tawh ang khan criticism lam a ziah hi sawm chauh a ni a, hengah hian Book Review
hi Zikpuii pa duhawmna lai leh ropuina a ni awm e. Zikpuii pa thuziak hrang hrangte en hian a thiamna leh
a hriatna hi a chhuang ngai lo viau a, “Critical review emaw Book review emaw ziak hi thil awlai a ni lo va,
a chhan chu entawn tur standard form a awm tlat lo mai a. Chuvangin, lehkhabu \haa mi sawi emaw, mah-
ni chhiar zinga kan rilru la deuhte kha emaw standard-a ngaiin chutiang enzawna mahni ngaihdana phuah
chhuah ngawt mai loh chu tih ngaihna dang a awm lo a ni,” (196) tiin a sawi nghe nghe. Book review hi pahnih
chauh a ziak a, Ka Lungkham leh Lehkhabu Ramtiam review a ziah hi \hangtharte chuan chhiar vek se a du-
hawm hle. Hei aia tam deuh hi lo ziak se tih rilruin a ngaihtuah vang vang a ni. Book review ziah hi thil awlsam
a ni lo tih a sawi hi a pawmawm angreng hle. Mi \henkhat chaun book review ziah dan tur hi an sawi fo a, zawm
ngei ngei tur angin rules pawh an duang hial maithei. Mahse, Zikpuii pa sawi ang hian book review ziah dan
tura duan sa hi a awm tak tak thei lo niin a lang. Engtin nge kan review dawn tih hi a lehkhabu khan a hril zel
zawk a, lekhabu chi hrang hrang a awm avangin review dan tur dan pakhat (rules) hnuaia zam tur chi niin a
lang lo a ni. Zikpuii pain lehkhabu pahnih a thlirnaah hian fak tur lai leh sawisel tur lai a sawi thiam hle a, a
sawiselna kha lo huat ngeih theih a ni lo va, a fakna lai nen hian a inbuk tawk viau zelin a lang a ni. Zikpuii pa
literary lriticism hrang hrangte hi a ngaihnawmin chhiar pawh a khamawm loh hlawm hle a, a thuziakte ngun
taka han zir chuan ‘Book Review’ a ziakte hi a fakselna (literary criticism) thuziak dangte aiin belh chian a dawl
a, F. Lalzuithanga’n, “Mizo literature-a Longinus-a ‘sublimity’ thangkhawk,” (Lalzuithanga 61) a tih pawh hi a
book review te avang hian a pawmawm hlein a lang.
“Lunghlu hrang hrang \hat leh \hat loh hre si se tur chuan mi mawl mit chu a tawk lo va, mi thiam
mit rawih a ngai \hin a ni. Chutiang bawkin literature khawvelah hian, thuziak \ha leh \ha lo min hrilh turin
critical review min siamsaktu critic kan mamawh,” (Zikpuii Pa Hnuhma 196) titu hian eng lam nge a hawi tih
han sawi leh ila. Zikpuii pa literary criticism kalpui hi a thuziak hrang hrangte a\anga enin impressionistic crit-
icism a hawi nasa tih a hriat a, a thlir dan \henkhat hi chuan romantic criticism lam a hawi niin mi \henkhatin
an sawi bawk. Pu Rokunga hla chungchang a sawinaah, “Pu Rokunga rilrua a awmzia kan zu hriatthiam pui
theih a, kan zu hman zui pui ve theih mai chuan Pu Rokunga chuan, ama tawkah Zofate zingah chuan English
zinga Shakespeare-a dinhmun chu a luah ve thuak tihna a ni ang,” (146) a tih dan a\ang mai pawh hian hla
phuahtuin keimahnia nghawng a neih dan a\anga hla hlutna hi teh tura a ngaihzia a lang thei awm e. “Hla chu
thil mawi, rilru tihlim a, tilawm a, nun \ha leh nun thutaka min hruai theitu apiang chu a ni…Hla hnathawh
tur chu a tawp berah chuan lei thar leh van thar siam a ni,” (Zozam Par 14 & 25) a ti nain Zosapthara hla
chungchangah, “Literature hi eng dan mahin a phuar lo, a ropuina leh a mawina chu a lo dawngtute lo tawrh
dan leh an khawvel thlir dana thu a ni...Zosapthara hlate hi chu, a gramatical mistakes sangkhat hre reng chung
hian, kan \ahpui chang a tam \hin asin, kan la \ahpui dawn chauh pawh a ni ta ve ang,” (Zikpuii Pa Hnuhma
164) a ti thung. Hla (poetry) a sawifiahna hi hnawl chuang lovin a fakselna (criticism) thu leh hla a\ang erawh
chuan hla emaw, thuziak emaw reng reng hian a lo dawngsawngtu a nghawng dan, a hneh dan kha ani hi chuan
a dah langsar hle a ni tih a chiang awm e. Zosapthara hla a chhannaah hian amah rau rauah a \awngkam \
um dang aiin a hriam deuh a, Zosapthara chak lohna tak (Mizo \awng a thiam tawk lohna) kha ani hi chuan
a ngaidam thei em em mai a, a sawi tum kan hriatthiam chuan a tawk a ni tih kha a pawm dan a nih avangin
Zosapthara hi ama \awngkam takin a chak lohnaah a fawp a ni.

Works Cited
Darhmingthangi. Zikpuii Pa Hnuhma (A Collection of Zikpuii Pa Essays). Zamzo Offset Printers. Aizawl, 2000.
Pa, Zikpuii. Zozam Par. MCL Publication. 2nd edn. Aizawl, 1993.
Lalzuithanga, F. A Study of the Contributions of Zikpuii Pa, J.F. Laldailova and Siamkima Khawlhring to Mizo
Literary Criticism. 2017. M.Phil. Dissertation.
http://mzuir.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/615/1/F.%20Lalzuithanga%20,%20Mizo.pdf
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http://www.jstor.org/stable/1567048 .
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Lalsiamthanga, C. “Literary Criticism.” Thu leh Hla, July 1993.
Beiseia, Rev. “Book Review.” Didakhe, Jan-March 1972.
Lalhlimpuii. “Mizo Literary Criticism.” Unpublished.