By: Lunminthang Haokip
Past Forward: Imphal, 20 years back, was quieter. The streets did not have traffic congestion. The capital town had roads wide enough to take the traffic load of the total number of vehicles it got registered in the Motor Vehicle Department. To put it in a different way, lesser residents of the Manipuri township enjoyed the purchasing power to buy motor cars as compared to the mad rush to possess two and four wheelers that has become the fad of today.

New Year 2011: The first day of January, 2011 will go down in history as the day of four ones. That is 1-1-11. The 24th December, 2010 saw the worst vehicular tussle, for space on Imphal streets. For Christians, the Christmas Eve was usually a busy and hectic occasion. Like Joseph and Mary, the earthly parents of infant Jesus, who had to go back to the place they belonged to, Bethlehem, just before the birth of Christ, to pay tax and get themselves registered in the census records of their time, it had been an annual habit for Christians of India to celebrate Christmas with their own folks in far-flung native places. As officials take leave and take work easy till New Year day, one sees lesser vehicles plying on the roads on 1.1.11.

Preparations To Welcome New Year: The backblocks of Manipur may look calm and lonesome. One sees no much activity post-Christmas. But every village in the hills that has a Church building come alive, fully decked up, on the Eve of New Year. The youth get cracking to give a face-lift to whatever meeting hall they have. Like the proverbial orphan who incorrigibly hopes that the next year would bring in richer blessing, every country resident feels that the coming year would usher in a better deal. The evening worship service is all about giving thanks to God in songs and prayer. The Church members make it a point to stay back in the hall till midnight of 31st December makes way for an eagerly awaited New Year. The event managers resort to all kinds of entertainment items to keep the audience glued to their seats till next year. Jaw-splitting comedy-of-errors come in full play in social gathering sessions.

Watch-Night Service at LEF, Imphal: Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship Church, Langol, Imphal, located a few housing blocks away from the widely known Shija Hospitai of Plastic-Surgery-fame that stands tall on the fringe of the newly acquired NIIT premises, regularly conduct watch-night services one hour before midnight on 31st December every year. Fellowship family members, dressed to the neck to endure the wintry chill, attended in full strength. Pastor Prakash delivered a Gospel message that inspired the hearers first to thank God for seeing them safe and secure throughout 2010 and then, to prepare their hearts to enter the next year, that was a few minutes away, with a conscience sprinkled from the burden of guilt. A prayer session began five minutes before midnight of 2010 to come to an end at 00:05 hrs of 2011.

New Year Celebration 2011: The irony of the happiest first day of a year is that the day also shortens the longevity of one’s life by on year at a time. Oblivious of the bitter truth, folks from all walks of life throng the riversides in picnic mode, to eat and drink. The venue, time and food item of such merriment can be decided in advance. But the end of the same cannot be. The world may party, go footloose and fancy-free on this occasion. Yet, for the discerned believer in the Lord Jesus, it is a day of worship and Church service. If carols marked Advent Christmas celebrations, New Year means time to joy in the Lord and pray for continual blessings till the year-end.

God’s Desire: “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another (Ephesians 4:24 & 25)”.

The Old Man: In the same man, old self and new self co-exist. The old man is the nature of Adam that is insensitive to the prompting of the Spirit. It has no defence-mechanism to protect itself from the temptations of sin. In fact it delights in sinning. But as motor cars are made to ply on smooth roads, it cannot run on rough surfaces like paddy fields. In the same manner, the human heart had been created to be happy when it has the power to do good and forsake evil. Every vice will appear to be exciting in the beginning but the end-result will be sadness. Receipt of a thousand “Happy New Year” sms-es wiil not make the recipient happy. That is why St. Paul wrote, to be happy, “ Ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (Ephesians 4:22)”.

The Seize Within: Thanks to the breaking of the first commandment in Eden Garden, every man is born with firm grounding in the sin-nature. Come New year, a level-headed person sincerely wishes to do away with the besetting sins he or she alone knows best and come out free from the sieze within. Resolutions are made, only to be broken a few weeks later. Like glass or human heart which ultimately gets broken (Seesha ho ya dil ko, akhir toot jata hai), promises are made to be broken. That’s the dilemma of Adamic life. The good you want to do you cannot do. The evil you want to avoid, you cannot avoid. And you end up doing things you abhor most.

