ZO-Naga and Bnei Menashe triangle: Are we redefining the Menashe

By Yochanan Phaltual

When India attained independence in 1947, North East India has been cut out into many small states, each imbued with the British ideology of encouraging ethnic, sub-ethnic, religious and linguistic identities. The divisions of states based on claims and counterclaims of vague ethnic constituencies and borders resulted in instability of the whole Northeastern states till today.

  

The categorization of the so-called tribal groups remained a bubbling cauldron and vulnerable to secessionist movements. To name few among the myriad of tribes classified by the British which try to achieve a “Nation” status were the Kuki,Chin,Mizo,Naga and Zomi (post colonial entry).  The revivalist-cum-awakening movement for tribes and ethnic conglomerations has the objective to establish a Sovereign State or Autonomous settlement by unifying their self-inclusive tribal/sub-ethnic cognates in all their inhabited areas in the North East India, Burma and Bangladesh.

The unifying movements led to the demand for ZALENGAM by the Kuki, NAGALIM by the Nagas and MIZORAM by the Mizo. Mizoram attained the status of ‘state’ in 1987 after a period of armed insurgency starting in the 1960s by the Mizo National Front (MNF) under Pu Laldenga. And the Zo Reunification Organization (ZoRO) established at Champhai in Mizoram in 1988, as a political forum to unify the ZO race is gaining ground with the President Pu Thangmawia and Kuki National Organization (KNO) President Pu PS Haokip sharing the same ideology and working in close tandem.

Meanwhile, about forty years ago there was another re-awakening and consciousness movement in Churachandpur among the Kuki- Chin-Mizo-Zomi groups postulating themselves as the LOST TRIBE OF ISRAEL. These groups were a non-political organization but, purely a religious group trying to embrace and revive the creed and belief of the once long lost identity of MANMASI, a biblical version of MENASHE.

The Menashe movement gains momentum under vile and discrimination with the establishment of “formal Judaism” from 1976 in Churachandpur in Manipur and further propelled by connection and helped from AMISHAV under Rabbi Eliyahu Avichail. A real powerful movement and internationalization of the issue of MENASHE began with the worked and assistance of the SHAVEI ISRAEL organization under Pu Michael Freund since 2003. There is no turning back as the issues of the Bnei Menashe now crisscrossed all sections of societies and organizations and touching even states governments on both sides of the country- India and Israel

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On the other side, the ZO Reunification movement gain ground under the aegis of ZoRO and KNO. At last year Chavang Kut in Moreh, the unity championed by the two organizations bore fruits as there were high profile dignataries of the Kachin from Burma, the Konyak from Nagaland, the Karbi from Assam, the Heimi from Arunachal Pradesh and, the Zaliangrong from Tamenglong (Manipur). PS Haokip in his key note speech, clarify and dispel certain misgivings that have been propounded concerning their identity by declaring  them as blood brothers of the Kukis. Manipur Deputy CM Gaikhanngam Gangmei as Chief Guest of the events also expresses his subscribtion of the Zaliangrong Nagas as kindred of Kukis.

On May 2014 at the Third Session of United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)at New York in USA, Pu Thangmawia and PS Haokip stated the oneness of the Zo people and the right to be a single political entity. According to PS Haokip's UNPFII speech,Kuki, Mizo, Kachin and Chin collectively comprises the ZO people.

At M.Songgel in Churachandpur, in March 2013, Prof. Za Gun from Kachin state shared his views on similarities of dialects, customs and culture between the Kachin and the Kuki. In 2013 ZoRO conferences in Moreh and Saikul, the Kukis of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and Tripura sent representatives. And in February 2015 at Kholmun playground in Churachandpur, the 123 anniversary of Fort William Calcutta was celebrated by ZoRO and attended by dignitaries from Zaliangrong . The conference is to marked the British effort to resolved to put the ZO divided race together in the historic Chin-Lushai (Mizo) conference held at Fort William Calcutta in January,1892. 

In January 2015, the 10th anniversary of Menashe Cultural Troupe (MCT) was held at B.Vengnuom community hall with PS Haokip and Dr HH Mate as Chief Guest and Guest of Honour respectively. On this historic day PS Haokip clearly affirmed that all the ZO were descendent of Menashe and the same theme is equally accorded by Dr Mate.

So, is the issue of Bnei Menashe is to be politicize by using as an umbrella  organization and what seems to be the future?

When we feel the slow political wind of change, there is also a new development in the Bnei Menashe Organization (BMC) which spring forth a parley of debate and discussion.The BMC admission of hardly a minyan of 15 Nagas families following Judaism religion from Khoupum and Tupul area in November 2014 sparked off controversial and contradicting opinions, with most people not able to sober up.

There is nothing to panic about the issue. If we approach by the present political movement of unification we can say somehow that they were part of the Kuki. And at the same time those few groups also claim to be related to the SINGSON/SINGSIT sub-clan of Kuki.

There are two groups presently in the Naga society which follow Judaism and assert to be Kuki. One group is the Zaliangrong group of Tupul and Khoupum area and the Chakpikarong  (Chandel disrtict)Anal group. The Anal, Mayon, Monsang, Chiru and Maring were OLD KUKI according to William Shaw's (1929) "Notes on Thadou-Kuki".

The two periphery group has had contact with the Bnei Menashe Council in India (BMC) since the early 1990s when they were professing Messianic Christianity faith. In 1992 they attended a lectured on "faith of Judaism-Christianity dichotomy" by Pu Makkabi Touthang at  Old Lambulane in Imphal at "Shalom Inn" of (late) Pu JK Gangte's. During.During the BMC Presidenships of Pu Makkabi Touthang, Pu Amihud Phaltual and Pu T.Aviel Hangshing, the group came to meet them many times and the BMC leaders welcome without any objection of their request for admission into Judaism but, their request of their tribes to become a Bnei Menashe was unacceptable on the ground that it is more of political issue and the BMC being merely a religious organization.

