Gilbert Renthlei

THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE 1914

Indopui 1-na thlen hunlai kum 1914 Krismas-a thil thleng chungchang hi mi tam takin an ziak tawh a. Ngaihnawm leh chhiar nuam tak chanchin a nih avangin i han thailang ve leh teh ang.

                He Christmas truce of 1914 tia hriatlar hi indopui 1-na hunlaua Western Front-a indo mek British leh German sipaite inkara hotute hriatpui loh inkahhai (unofficial ceasefire) a ni a. Tuma thu pawh nilova inkahhai neih anih hi hriatreng tlak a nihna lai a ni lo va, amaherawh chu he inkahhai phena Krismas thlarau awm hian he inkahhai hi a ti lar a, mi tam tak rilru a khawih a ni.

                Indopui I-na kha kan hre theuh awm e. July 28 1914 atangin a intan a, November 11, 1918 thleng a awh a nih kha. Hetih chhung hian khawvela ram thil tithei deuh chu he indonaah hian an inhnamhnawih deuh vek a. Chung ram hrang hrangte chu pawl hnihah inthenin Allies (Triple Entente) lamah United Kingdom, France leh Russia an tang ho a, Tripple Alliance lamah Germany, Austria- Hungary leh Italy te an tang ve thung a, mi tam takin an thih phah a, kum 4 chhung indonaah hian mihring million 25 chuang thi leh hliamin an awm a, khawvel politics a sawi danglamin nghawng pawh a nei lian hle a nih kha. Heti chung hian he indonaah hian chanchin ngaihnawm tak zu awm tlat a.

                Christmas Truce chu: Sawi tawh angin Indopui chu July thlaah a intan a, Europe ram chu indo thuthangin a luah hneh hle. Hmun hrang hrangah indona a thleng a, chutianga an indo mup mup lai chuan Paris khawpui lak tum German sipaite leh British sipaite pawh chu Belgium rama Flanders hmuna Ypres indomualah an inbei ve mek bawk a. A lehlam lehlam chuan Trench khur te laiin an tanhmun an sawh nghet sauh sauh a, an inkarah chuan thirlen an hung ve ve a, thir len leh thirlen inkarah chuan ram awl yard 30 vela zau ‘No Man’s Land” chu a awm a. Chumi ral leh ral atang chuan German leh British sipaite chu an in ralsai a, silaimu a leng nasa hle mai. Chutih lai huna hriattheih awmchhun chu silai puak ri, bomb puak ri leh hmelma sipai authawm chu a ni mai.

                Chutia inthah chimih vek tuma German sipaite leh British sipaite an indo lai chuan Urlawk zan, December 24 (Christmas Eve) a lo thleng a, Ypres, Belgium hmuna indo mek German sipaite leh British sipaite chuan chu zan eng no takah chuan kum hmasa lam, indopui chhuah hmaa an chhungte leh an thiante nena hlim taka Krismas an hman dan te chu an suangtuah let a, an khua a har tlang ngei mai. An indona hmun piah lawka sihal u raih raih thawm te chuan an lung len a belhchhah a, an mitthlaah thildang reng a lang thei lo.

German sipai ho chu Krismas thlarauvin a zem hneh bawk aniang, an trench khur kotlang leh an tanhmun hrang hrang chu an cheimawi tan ta. Thingkungah te leh hmun rem lai deuhah te chuan mombati chhiin Krismas tree lian tak mai an siam a, indona mualah chuan Krismas thlarau chuan a zem a, German sipaite chuan indona hmun a ni tih theihnghilhin Krismas lawm nan “Stille Nacht” (Zanthiang reh lai takin) tih hla chu an sa ta.

                Indona hmuna chutianga indo ngaihsak reng reng lova lo zai vel chu hundang angah chuan thil atthlak tak a ni ang. Mahse kum 1914 Krismas urlawk zana Ypres hmuna indo German sipaite erawh hi chu Krismas rau mak tak maiin a zem tlat avangin chu thil atthlak leh hlauhawm tak mai chu an tih a tul tlat si. German sipaite zem lunglengtu Krismas rau chuan a ep muala inkulh British sipaite pawh chu a zem ve reng mai hi a lo ni a. An ni pawh chuan German ho hlasak “Silent Night, Holy Night’ chu an rawn sa ve ta rat rat mai le. Chutianga an hmelma sipaiten an hlasak an zawm tih an hriat chuan German sipaite chu an phur ta hle mai. Tichuan Germman sipaite chuan British sipaite chu anmahni rawn zawm a, zai hopui atan an han sawm ta a, ral khat atang chuan an in autawn ta lauh lauh mai a ni.

                Chutih lai chuan German sipaite chuan thuziak lianpui pui British sipaite hmuh atan an rawn pholang ta. Chu signboard-ah chuan English thiamlo tak tih hriat reng hian, “You no fight, We no fight’ (Min kah loh chuan kan kap let bik lo ang che u) tih chu an rawn tarlang ta va va mai a. British lam pawh chuan ‘Merry Christmas” tih inziakna banner siamchawp chu German sipaite hmuh turin an han pholang ve leh a, tichuan induhsakna thuziak hrang hrang chu ralkhat atang chuan an inhmuh ta.