Remedy For The Malady: “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Ephesians 4:23)”. You think again and again. Would you allow, on your own accord, for sin to ruin you? The choice is yours. To renew your nature, you need the daily application of the power of the resurrection of Christ to be an over comer. God desires to reclaim the masterpiece of His creation through His son Jesus Christ. The Saviour conquered the sting of the harassment of sin on the cross. The power that divided AD from BC has what it takes to deliver you completely from your habitual weaknesses. All that you have to do is believe in Jesus, confess your sins and cleanse your conscience by setting past wrongs right. For the believer, the prescription in Romans 6:6 becomes real: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin”.

Renewal Of Priorities: Another year has just set in. There are a thousand things you want to do. But get alone with God and ask yourself honestly. What were the habits that kept you away from achieving what you really wanted to be? Or if you were a believer who had gone berserk in pursuit of the pre-conversion allurements, desiring spiritual status quo, read the Bible prayerfully. Knowing how to “choose the precious from the vile (Jeremiah 15:19), and how to “redeem the time (Eph. 5:16)”, for sure can save one from defeat in the “evil days”. Besides, one needs the counsel of anointed counsellors. Regular attendance of Church services and weekly prayer sessions in the company of God-fearing people will serve as deterrents to sin. A spiritual stitch in time will save more than nine probable falls in the future.

Being Amenable Brings Joy: Being one’s own man or independent-minded sounds good in worldly dealings. Out-of-the-box thinkers earn respect and recognition. But success doesn’t necessarily result in happiness. An old adage said, “success is getting what you want, but happiness is wanting what you get”. Many successful people are not happy with what they are and what they achieve. Like an officer and a gentleman, pleasure and joy are two diametrically opposed things. Some men think they have arrived, make attempts to appear happy by laughing loud. Proverbs 14: 13 says, “Even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness”. How true. Comfort, luxury and pleasure often end up in greed for more of such failure to get which means sadness. To enjoy a really happy New Year, there is no alternative to being amenable to correction, forsaking one’s old self and seeking the will of God. Anything else will carry across unhappy old year in seemingly “Happy new Year”.

Old Lambulane, Imphal, Nov 26: Manipur Sangai Festival: 26 November 2010 was auspicious for Chandel District, Manipur, India.Imphal’s spacious Hapta Kangjeibung open polo ground saw a record turn-out in the Manipur Sangai Fest – Chandel Day. All the districts of the state were given an evening’s platform to showcase their respective cultural expressions in the best manner they could possibly present. Traditional dances performed to the tune of tribal folk-songs were the main show-item. This day happened to be Chandel’s turn to further enrich Tourism Department-organised colourful annual fest of Manipur.


The Dignitaries: The State’s Tourism Minister, Pu T.N. Haokip came early. At around 4:30 pm, the senior Hon’ble Minister was joined in the front rows of the dance-hall by a few colleagues like Mr. Thaisii, Hon’ble Minister, T.D & Hills, Mr. K. Ranjit singh, Hon’ble Minister, Works, Pu Thangminlen kipgen, Hon’ble Chairman, HAC, Manipur, Pu Thangkholun Haokip, Hon’ble MLA and other concerned high-ranking officials of the state. The VIPs exchanged pleasantries, made the front rows of the hall look manned and prestigious for a while. The audience were so engrossed in watching the ethnic entertainment items the fest delivered one after another in quick succession that no one noticed the dignitaries who entered and exited now and then.


The Men Behind: Infatuated to Tourism, of which he once was the Director, Mr H. Deleep Singh, DC/Chandel took stock of Chandel day Sangai Fest right from the day it was announced. If DC was in his elements in a particular official task, could the ADCs and SDOs be far behind? No. They had to work in tandem in what the boss desired to do. The subordinates of DC/Chandel were given responsibilities to engage cultural dance troupes in their respective administrative Blocks , saw that the groups rehearse well and arrange their transportation to Imphal and back. This author had to bring a bus-load of traditional dancers to shake a leg in the Tourism extravaganza from Moreh. Machi, Chandel, Tengnoupal and Chakpikarong were the other Blocks of the district. Staff of DRDA, Chandel, too fully b assisted in the management.