As the previous and the current BMC's leaders wills to take the group into the fold of Judaism, there is nothing inconsiderable of the decision to be within the fold of BMC,for Judaism is open to any person. 

BUT, can anyone wanting to become a Bnei Menashe acceptable and who really are the Bnei Menashe ?

The Bnei Menashe were one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel and that in their exile lands they were known under the classification of ethnic groups such as the Kukis, Chin, Mizo and Zomi.

The Nagas are not Bnei Menashe and they have not even one clues or folk-songs or tales to prove to be a Menashe. They traced their origin to be somewhere from mainland China or Southeast Asia.Nagaland state officially recognizes 17 Naga tribes in 2012. Prominent among them were the Sumi,Angami,Ao,Konyak,Lotha,Zaliangrong (Zemi,Liangmai and Rongmei),Mao,Tangkhul,Chiru,Maring,Moyon,Maram, etc.

The big question arise - How is it possible that some Naga tribes can be blood brothers of Kukis? According to "theory of human migratory", the inflow of migrants  over a period of century has caused friction of population (due to intermarriage) which continue till today. So, some Kukis over the past might had married the Nagas as some case of today and became part of the community and just because of this it would be wrong to say that one whole particular tribe of the Nagas is Kuki.

The Nagas apex civil-cum-political bodies like the Naga Hoho in Nagaland and the United Naga's Council (UNC)in Manipur will never allow and accept any Naga tribes to be officially annex outside the Naga society. In the early 1980s a local research scholar Pu Thangsei Singson of Phungchongjang (the village vanished during the Naga-Kuki crisis) in Tamenglon district was so successful in his genealogical research work that many of Pamei and Rongmei Nagas claims to be Singson,Misao,Chongloi and Hangshing. Sadly, he stopped his fieldwork after he received death threats from the NSCN(IM).

There is wide and different approach and objectives between the Unification movements and the Bnei Menashe. Though we need to have cordial understanding with them,we have different problems and concerns for the Bnei Menashe people in diaspora and in Israel. Our future have many challenges and let me mention only four points.

One, the population of Bnei Menashe is only around 7000 as recorded by the Israeli government. The number cannot remain the same in the news and media after every aliya.There will be a breakout time and what if it happen.The growth of Bnei Menashe is slow but it is irreversible and we are on the march. A time can come when people embraces Judaism in droves and there will be new thinking and big movement but that's still a far distance from now

Two, anyone cannot be Bnei Menashe and not everyone can use the banner of Bnei Menashe to make Aliyah. We do not make aliya just because we are clubbed together as Kuki,Mizo,chin and Zomi but, rather because we are the Bnei Menashe of  Kuki,Mizo,Chin and Zomi people observing the religion of Menashe, that is, Judaism. For Aliya you should be a Bnei Menashe Judaism.

Three, the seemingly simple issue of the new members under the supervision of BMC can have big problem in the distant future, as it will surely effect the Naga and Kuki society  like nuclear chain reactions because their seemingly dual status of Kuki and Naga will be a bone of contention. And, ultimately it will have bad ramification in Israel. If those few group remain static, that will be fine. However, if their growth rate in Judaism bloom in 10/20 years, there will a political upheaval and not a sign of peace.

Lastly, we the Bnei Menashe will one day be the pillar and bastion of the Chin,Kuki,Mizo and Zomi . In the coming days, every political organizations and unification movements will aspire to use the name  MENASHE or ISRAEL as a generic name to cobbled all nomenclatures under Menashe umbrella. And here we should always remember that our greatest source of strength and power is and will always be TORAH AND MITZVOT.

We should think long-term and built for the future.

# The writer is a contributor of articles to the largest circulated English News Paper "The Sangai Express" and "Eimi Times" in Manipur.

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OBAMA IS THE MOST ANTI-ISRAEL AMERICAN PRESIDENT EVER

By Yokhanan Phaltual

 It was 2009, I first saw Barack Obama in his nationwide televised presidential election campaign speech with the slogan “Change we believe in”. He is a gifted speaker who captivated his audiences. He ran for President as a pro-Israel candidate, but unfortunately his record tells a different story. This President has done more to delegitimize and undermine Israel’s position in the world than any other Presidents of the United States.

 US-Israel relations have been especially tense over the past weeks, with US President giving a particularly cold reception to Israeli Prime Minister’s Binyamin Netanyahu re-election. The many harsh statements that have been made over the past weeks are not in vacuum.

The multi condemnations are indeed a form of revenge from the Obama Administration against Bibi Netanyahu. The White House has three main motives, one revenge for Netanyahu’s speech in Congress (US Parliament). Two, frustration. It is no secret that they were involved in an attempt to bring down Netanyahu. The V15 campaign failed. Three, the US government’s attempt to shift the focus of negotiations with Iran to the Palestinian issue.

Obama’s sensitive relationship with Netanyahu was strained further by comments Netanyahu made in the closing moments of his successful campaign for re-election, saying a Palestinian state would not be established as long as he is Prime Minister. The remarks were widely interpreted as a rejection of the “two-state solution” that has been the basis of talks to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, brokered by the American administrations.

But the day after the elections, Netanyahu was quick to backtrack on his statement, arguing that he was not rejecting a Palestinian statehood in principle, but responding to a reality in which the Palestinian Authority has a political pact with the Islamist group Hamas, under which statehood would be unacceptable. However, Obama is still hurt and cannot get over it.

