User talk:Sianmang

Zogam (or Chinland, the political appellation mainly used to describe the envisioned unified and separate democratic nation-state) is the name for a territory, approximately 60,000 square miles (160,000 km2) in size, in Burma, India and Bangladesh. It is the traditional home of the Zomi, who lived in this area before the colonial period under British rulership.

It does not include Asho settlements in Lower Burma and Masho settlements in the Arakan (Burma). The area extends from latitude 25° 30’ North in the Somra tracts facing Mount Saramati, and in Nagaland across the Namtakik River and the North Cachar Hills, to about 20° 30’ North Latitude. The longitudinal extension is between 92° 10’ East and 94° 20’ east. The North-South length of the Zoram is roughly 350 miles (560 km) and East-West is generally about 120 miles (190 km) wide.

One Zomi folksong delineates the area of Zogam as follows:

“Penlehpi leh Kangtui minthang, A tua tong Zota kual sung chi ua; Khang Vaimang leh tuan a pupa Tongchiamna Kangtui minthang aw”

Free translation: (The famous Penlehpi and KangtuiBetween the two is the Zomi countryThe Southern King and our forefathersMade an agreement at the famous Kangtui) This old folk song tells of the area of the Zomi ancestral homeland, for Penlehpi is a Burmese word for the Bay of Bengal and Kangtui is identified with Tuikang (Chindwin River).

Zogam is within the land inhabited by the Zomi State in Myanmar and further the land inhabited by the Zomi in India and Bangladesh. Chinland is the founding name for the whole Zomi inhabited areas of land spread across three political and separate country/international boundaries. Lairam is another name used by the townships the Southern Chin Sate in Myanmar. Zogam tributary tribes who too called their land according to their own dialects. And all of them put together makes up a Greater Chinmi or Zomi. Zogam covers 1.the Whole Chin State, 2.Plain chins (lower lands), 3.Some part of Bangladesh until it reaches to the Bay of Zogam (Bay of Bengal), 4.Mizoram 5.Manipur (Churachanpur).

Therefore, Zogam is an indigenous identity of the Chin peoples together with the Kukis(Thado), Lushai(Lusei or Mizo), Pawi, Khalkha, Phalam and all Chinmi. Chinland (Zoram) thus equals to all the lands inhabited by these hill tribes collectively known as Chin people(Zomi), and they comprise of the Laimi, Tedimmi, Mara, Khumi, Zophei, Senthang, Lautu, Zotung, Manipur, Thado, the Zou, Simte, Paite, Milhiem and other tributary tribes.

The land occupied by the majority of the Zo people extends from a latitude of about 25 degrees 30 minutes North in the Somra Tracts facing Mt. Saramati, and in Nagaland across the Namtaleik River and the North Cachar Hills, to about 20 degrees 30 minutes North.

The Asho live further south of the Arakan Yomas, Irrawaddy valleys and Pegu Yomas (below Procne and Sandaway). All these areas fall between 92 degrees 10 minutes East and 94 degrees 20 minutes East. The north-south length of the Zo country is roughly 350 miles (500 km) and it is generally about 120 miles (192 km) wide.