The Compeers: Frankie and Presica of Chandel DHQ were behind the mikes to announce the order of the mesmerising show. If the event stood out, it was partly due to the articulate compeering by the ace announcing duo from the Chakpi valley who took on the job they were assigned to like a duck takes to water. Miss Martha and Goldliver of the same DHQ helped in the event management knick-knacks. Thanks to the quality of mobilising the event-managers that came with an added zeal from the cheer-leader, that is DC/Chandel himself, there was no mismatch of role to player in the gala Chandel show.


The Performances: The performances were varied with each rivalling the other in presentation and ethnic speciality. As an impartial viewer, when I tried to rank the mind-boggling presentations on merit basis, it was as tough as to grade the equally attractive mansions built together in the same premises by the seven brothers of Chingmeirong (Imphal) of whom two are medical Doctors. The maddening rounds of applauses from the appreciative crowd gave reason for every Chandel-ian seated in the hall to feel proud of his hitherto untapped district. Judging the level of cultural consciousness and finesse displayed whole this evening by my fellow-Chandel-ians, makes me wonder as to why we are known as a backward district? Isn’t forwardness of a region determined by the quality of the culture?


The Performers: The choreography delivered with professional panache by Chandel youth left the viewers gasping in awe. The Zou item from Sugnu Zou Veng was exotic to view at while the Aimol and Chothe dances were simply awesome. Thadou-Kuki dances were usually not very lively; but this evening’s performances were exceptionally thrilling and entertaining. Lenchonghoi item showcased the maturity of Moreh youth in expressing their folklore in criss-crossing side-steps. And above all, the Theme song penned by this author, “Prosperity Through Co-Existence” and sung in the show with commendable vocal co-ordination by Nehminlen Lhouvum and Miss Tin tin Kipgen (T2K) was music to the ear. That the show went off well was proved by the DC/Chandel and SP/Chandel’s visible smile and endorsing whispers from ear to ear.


PROSPERITY THROUGH CO-EXISTENCE
(Theme Song for Chandel-Day: Sangai Fest-2010)

By: Lunminthang Haokip
ADC/Moreh


1.On terrains south of Taret river,
Across ranges north of Chin hill-shire;
Upon the lofty slopes that cover
Land from the plains to Myanmar border;
God placed people who are ethnic
To live unique in Chandel District.

The State calls to take part in giant strides,
Fate keeps us apart as defiant tribes;
Greed to seek for self will to chaos lead,
The great God gives us things we need;
Let’s all pray for and chant in good sense:
“Prosperity Through Co-Existence”.

2.To lift up our lot, schemes keep coming,
The gift is to see our stock booming;
We put in less and ask for more from
The PM, the CM and the DM;
Let “I will first bend” be the axis
To make amends, thrive and co-exist.

3.The diverse cultures are God-given,
Blessed nature makes us goods-laden;
Man’s nature craves to be self-driven,
We’ll gain stature in being goal-driven;
Let’s wake up to shake up our future
That our six Blocks may hit a Sixer.

Moreh, the 25th and 26th September, 2010: 
The Food Fest: The nondescript Bethel Girls High School of downtown Moreh, Manipur's border town, played host to a never-seen Food Fest at their school premises on 25 September, 2010. Mrs Lhingboi and Thangpao Haokip who run the all girls high school were the chief organizers. Supposed to be the chief guest of the occasion, I made it clear to the host that I'd rather be called the Cheer guest instead. I make myself cheaply available. There was nothing chief about me. I was there in the school, if for anything, to cheer the novel idea for the small town with big problems, only.

Of Food And Local Mood: Talk on food, I could be no good. I never did that. But holding centre-stage as the CG, I had to say something to save face. I was preoccupied with an official headache that day. So, I mumbled a few lines extempore on dietary habits. Out here in this town of low living standards and purchasing capacity, under-nourishment is a rule and maintaining a balanced diet, an exception.

The Kuki Practices: To the average Kuki, whose community forms the largest ethnic entity at Chandel district's only border mini cosmo settlement, having good food everyday is a bourgeoisie luxury other pressures of life relegate to the back of one's mind as an unfordable priority. Waxing eloquent on gourmet delicacies will not gel well with the mental make-up of a community the majority of the members of which eke out a living out of selling charcoal, bamboo shoots and manual stone crushing.