For  the last six years, Obama has acted as if the biggest threat to American security is the Israeli government and the Likud party, and not Iran, which is on the rampage all the way to the Mediterranean, and even into Yemen, and which is on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. For six years, Obama has failed to develop a relationship of trust and reliable and quiet communication channels with the Israeli Prime Minister. Obama wanted Israel and its PM to bend to his demands, he repeatedly called for Israel to implement “a two-state solution” and return to the suicidal borders of 1967.

 Twelve Jewish Congressmen recently conveyed a massage of cease-and-desist to US President regarding his persistent attacks on Netanyahu after the latter’s re-election. Obama is just upset about what Netanyahu said ruling out a two state solution, but Obama didn’t need to keep reminding them and everyone else. He had to stop acting as if the Israeli PM’s comments are the only thing holding up a peace process that’s been abandoned for a year while not expressing a word of disappointment about Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the provocative recognition bid at the United Nations.

 Obama is a bit out of control, as his days in White House are coming to an end in next year, he is desperate to accomplish something on foreign policy, and there is not one thing that the President can say “look what I accomplish”. Only his batch of honour will be the killing of Osama bin Laden during his first tenure as US President.

However, the relationship between Israel and United States is going to be fine despite the personal dispute Obama has fuelled. The American Administration’s treatments of the Jewish State sometimes have bumps on the road. Israel’s defiance of a US’s president is not new. And it is not the first time a President threatens or refused to support Israel when the Israeli PM deny to submit to the US demands.

Harry S. Truman was a great friend of Israel and good comrade of Chaim Weizmann, the first President of Israel. He was a key figure in the establishment of Medinat Israel. Still, when Israel was fighting for its very life in 1948, Truman imposed a crippling arms embargo that put the nascent Jewish state at a disadvantage against Arabs forces that has no difficulty obtaining arms. In 1956 Suez war, President Dwight D. Eisenhower vigorously opposed Israel’s involvement and threatened to cut off all aid to Israel if PM David Ben Gurion did not withdraw from the conquered Sinai area. Ultimately, Ben Gurion gave in the pressure in exchange for US guarantees to prevent Egyptian belligerence in the future.

When it became clear in 1967 (Six Day war) that Israel-Arab war is imminent, President Lyndon B. Johnson told Israeli PM Levi Eshkol that US would not support Israel. True to his word, after Israel struck Egypt and its allies, the US imposed arms embargo. In 1975 President Gerald Ford announced his intention to reassess relation with Israel to coerce PM Golda Meir into signing an agreement with Israel that at that time was heavily tilted toward Egypt.  In June 1981 President Ronald Reagan had withheld promised warplanes to Israel to punish it for destroying Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor and voted to condemn the action of Israeli PM Menachem Begin in the United Nations Security Council. Reagan also publicly criticized Begin in July 1982 bombing of the PLO headquarters in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut. And George W. Bush opposed loan guarantees because of Israeli settlement activity in West Bank and Gaza. He allowed Hamas terrorist organization to participate in Gaza election despite the objections of Israel.

The relationship between Obama and Netanyahu is not an exceptional; it constitutes rather a fulsome case in point. Obama and Netanyahu dislike each other over significant strategic portfolios of peace process issues, Syria, Gaza and Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Iraq, Yemen, and above all Iran. The White House’s use of gutter language “chicken shit” to describe PM Netanyahu is a prolific evidence of the anti-Israel administration of Obama.

It is still doubtful over whether Obama is interfering in Israeli elections in seeking regime change. The organization V15 (Victory in 2015) sprang up with the sole purpose of bringing down Netanyahu’s premiership to an end. V15 had brought on board Jeremy Bird, national field director for Obama’s 2012 election campaign. And V15 is explicitly campaigning for Herzog-Livni’s Zionist Union in partnership with OneVoice, an American non-profit organization that has close connectivity with Obama. 

We have to keep in mind Obama’s background. The people he surrounded himself during his election campaign include Prof. Rashid Khalidi, who was once a mouthpiece for Hamas. Barack Obama’s father was a Muslim from Kenya (Africa) and his mother was an American Christian from Kansas (US). Obama adopted a Muslim middle name ‘Hussein’. Only after he became politically ambitious did he declare himself to be a Christian, yet he never replaced his Muslim name ‘Hussein’.

Obama is hurt because his plan of making ‘lekhaim’ in the White House with Yitzkhak Herzog after the Israeli election is over is not going to happen. He is a bit out of control because he could not bring Israel under his command to solve the long outstanding Middle East problem. Anyway, the fallout between Obama and Netanyahu will not jeopardise the US-Israel relations as at the end of the day the ties between the two countries will continue to be strong and vibrant. Israel is the closest allies of the United States in the entire Middle East, Israel is the only country in the Middle East which shares the same democratic values and definitely America’s truest friend and one and only trustworthy ally in the region.  

This time around is the Jewish holiday of Passover. Obama need to pass-over his self-ego and pride of being the most powerful President in the world. He should read the writing on the wall- Don’t behave like Pharaoh.

Barack Hussein Obama may pursue in his election slogan ‘Change we believe in’, but he should also know and believe in positive change. He should restore the Washington-Jerusalem relationship until the end of his second and last term in Oval office in January 2017. Otherwise, he will go down in history as the most anti- Israel President of the United States.

Khag kasher v’sameakh to all readers of this Magazine.

## The writer is a contributor of articles to the leading English newspaper ‘The Sangai Express’ and ‘Eimi Times’ in Manipur.   

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GAZA WAR : A strategic victory claim by both sides, which is not :

By Yokhanan Phaltual.

An ambiguous open-ended ceasefire has been agreed between the Israeli and the Palestinians on 26 August 2014, which ended the Operation Protective edge. The war was the longest and bloodiest of three Israeli military campaigns waged against the Hamas in the Gaza strip since 2009 after the Hamas terrorist group took over the control of Gaza from its arch-rival Fatah in 2007.

Gaza-airstrike

Both sides claimed winners and both sides got criticism from all corners. It is possible to talk about who did well and who emerged weaker in this conflict. But from the war neither side got the concessions and demands it was seeking.

 At a glance Hamas looks like it came out ahead. Before Israel’s Operation protective Edge, Hamas was politically isolated, financially bankrupt and unable to pay its civil servants  the circumstances forces Hamas to reconcile with its  arch opponent Fatah by forming the Unity government in April 2014. In this context, the war was a welcome endorsement. Hamas, for the third time in five years, confronted one of the world’s best armies and managed to hold on to power, calculating correctly that Israel would never embark on long and bloody ground war in order to  topple it. The Hamas rockets sent people across southern Israel running into shelters, killing six Israeli civilians, including one foreign worker from Thailand, and paralyzed most international flights at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International airport for two days in July. Israel’s economy took a relative hit and there was a resurgence of anti-Israel demonstrations and pro-Palestinian rallies in many European countries and South America.

 Two of Hamas’s major sponsors and backers, Iran and Qatar, have hailed the ceasefire agreement it reached with Israel as a victory and thanks the Hamas and the Palestinians for the resistance and sacrifices during the 50 days conflict. Qatar, which is home to Khaled Meshaal, the exiled chief of the Islamist Movement Hamas, was ready to contribute to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip as soon as possible. They praised the Hamas for stubbornly and flatly rejecting Israel’s lone demand of disarming Gaza.

Unfortunately, the conflict which began on July 8 when Israel launched Operation Protective Edge has cost the lives of 2143 Palestinians and 72 (65 IDF soldiers and 7 civilians) on the Israeli side. Gaza has been set back decades. More than 5000 houses were destroyed and thousands were damaged and on the verge of collapse. Gaza has been suffering water and electricity shortages. Three hundred thousand residents-15 % of its population- turned into homeless refugees within the small enclave of Gaza. Hamas’s 32 attacking tunnels have been demolished. Its rockets and mortars shells reduced to a residual arsenal of 20 percent- from 10,000 to approximately 2000.

Some observers think Hamas got the better end of the ceasefire deal. Hamas got a number of its pre-war demands and Israel agreed to let more construction materials through the crossing than before. But, actually Hamas got anything except that which had been offered at the start of the military campaign. The ceasefire terms are not all that different from the terms after the 2012 Gaza war. In theory Israel and Egypt agreed to all Gazan greater freedom of trade and movement, but will it really happen in practice. Israel and Egypt plan and hope it will ensure weapons; ammunitions and any dual-use goods are prevented from flowing into Gaza. If it actually happens, this could be a huge deal. The Palestinian Authority (PA) hasn’t had a major security presence in Gaza since Hamas kicked it out during the 2007 Palestinian civil war. Therefore, there is one major novel provision of the ceasefire deal, the PA, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to take over responsibility for administering Gaza’s border from Hamas, or at least more power. Fatah could be in a position to turn that security control into actual political gain in Gaza, at Hamas’s expense.

The war weakened Hamas militarily and politically. Hamas popularity is in jeopardy. Hamas has established a reign of fear and terror. The massive public executions during the war of alleged traitors and collaborators indicate that there’s small and growing bubble of opposition to it. Nevertheless, the overall temporary bump in popularity that it got is likely not to recede fast as it is unclear yet if Israel and PA are able or willing to take advantage of the opportunity.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, the real index with which to check Israel gain or loss is against the war’s declared aims, that is, quiet and stability. The leading trio, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Israel Defence Force (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. General Benny Gantz, who have shown reason and self restraint in order to avoid more casualties, were determined not to surrender to populist voices, including from the cabinet colleagues. The trio decided the war neither to occupy Gaza nor topple the Hamas regime.

Israel PM Netanyahu hails great diplomatic and military blow to Hamas. He said that Hamas absorbed a blow that it hasn’t absorbed in its history. He attempted to respond to the outpouring of criticism for his unilateral decision in which he sealed a ceasefire deal with the Hamas by commenting that the Hamas has been critically hit and didn’t receive any of the demands it set. He further stated “When the mission of destroying the tunnels was completed we pulled the forces back so as to prevent Hamas from killing our soldiers or abducting them from the tunnel- goals they were waiting for. Still we continued to strike from the air and killed around 1000 terrorists of the enemy, including military officials in the command echelon. The Hamas demanded a seaport, an airport, the release of prisoners and Qatari and Turkish intermediaries, but didn’t get them”.

Despite Netanyahu’s positive spin on the campaign, Gaza belt Israeli leaders slammed the ceasefire as surrender. Several Ministers in Security Cabinet opposed the deal, but were not given the opportunity to vote in it. Even as the PM touted a great military and diplomatic achievement against Hamas, a new poll showed the Israeli public overwhelming disagrees with his assessment and overwhelmingly disagrees with his leadership. The poll which was conducted by Shiluv Millward Brown and iPanel found that a full 59% of Israelis felt Israel did not win in the war. A paltry 29% said the Operation Protective Edge was an Israeli victory.

The Gaza war looks like finally over with the ceasefire agreement signed on 26 August under Egyptian intermediaries. If the current ceasefire itself is just a ceasefire, it will depend on how the ceasefire is implemented and talks the build on it. Discussion of key demands like seaport and airport in Gaza, and swap of hundreds of terrorists for the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in the Operation in a month time will depend on genuine and serious negotiation between the Palestinians and the Israeli.