Event Mismanagement: In the charmed circles, a cup of tea is served in style with options to add sugar and milk or otherwise as desired. But here, for all the exposure to the world through cable TV, more often than not, all the sugar, tea-leaf and milk at one's disposal in the make-shift kitchen of an event, are poured into th tea-pot at one go to boil. Tea-addicted diabetics, who avoid sweets like a plague, who are on the look-out for a refreshing cup of plain tea, have to bear the brunt of the unabashed mistake of the kitchen of the bash. Equally disastrous is taking the guests for granted that they would come to the feast tables without repeated reminding.

LEF Meeting On 26th September: The Moreh ward no. 3 Laymen's Evangelical Fellowship Church may be poor in infrastructure and attendance; but when it comes to the spiritual ambiance and warmthof worship, LEF, anywhere, anytime, is second to none. Preaching there in the morning meeting, today, was a joy. The Pastor, Thomas Papao led the meeting. A youth trio presented a Gospel song item before the message was delivered.

The Message: My text was taken from Nehemiah Chapter 1, verses 1 to 10. The remnants of the exile who returned to Jerusalem sent word to Nehemiah, the king's cup-bearer in Susa in foreign land, that the Jewish city was in disgrace and distress. The wall of Jerusalem was broken and the residents were at sixes and sevens; and vulnerable to enemies' attack. Nehemiah did not panic. Neither was he worried. His reaction was heavenly. "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven ( neh 1:3)".

Local Application: Moreh does not have a wall like Jerusalem's. But it does have border fencing. More than the portions of broken porous border fencing, the invisible wall of truth, righteousness, mental peace and brotherly love had been torn to pieces. All attempts to mend outside the scripture failed miserably. We need a leader like Nehemiah who can involve his people in the vision he formulated and guide them to mass repentance, confession of sin and rebuilding of broken obedience.

Increase of His Government: The topic was my pet. I could narrate anecdotes after anecdotes on broken social virtues vis-a-vis the awesome township I administer. But I had to rush to Tamu, across the border for another meeting at 9 a.m, MST. In winding up, I gave an exposition on the 7th verse of Isaiah Chapter 9, "Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end". The increase continues worldwide every day.

The Appeal For Verdict: The point driven home, as a final appeal for verdict, was that a change for the better can only come about through winning souls for the Lord, one by one, like Paul and Silas did in Acts 16. The government of Christ and His peace come into effect wherever one accepts Him as one's personal Lord and Saviour. The broken spiritual wall of our Developmental Block can only be mended with the super-glue of the Word of God.

AG Church, Tamu. I had Pastor Thomas and brother Shopao as company to AG Church (Benjamin), Tamu. Lively song items were presented one after another. Benjamin, the builder, took the preliminaries in the lively worship service. I was given time to preach. So as not to be mentally dubbed " a bad preacher, who, like the bad rain, does not know when to stop", I cut short my sermon. The message I succinctly gave at the Thadou AG Church was about life's choices. Choosing God or the things of God over the world or things of the world will always pay rich dividends eventually. Suffering, in doing so, will be well-compensated.


Moses Chose To Suffer: The son and heir apparent of the daughter of Egypt's Pharaoh, Moses had every reason to continue to enjoy the perks and riches that were entitled to the prince of Egypt, then. Mind you, Egypt was highly advanced in science and technology in Moses' time. But the born leader gave up all. "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time (Hebrews 11:24 & 25". God did not give up Moses. He made Moses the indisputable hero of the great Exodus.