But, the problem is – will the two parties willing to make concessions? They are unlikely, since the Israeli PM has been extremely hesitant to make major concessions in this area even under heavy American pressure in late 2009. The talk is unlikely to change that as the right-wing members of Bibi Netanyahu’s coalition opposed the ceasefire deal, at least publicly. Netanyahu’s governing coalition depends on right-wing parties, including his own Likud list. He is improbably to jeopardize his conservative base by helping the Palestinians now.

 While the two factions Fatah, headed by PLO and PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas have been at loggerheads ever since Hamas defeated Fatah in the 2006 Gaza elections, and then began a bloody purge of Fatah party members which triggered prolonged and deadly clashes between rival terrorist militias.

 The reconciliation is coming under increase strain when Israeli Intelligence- Shin Bet- reveals during the war that a Hamas cell in West Bank had planned a coup of its own against the rule of Mahmoud Abbas. And another reason for the growing tension is that some 40,000 Hamas employees in Gaza have not been paid their wages for months, while Fatah party employees continue to receive theirs even if they hold no official position under the Hamas regime there. And like before the PA will be wary of handing foreign donors’ money to Hamas. The Palestinian Authority (PA) denied to pay backlogged wages of Hamas and thus wage war between “unity partners” continues.

The big question is – can the two rival factions form a collective platform against Israel in striking deals?

Having said all that much depends on the ceasefire being honoured and the outcome of the process of negotiations. Only then will it be possible to declare the winners and losers.

(The writer is a columnist in “Sangai ” Daily Newspaper and contributor to Menashe Hayom’s Magazine, served as Shavei Israel Administrator in India and made aliyah this year.)

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ANTI-SEMITISM: OLD WINE IN NEW BOTTLE

~ By Yochanan Phaltual

 

The hideous unfolding of events for the last few weeks in New Delhi in relation to racial attacks against the people from Northeast has raised many question and eyebrows. The incident at Lajpat Nagar where an Arunachali student silly grudge of hair colour had caused his dead. Again in Munirka it was followed by a gang rape of a minor girl hailing from Churachandpur of Manipur. Subsequently, as if it were not enough a gang of bikers beat up a northeasterner in a day light marketplace.

 

Such unwanted series of incidents cannot be taken as co-incidence. It was racism in its truest colour.

 

I was once a college student in New Delhi and had seen many unpleasant ordeals of Northeasterners as objects of mockery, taunting and harassment. The Northeasterners were taken for a Nepali or a foreigner from Thailand or China. My friend once being asked by local Delhilites from where he hailed. He replied “Manipur”. But they sneered and further asked where this Manipur is located. And being annoyed my friend replied sarcastically – America! At this juncture, I think it is fair to mention the main reason why the Northeasterners often used the term “Mainland India” even though they are citizen of India.

 

They hated the Northeasterner people just because they are DIFFERENT. This is racism. And the most ludicrous racism is Anti-Semitism that repeated endless times in history. The Amelekh and its offspring’s the villain Haman and Hitler hated the Jewish people just because they were DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

 

From Holocaust denier to Obama naïve Middle East peace policy, his Secretary of State John Kerry’s threatening of Israel with boycotts if peace talks fail, many European countries far-right party political rally against the Jews, injustice jailing of Jonathan Pollard for 29 years over the charged of spying for Israel, the firebombs of Ukrainian Synagogue, 85% of UN resolutions passed in 2013 were against Israel, the Arabs and Islamic countries genetic diatribes against Israel and even the famous musical rock band “The Rolling Stones” plan to boycott their performance in Israel due to the accused state crimes against humanity were all just the historical truth of Anti-Semitic story.

 

Everyday purveyors of hate are having a field day with an INTERNET and FACEBOOK that provides unlimited and immediate access to spread all different forms of racism and Anti-Semitism. Imagine the numbers that would have been involved if HAMAN had had access to the Internet and Facebook.

 

The story of Purim (Book of Esther) recounts how the evil Haman sought to destroyed all the Jews in the Persian Empire because he hate one single Jew – Mordecai. Haman is sick with his pathological ego. This is understandable. But what is harder to understand is that how the average Persian across the empire rise up to kill the Jews even after Queen Esther reveals herself as a Jew.

 

Till today, though cloaked in modern esteem philosophy of democracy, human rights, liberty, crime against humanity and freedom, the problem of spreading lies and hatred about one group of people against another is probably as old as human kind.

 

Anti-Semitism is just an old wine in new bottle. Every problem has a solution, but whenever Anti-Semitism happens to a Jews, the solution becomes dissolution.

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BRIGHTER MANIPUR FOR BNEI MENASHE

Tulihal International Airport and Passport Office soon

~By Yochanan Phaltual

Manipur earned the epithet “Switzerland of India” from the Governor-General of British India, Lord Irwin (1926-1931) and the small state is call as the “Jewel of India” by the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-1964). The local native proudly calls their mother land as “Shana Leibak-Land of Gold”. After decades and years of tarnished image due to various reasons Manipur once again try to regain the lost prestige name.

Manipur is the gateway to Southeast Asia under the flagship policy of India’s “Look East Policy”. Huge potential of natural beauty for tourism, exotic wildlife (the famous Sangai deer), floating islands (Phumdi), Loktak (the largest fresh water lake “Loktak” in northeast India), exotic flower (Siroy Lily), the beautiful and serene tribal villages and the warmhearted locals were just a tip of the iceberg. The state could also tape the huge investment potential from Non-Residential Indians (NRIs) and financial institutions to help the economy of Manipur.

Imphal Tulihal International Airpot - Manipur

Last month, from 21 till 30 November, Manipur celebrated the Sangai Tourism Festival. Manipur is determined to hardsell their tourism potentials to the outside world. Ten days of cultural sublimation, musical concert and cultural extravaganza, sporting competitions (the popular international Pony-polo/sagol kangjei, originated from Manipur) and savory delicacies of all types and taste of peculiar Manipur cuisines marked the festival.

However, from a report of my friend from Nagaland visiting Manipur for the festival there is some drawbacks as far as choosing the venue is concerned. Sangai festival is annually held at Hapta Kangjeibung which is within the city boundary which causes big traffic problems. With the entry gates subjected to security checking and frisking, the visitors find it very hard to stand in the long serpentine queues to enter the gate after tight security checking. Since it is a tourism festival the Manipur government should study from its neighboring state Nagaland about choosing the place. The famous tourism festival of Nagaland called Hornbill Festival is held at Naga Heritage Village in Kisama village which is about 10 Kms away from Kohima city. This makes the program very successful with the beautiful landscape of Kisama village.

The most important outcome of the Sangai festival is the up-gradation of Tulihal Imphal Airport into Tulihal International Airport. The Golden Myanmar’s maiden flight from Mandalay city landed at Imphal Airport on November 21 for the Sangai festival. This is a milestone of India’s Look East Policy. The state government establishment of air connectivity between Imphal-Mandalay would bring about easier accessibility not only to Myanmar but also to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

The Chief Minister of Manipur O.Ibobi Singh and his counterpart the Chief Minister of Sagaing Division in Myanmar (a cluster of Bnei Menashe lives here) are keen to open road connectivity besides the air connectivity between Manipur-Kalaymyo-Mandalay.

The State Government has decided to ask the Government of India to relax PAP (Protected Area Permit. PAP system is relax for all foreign countries except for the citizens of China, Afghanistan and Myanmar) for Myanmar nationals. And Manipur government start working intensively to facilitate that VISA on arrival is open at Tulihal Airport and Moreh.

Another positive outcome of promoting tourism is the plan of having Regional Passport Office and VISA office open at Imphal. A cabinet meeting presided by the CM of Manipur held on November 29 has resolved to open Regional Passport Office at the Old Assembly Building as the building has been remaining vacant after the state assembly was shifted to the New Assembly Complex.

What will be the benefit for the Bnei Menashe?

Obtaining an Indian Passport is very difficult and problematic for Bnei Menashe in particular and the people of Manipur in general. The only regional passport office is located in Guwahati city in Assam for the 7 states of Northeast India. One spends a lot of money traveling to Guwahati to get a passport done. And they have been facing all sorts of troubles if a document is missing they have to fly back home (or to travel one way journey 20 hours by bus) and flew back to Guwahati to get their passport done. Being economically expensive it is a heavy burden and also a lot of inconvenience for the people of Manipur.

To have Indian Passport office at home state in Manipur is a cherished dream for each people particularly for the Bnei Menashe.

The Centre government in New Delhi has given written approval to the state government of Manipur in view of the increasing need for such an Indian Passport Office in the aftermath of the official recognition of Imphal Airport as an International Airport.

With Imphal Airport becoming an International Airport, who knows someday in the future we will see the international airlines from Israel landing in Manipur directly from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel-Aviv to pick up the Bnei Menashe making Aliyah.

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IS BNEI MENASHE LANGUAGE INDESPENSABLE IN THE HOLY LAND?

  By Yochanan Phaltual - Shavei Israel Administrator, India

Language is one instrument that serves to communicate people. It is an essential for conveying our thoughts and feelings and it is a means to express our mind in a way that involves our whole person.

Language serves as a bond of unity. We know that our language HEBREW is a sacred language with which G-d created the universe, and it is the Holy Tongue through which He gave us the Torah at Mount Sinai.

The use of sacred language is a tradition in the whole world. In Hinduism, the language of prayer is Sanskrit, which is no longer in use. In Buddhism, Pali is used, a language that today only Buddhist monks study. In Islam, Arabic is used for the sacred book Quran, which is also the language used only by the Arabs and not by every Muslims. In Christianity, Latin is the liturgical language, but today it is replace almost totally by vernacular language so much so that many Christians today could hardly recite a “Pater Noster (The Lord’s prayer)” in Latin.

Interestingly, like the olive oil of Khanukah, Hebrew language survives the test of all time. Hebrew remains a unifying force that has nourished the life of the Jews till today.

No doubt, Hebrew is our language and the key of Bnei Menashe to identify ourselves as a Jew. However, Israel is a land of “diversity in unity” as Jewish people from different parts of the world immigrated and settled there.

What about the Bnei Menashe language used in diaspora when living in the Holy Land, is it still valuable and indispensable?

Language is a culture and it is part of our identity. Like any other new olim (immigrants) in other countries, Bnei Menashe also has a hard time fitting into the larger society and culture. One of the most challenging is language. For the last 20 years, the small group of Bnei Menashe in Israel faces many problems of adaption. The children born in Israel and the younger immigrants are less likely (or not at all) to speak their “diaspora language” mainly because the schools they attend, the music they listen to, the television they watch and the language they used at home is Hebrew. This created a hiatus between parents and children relationship and not to speak at all the older immigrants.

The older generation being more protective of their culture heritage tends to keep themselves with the diaspora language. Isolationism of older generation from the new generation is a great threat due to language barrier.

However, under the aegis and new revolution created by the Shavei Israel, the speed of Aliyah is continuing and getting faster. One great side effect and side benefit is the breaking of the language obstacles.

To have a second language in Eretz Israel is like to have a second entity and soul. Bilingual of Bnei Menashe would in advertantly promote mutual understanding and sense of oneness among Bnei Menashe. It would also learn new way looking the world between the older and younger generation. Switching two languages will develop unity and will become an instrument of communication to influence personality, inspiration, comfort, appreciation, establish cordial relationship, settle dispute and make peace with in the Bnei Menashe community.