Love to my Blog followers;

~ Lunminthang Haokip

Lunminthang Haokip
Moreh, the 20th Sept : The HoM Visit: 8 Heads of Missions of ASEAN countries were supposed to visit Moreh border town on the 20th of September, 2010. Finally 7 of them, with a Director of DONER and other officials of Manipur state, made it to Moreh. At 9:30 am , the officials of Chandel District Administration and the community leaders of Moreh welcomed the visiting diplomats at Trade Centre, Moreh. The Kuki cultural band gave Pengkul ( local trumpet) salute in honour of the Diplomatic guests at Trade centre, Moreh

The Team: The High Profile Visitors were:

1. HE Gen (Retd) Andi Muhammad Ghalib,. Ambassador,
    Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia.
2. HE Dato Paduka Haji Sidek Ali,
     High commissioner, High commission of Brunei Darussaiam.
3. HE Mr. Thongpanh Syackhaphom ,
    Ambassador, Embassy of People's Democratic Republic.
4. HE Dato Tan Seng Sung,
    High commissioner, High Commission of Malaysia.
5. HE Mr. Kyl Thein, Ambassador,
    Embassy of the Union of Myanmar.
6. HE Mr. Calvin Eu,
    High commissioner, High Commission of the Republic of Singapore.
7. HE Mr. Krit Kraichitti,
    Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand.

The Arrangements: Under the efficient leadership of Respected Chief Secretary of Manipur, Sir D.S Poonia, the concerned departments of the Government of Manipur got cracking from the first week of September. In the run-up to the important HoM arrival at Imphal, several rounds of meetings were held in the brilliantly revamped and office chamber of the C.S. The departments executed their responsibilities well in time and with promptness.
           HE Calvin Eu, and HE Data Paduka Haji Sadek Ali, HCs of Singapore and Brunei


                                                     Ambassador of Thailand to India


                                                         At the Pagoda, Tamu
                                       Lunminthang Haokip at DC/Tamu Premises

                   HoMs refreshed at the office premises of the Chairman, DPDC, Tamu

                                                                 HoMs with Tamu Officials


The delegated Charges: The GAD was the overall in-charge department for providing hospitality, site-visits, cultural entertainment and presentation of gifts to the HoM team who were put up at the state capital's swanky Classic hotel. Commerce and Industries department co-ordinated the Moreh/ICP-site visits while the Manipur Police took stock of the security for the VIPs. As usually done, Assam Rifles provided facilities for stop-over breakfast for the HoM team on their way to Moreh and back at Tengnoupal.

The Short Stay: Thanks to the efforts of the Department of Industry and Commerce coupled with hard work put in by MANIDCO, the new imposing building of ITISFC, Moreh could be inaugurated in time on 19 September, 2010 by Shri Y. Erabot, Hon'ble Minister, Ind & Comm, CAF & PD and Co-Operation. The Heads of Mission, with their personal staff and spouses in tow, were the first to occupy the VIP rooms of the Integrated Trade Information and Stay Facility Centre, Moreh. Lunch was arranged to be served at the ground floor dining hall of the new paint-fresh Stay Facility Centre.

The Tamu Visit: This writer who is the head of Administration at the cutting edge of Moreh Block, took pains to get unofficial permit for the visiting diplomats to visit Tamu town on 20 September, 2010. The Myanmarese authorities granted Verbal permit for the said purpose on 19 September last. The Chairman, DPDC, Tamu, Mr. Kaung San Oo, also co-operated in this regard. The Ambassadors enjoyed the new places they treaded and took glances upon for the first time. Due to pressure on time, they had to make a vehicular round of Tamu and Namphalong market complexes. There was no time to shop till one drops.

Interactions Galore: The High commissioners and the Ambassadors' visit had a lasting impact on the residents of Moreh and Tamu. They were informal in their interactions with the officials of the state. The bonding had much to do with similarity of physical features they share with the local people. The ice was broken in no time. Curious to know more about Moreh, Tamu and the much hyped-up Asian Highway and Border Trade, the Diplomats gave as much information as they took from the visited.

Ambassador of Thailand: HE Mr Krit Kraichitti, Ambassador of Thailand to India, showed keen interest in exploring the potential to initiate trade relations between his advanced country and North East India. When asked about the preparedness of Thailand to provide road linkage for trade between Myanmar on the western side and Laos and China on the eastern and northern sides, the charming Diplomat said that Thailand had already readied its highways and bridges on Mekong river for international highway rubbery. They are now waiting for Myanmar and India to upgrade portions of their highways to ASEAN standards.

The Site Visits: The entourage of the Ambassadors had to return to Imphal for other appointments in the same evening. So, the site visits were brief. The first stoppage of the inspecting team was the warehouse and Land Custom infrastructure across Moreh's Gate no. 1 on their way to Tamu. The next stop was predictable -the Pagoda near Tamu's only golf course. The long-winding motorcade was then directed to head straight for the office premises of the Chairman, District Peace and Development Council, Tamu where they chit-chatted over a cup of tea for a while before they moved back to Trade Centre, Moreh.

The Light Moments: The visiting dignitaries relaxed themselves after joining the VIP buffet at ITISFC, Moreh's restaurant-cum-dining hall at around 1:45 pm. Lunch time was the only time when the state officials could discuss social and cultural issues of mutual interest with the visiting team members. The ambiance was made all the more informal by the friendly socializing initiative exhibited with brotherly affinity by HE Mr. Calvin Eu, the High Commissioner of Republic of Singapore. The buffet items put our state in a good light. The chef of the day deserved a pat on the back as I could see the man from the land of high dietary taste, HE the Ambassador of Thailand to India, appreciatively relishing the gourmet items on the table without batting an eyelid.

The Departure: At 3 pm, the high profile guests of Moreh were geared up for their way back to Imphal. With smiles of gratitude, the DC, Chandel, Mr H. Deleep Singh and the ADC, Moreh, with a heavy sigh of a forlorn wish that the delegation stayed longer, saw the ASEAN Heads of Missions off. It will take some time for the small town residents of Moreh to recover from the hangover of the reassuring high profile visit.

The Days gone By:
Moreh | Sept, 11: Crossing the Border for The Cross: I was invited to preach in IBC - Immanuel Baptist Church, Tamu, Myanmar. The 500 odd membership Church had half of its members attending the Sunday morning meeting on that day. The singing was full-throated, the music passable and leaders enthusing. It was always my pleasure to have been offered the pulpit there in the lively congregation of Sagaing Division's north west border town.

Tithe-Hype: One thing that attracted me inside the church building was the writing on the wall, "Lung-tup: ......Kyats; Musa: ........Kyats". Translated roughly, the writing meant, " Target (Tithe): .....Kyats; In Hand: .......Kyats". The notification on tithe-stats was simple, succinct and straight. The preliminaries of church, service, however, were not. I liked their sense and style of brief dialect usage. brevity, certainly, is the soul of wit; if not of soul-winning.

                                                        IBC Choir Presenting Group song

                                                            IBC Church Half-fill


                                                    IBC Church Tamu Leaders
     
The Message: The text was taken from Ecl. 1: 1 to 11. King Solomon lamented over the earth and its inhabitants as a Scientist (Nothing is changed -v. 4-7) first and later as a Philosopher(Nothing is new; v. 8-11). The end-result of everything he did with great hopes turned out to be vanity. What the king of wisdom kindled but left unsaid was that the only things of spiritual value, that would keep us in good stead, in the life beyond death, are the ones we do reluctantly, now, for our Lord. To that I added my own experience on the Solomonic line of thinking.

The Key Players in IBC: Pastor Thangkhopao Haokip runs the show in IBC affairs. He conducts the services in the Baptist congregation. The fact that the Pastor enjoys the support of a motivated team of fellow-workers makes his job easier. Rev Khupthang, the General Secretary of KVTBA, under the fold of which which IBC comes, seldom throws his weight around IBC affairs. He has better things to do in the Lord's vineyard. KVTBA stands for Kabaw Valley Thadou Baptist Association. The prominent NW Myanmar Christian Association is anchored to ZBC, Falam, Chin Hills-based Zomi Baptist Convention of Myanmar.

The Crutches: Mrs Tingkholam takes good care of the Women issues of Immanuel Baptist Church, Tamu. Flaunting a permanent smile wherever she goes, the Women leaders had given a run for her male colleagues in her organisational set-up. Fresh from a Theological course done in Bangalore in India, Brother Douthang is the vibrant Youth Pastor of IBC. A close interaction with the Youth leader made me convinced that not every student of Theology takes the course to be a Me-ology.

GGMI To Make Its Tamu Debut: God willing, Go Gospel Ministry International is going to hold its first service in the outhouse hall of IBC on 19 September, 2010. The idea is to evangelise Tamu and its neighborhood through Gospel music and searching sermons. The medium of preaching will be English interpreted in Burmese. The target: Every community of Tamu. Soul in hand: Nil.