Our language of diaspora has been a gift of G-d and it has been in existence for more hundreds of years. Bnei Menase culture has a strong oral narrative tradition and the preservation of our language represents a preservation of our culture as well as our community.

We should not be shy to use and promote our diaspora language in Eretz Israel. Olim from the US and Europe also brought in their native language as a mark of their identity. To speak our diaspora language never makes us less a Bnei Menashe or a Jew. We find from the teaching of our Sages that our forefathers in the Bible like Yosef HaTzaddik, Moshe Rabbeinu and Mordeccai of Sushan were acquainted with 70 languages and this make them mastery over their peers.

The bottom line is learn and use Hebrew our Holy Tongue but also promote and advocate our diaspora language. Have pride in your culture.

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WAR OF ASSIMILATION

 By Yochanan Phaltual - Shavei Israel Administrator, India

The reason behind the Maccabean war is the clash between two totally different values and culture. The Greek trying to infiltrate the value systems to every culture they conquered.

When the Greek empire and its culture and ways of life reached the land of Israel, it met with incredible resistance from the Jewish people. Things came to a head when Antiochus, the Greek King finally outlawed the most essential practices of Judaism. The sages refused to back down and were willing to risk everything to preserve the Jewish way. The resulting conflict became the miraculous story of Khanukah.

Everywhere in the world there is as in the past a kind of resistance movements against other cultural invasions. Even in India during the colonial rule of the British, a resistance political movement by the Hindus against Western culture and values let to the foundation of Hindu Nationalism and the birth of the political party Bharatya Jana Sangh, the precursor of the Bharatya Janata Pary (BJP), the second largest political party in India next to the Congress (I) Party.

Today, the BJP champion the cause of Hindutva (Hinduness) and likewise the Shiv Sena party (chauvinist/extremist party) supported a broader Hindu Nationalist agenda. The Shiv Sena protested against the Western values like Valentine’s Day by accusing western civilization as misguiding the Indian youth when they have their own festivals like Holi and Diwali.

Even in China, the political power set up were constantly fighting to escape the grips of western cultures and values which can subservice the course of Chinese society. The Communist Party tries to eradicate or put under control the Western values like – constitution democracy, promoting universal values of human rights, notion of media independence, civic participation and the pro-market ‘neo-liberalism’.

So, the war of assimilation and infiltration continues.

We won the battle of assimilation and resistance over 2000 years ago on Khanukah, but our opponents like the Greek in the past still continue their invasion of alien culture. Then where is our battle field today? To be able to delineate the foreign values we should take note that assimilation takes its form in many different ways and in different degree.

We have Hellenized (assimilated) when we prefer to party and games and sports than to pray. We’ve assimilated when we care about what we look like on the outside and not what we feel like on the inside. We have assimilated when our chief goal is to accumulate wealth/economy rather than to be simply more spiritual and observant Jews. And we have assimilated when we host lavish Khanukah Kut celebrations with feast but fail to give the Kut an authentic Jewish education and Torah values.

The war that the chivalrous Maccabees fought for as they contact the alien culture still continues. Like the oil of the Khanukah refusing to compromise its uniqueness and never blending with other foreign harmful values, we dare not assimilate like the Maccabees.

As we burn the lights of Khanukah, let us bear in mind that we are the torchbearers of morality and civilization for all mankind – a light unto the nations. And let us re-illuminate the flames of redemption and Torah Ohr.

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KUT, OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE IN DESPAIR

Chavang Kut and Chapchar Kut: A Non-Traditional Modernity Showcase

By Yochanan Phaltual - Shavei Israel Administrator, India

In the past the Bnei Menashe celebrated several Kut (festival) in tune with the changing seasons of the year. There are many harvest festivals of the Bnei Menashe that have similarity with the Biblical Jewish harvest festivals.

Regrettably, the advance of Christianity and western cultures discarded many of our customs and tradition. Not only does it change the belief system but also the rites and rituals involved. However, change in the traditional culture does not mean getting rid or abolition of the same. There is continuity as well and this is the reason why some harvest festivals are still celebrated with pomposity, merriment and religious fervor. Kut is celebrated with jubilation when farmers finish harvesting their paddy crops after year long labor. People remember the Almighty G-d and the Creator and give thanks for His abundant blessings.

There are generally four kinds of Kut which were all related to agriculture and whose origin is lost in oblivion as it is based on oral tradition. They are Mim Kut (Festival of Grain/Maize harvest), Pawl Kut(winter harvest), Chapchar/Chapphou Kut (Spring harvest) and Chavang Kut (Autumn harvest).

Picture Source: Bombiel.com

 Kut is a culture and cultures are meant to safeguard the unique customs and tradition of certain ethnic group. These traditional Kut were celebrated with varied traditional fervor. Dances such as Saguol-Kengkhai, Suhtah Laam, Cheraw (Mizo bamboo dance), Phit Laam, Laam-kuol, etc. with indigenous sports like pestle-throw (Suhtum-kho), mithun -jump (Siel-Kal/Siel kungkal), Kibot/buontol kho (wrestling, traditional WWE) and others were showcased. Traditional musical instruments were played in competition such as Goshem (bagpiper), Theile (flute), Pheiphit, Lhem-lhei, Dah (Gong) and Dahcha (cymbals).

The modern day liberty and culture invasion brought about a sea change in the meaning and content of the festivals. With State government sponsorship and thanks to the initiation of political bigwigs, new elements were added to spice up the Kut flavor. It is unfortunate that attractive items like Fashion show, beauty contest (Miss Kut) and the likes which are not in any way essential to promote and imbibe the culture and tradition identity of the people were over emphasized.