Attached below is the GO GOSPEL theme song that I wrote in 1997. The Go-Gospel Concert song had gone global with the Amazing Voice of Zoram, AVZ C. Lalhmingmawii making it a part of the recently launched Gospel Goes Global Video album.

GO GOSPEL
Author: Lunminthang Haokip

1. Love of men makes the world go round,
Love of God saves many who are hell-bound;
Sway of the crores lures the world to strife,
Way of the cross leads the soul to life;
That you love’s the way you want to go,
Let’s love the Lord and Gospel’s way go.

Say no to yourself and life of ease,
Say no to old-self and type that tease;
Things that please you are food for the flesh,
Links that bless you will the soul make fresh;
Turn shy from thy stray, it’s God’s good spell,
Let’s deny ourselves and go Gospel.

2. In the morning, ev’ry news is a bad news,
In ev’ry mourning, sorrow’s deal is due;
Greed to grab serves demands overdose,
Losers spared to breathe pay thru their nose;
If there’s no cease-fear in this sad spell,
It’s because we don’t live the Gospel.

3. Go ye, says the Lord, ye preach and teach,
What you get freely, give and reach each;
We go- but the pace is really slow,
We give but not fit to make ‘em grow
His voice let’s listen, set to hasten
That the earth by Gospel be shaken.

~ Lunminthang Haokip 

By: Lunminthang Haokip
“To the backblock settler, Old Lambulane is as developed as Delhi is to us". This thought-provoking remark came from none less a personage than the highbrow bureaucrat, L. Gangte, IAS, who grew up in and had known the by-lanes of Old Lamb (OL) like the back of his palm. Thanks to the Lambus of the British Raj who had the foresight to found a colony exclusively for their ilk right in the heart of Imphal town, scions of successive generations of Old Lamb-ians had almost always been jet-set trend-setters.

By: Lunminthang Haokip
Introduction : On 13 August, 2005, nearly all the roads of Sadar Hills led to roam around Kangpokpi T.D-built Community hall. At 10 am the crowd had already swelled up and the 600-capacity auditorium threatened to burst in the seams. In the part- Sadar Hills administration and part-SSA, Sadar Hills-sponsored musical jamboree, the invitees were not the usual stuff. Some of them couldn't walk, some couldn't talk and others couldn't see and hear. One thing they shared in common, however, was social neglect and imagined hope that was partially addressed that day.

By: Lunminthang Haokip
Introduction: The ever-increasing craving to know what happened where, when and how make members of myriad families vie with one another to first grab the lettered daily home-de¬livered broad-sheets called local newspapers. In a state like Manipur where bundhs fluctuate for¬tunes and punctuate the pace of life, the propa¬ganda published in the print media, usually set the agenda of the day.

By: Lunminthang Haokip
The Small-Towner: Travelling always is a fascination for any level-headed person with a penchant for the good things of life. Itís even more so for the educated ambitious and curious small-town smarty reveling in subconscious big-city dreams. The itch to step out of one's age-old surroundings is all the more tempting for one who dwells in the remote sub-Himalayan regions of N.E. India. He is the incurably footloose individual well-liked for his flair to spin yarns about the places and people he reads about in print-media.

Lunminthang Haokip  
L.Thinglhangphai,16th August 2010: The 15th of August was a sad day for my family. After a prolonged illness, my younger brother, Tongjakhup Haokip, resident of L. Thinglhangphai village in Chandel District, Manipur, India, left us all for the life beyond death.

By : Lunminthang Haokip
ORIGINAL IDEAS: Philosophers down the ages vied with one another to give the best definition of education. To Aristotle, it meant a succinct, "Creation of a sound mind in a sound body." Plato was more eloquent, "I mean by education that training which is given by suitable habits to the first instincts of virtue in children". The definitions evoke profound thoughts but, at the same time, invoke one's sensibility to disagree a bit that the statements, despite reflections of high intellectual potency, partly border on rhetorical idealism.

Lunminthang Haokip 
The Background: “A small town is a town where every visitor is a new-comer; and continues to be so even when he re-visits after lapse of ten years”, an old adage said. Border township of Chandel district in Manipur State is one such place. Crowds mill in and zip out of it every day, except on bundh-days. No invitation. No felicitation. No celebration.