In fact, the cultural aspects and elements of celebrating Kut festival have been reduced to MISS KUT CONTEST. The Christian Church lamenting the Kut becoming a kind of reckless license to drink and free-for-all brawl wrestling mania night. Poor Christian society tries to rectify the wrong things by influencing the Kut Committee in a bid to spiritually diversify against the popular Miss Kut contest and Beauty pageant, manage to stage a gospel Kut with the theme “Kut for Christ” in many places.  The result of change is clear and stark – Kut becoming a boring gospel musical show sans all the glam – frills and few crowd with the larger unholy and wild boozers.

Kut is our culture through which the outside world could identify who we are. We let it drain to dwindle in our un-holistic attempt to add more new elements of going with the modern times. Kut is not a showcase entertainment event. We should redefine the celebration in order to protect and relive our culture and tradition by using modern tools and elements.

Until a corrective measure is introduce, our esteem heritage (Kut) will be nothing less than an ULTRA-GLITZY KUT.

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DAWN OF THE NEW GENERATION

Shavei Israel’s Seminar for Bnei Menashe in Northeast India

By Yochanan Phaltual - Shavei Israel Administrator India

This Wednesday and Thursday night the Jewish High Holiday, Rosh Hashanah occurs and will usher a new beginning, one of continuation and sea change.

In the recent 275 Bnei Menashe Aliya were participated almost all local community Torah teachers called “Shavei Israel’s Fellows”. There is a deep sense of urgency and a need of keeping the ember of Torah education and Jewishness among the Bnei Menashe community. So, the Shavei Israel conducted the largest Seminar for Bnei Menashe in terms of participants. There were 94 people from Northeastern state of Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland and two young boys from Myanmar.

The Seminar was conducted under the supervision and Director of Seminar Rav Hanoch Avizedek. The staff includes Tzvi Khaute, Coordinator of Seminar, Rav Yehuda Gin, Rav Gurion Sela and extra-curricular activities in charge Miss Vered.

To be able to keep the continuation of Torah teaching and to be ready to face the new change by the Bnei Menashe, the Shavei Israel organized this Seminar at Sikkim, which is the smallest state of Northeast India.

So, for 25 days (1 – 25 August), the Seminar under the flagship “New Generation Bnei Menashe” and with the Theme – EARTH AND SKY, was held during the month of Elul which also marks the time of preparations for new start and new beginning for reconnection of Earth and Sky.

The first week with one Shabbat, we had our Seminar at Gangtok the capital city of Sikkim. There were 3 young boys (Eli Friedman, Uri and Dylan) from Ranana in Israel who had just finishes their high school. They teaches for a days about youth life and geography of Israel. It was a good experience for them and lots of social interaction program with the young guns of the Seminarian.

Though Gangtok being one of the most beautiful hills city of India, Rav Hanoch decided to change place and we shifted to a more calm and peaceful location. The new place is Yuksom (Yaksum), a whole one full-day journey from Gangtok and about a hundred kilometers on exciting, twisting and winding narrow roads.

Yuksam is a tiny village, the last base camp for treks to Kanchandzongha, the highest mountain peak of India and the third highest mountain in the world. It is a real get-away from the hustle and bustle city atmosphere of Gangtok. The place is quite beautiful that you can just be there and relax and gaze at the nature and you will not know where time would fly by. From our Hotel which is the best hotel in Yuksam – Yuksam Residency – we can see the majestic Himalaya mountain peaks covered with snow in clear sky morning.

It is here we are camping for 3 weeks learning the key or the bridge of “Earth and Sky”. The Seminarians learned from the Rabbis various basic subject of Judaism ranging from Emuna, Halacha and Mitzvot, Chagim, Shabbat, Hilkhot Yesodei HaTorah of Rambam and all daily practical mitzvoth. Besides, religious learning there were scores of extra-curricular activities of fun, entertainment, games, artistic and craftsmanship work (For example, making challah board and cover cloth with artistic design) from a very smart and talented yound Morah from Israel, Ms. Vered. She was truly the balm to the tired body and mind – a refreshing hub.

One day, in the middle of Seminar there was an outing and sporting program. We visited the oldest Buddhist Monastery of Sikkim called Dubdi Monastery which was built in 1701. It is located at the top of a hill about an hour’s walk by trekking up from Yuksam. The places were infested with leeches and no one of us has seen such battalion of this blood-sucking crawling worm in our lives. We also visited the coronation site of the first Monarch of Sikkim called “Throne of Norbugang or Coronation Crown”. Yuksam is the first capital of Sikkim and was established in 1642 and it is here the first Monarch was coronated.

A Seminar in such picturesque area with whooshing sound of the rushing waterfall near the village adds a soothing element to the serene ambiance and this is just an exterior education of appreciating the incredible scenery of Heavenly wonders on earth.

The 25 days of Seminar was a days of opportunity. As Elul month is a preparatory month for restart and return to our truest selves and the time for change, the SHAVEI ISRAEL always a harbinger of Bnei Menashe journey back to HOME, again sponsored the Seminar for the continuation of a new beginning for the New Generation Bnei Menashe.

The Seminar is a gift – a crash course in openness and truthfulness for new Shavei Israel’s Fellows. As Rav Hanoch said, like the first Seminar in the wilderness under Moshe Rabbeinu, Shavei Israel is continuing the Sinai tradition down to the Bnei Menashe.

And like our ancestors in the past, we know we have reason to be in the Seminar and of course the responsibility. With the new year in short days, Shavei Israel is presenting a special give to the Bnei Menashe – new Shavei Israel Fellows to guide and continue the old tradition and bring about new changes for the new generation Bnei Menashe.

A new dawn has just begun!

LeShanah Tovah Tikatevu Ve Gemar Khatimah Tovah!

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