                Chutianga duhsakna hrang hrang ralkhat atanga thuziak lianpui pui hmanga an inhlantawn hnu chuan an tawmkuk, an trench khur chhuahsanin German ho leh British ho awmna inkara ram awl, “No Man’s Land’-ah chuan inhmu turin an chhuak khawm ta. Chutih hunlai chungchang chu British sipai Frederick Heath chuan hetiang hian a sawi.

                “German sipaite chuan ‘English Sipaite lo chhuak rawh u’ tia an au thawm kan hria a, ‘Zan thiang reh’ tih hla an sa thap thap thawm kan hre bawk a, chu chuan kan lung a ti leng hle mai. Mahse hmelma sipaite tactic mai anih kan rin avang leh kan fimkhur avangin chhan pawh kan chhang mai lo. British sipai officer te chuan sipai dangte chu chhuak lo turin an khap a. Mahse German sipaite chuan “Merry Christmas” tia rawn auvin  thuziak lian pui pui an rawn tar a, tichuan keini pawh chu kan insum zo ta bik lo, tichuan kan tawmbuk atang chuan German ho pawh turin kan chhuak ve ta a ni,” tiin.

                Chutia hun rei tak lo indo tawh sipaite an hmelma sipaite nena an han inkalpawh chiah chu an hlim hle mai. Christmas duhsakna inhlanin an au chel chul mai a, an in chibai a, an inkuah a, hlim takin an zai ho va. Tawng dang ve ve hmang an nih avang erawh chuan tawng inhrethiam tawn lo fe fe pawh an awm nawk mai. Mahse hetih laia German sipai zingah hian indopui hmaa England-a hna thawk thin tam tak an awm a, chung chuan English pawh an thiam thawkhat ve hle tho mai.

A tuk Krismas-ah pawh chuan No Man’s Land-ah chuan sipaite chu an chhuak khawm leh a, Yard 30 leka zauah chuan an tei suau suau a, an inkuah lawp lawp a, sam te an inmeh sak thul. Chutih rual chuan Krismas thilpek atan Whisky te, Jam te, Cigars te, Kawrkilh te, Chocolates leh an neih ang ang chu an inpe tawn hlawm a, chutih lai chuan an laipui leh an silaimu thawm a reh thap a, Krismas induhsakna thawm chu a ri zawk a ni.

                Hetia an han inhmuh khawm takah hian football ngaina ram ve ve tih takah sa tin bur ruak chuan football an khel ta. An indo lukhum chu goal ban atan an hmang a. Chutia sa tin ruak peta an inkhelh lai chuan British sipai pakhat chuan football tak tak a lo nei reng mai a. Chu chu an va lak hnu chuan inthah tum reng renga indo lai German sipaite leh British sipaite chu an inkhel ho ta a, German ho chu 3-2 in an chak a, hun hlimawm tak an hmang ho ta a ni. Chu inkhel ropui tak mai an zawh hnu chuan indonaa sipai thi ta, an ruang pawhg an phum mumal hman loh te chu a huhovin an phum tha leh a, Sam 23-na “Lalpa chu min vengtu a ni a...” tih an chhiar chhuah hnuah British leh German sipai Chaplain te ve ve chuan urhsun takin an thian thi ta te ruang chu hmun khatah an vui liam ta a. Chutianga hun hlim taka an hman lai chuan British Brigadier in chulai hmun chu a tlawh dawn thu an hriat thut avangin leh chulai hmun a lo tlawh laia chutianga hmelma te nen inngeih taka lo awm chu a felloh avangin an  hun hman hlimawm tak chu kham lo takin an tin ta a ni.

                A tuk Dec 26 (Boxing Day)ah pawh silai vawi khatmah a puak lo va, British sipai officer Albert Morin chuan, “Kar khat chhung chu inkahhai awm leh sela chuan indo tan that leh a har tawh ngawt ang,” tiin a sawi nghe nghe a ni.

                He Christmas Truce hi a thang darh thuai a, indona hmun thenkhatah pawh hmelma sipaite nena football khel ho an awm ta nual a, sector thenkhatah chuan he Truce hi Krismas zan thleng chauha an hman laiin kumthar ni thlenga hmang pawh an awm a ni.

                Sipai hotu lam ten hetianga Christmas Truce a thleng hi an lawm lo ve hle thung a. A hnu zela a thlen leh tawh loh nan hma an la hial nghe nghe, Indopui I-na kal zelah kum 1914-a Christmas Truce ang kha a thlen leh thlen loh uluk takin an vil ziah a, sipai zaho pawh hmelma sipaite nen an inhriatchian lutuk loh nan an awmna hmun a khat tawkin an sawn sak ta reng a ni. Heti chung hian inpawh taka thil tih hi hmun thenkhatah a thleng zauh zauh tho a ni.

                Remna lal lo pian lawmna avanga indopui rapthlak ber pawla indo sipaite an hmelma te nena inrem taka remna lal lo pian champha phak an lawm hi khawvel chuan a ngaithla kham thei lo va film-ah te siam niin hlaah te an phuah chhuak hial a ni.

                Remna Lal, Lal Isua, he khawvel sual chhandam tura a lo pian hriatrengna hun hi Kristian ten kan hma lawkah kan hmang leh dawn. He hunah hian kan hmelma te leh thubuai hlabuai kan lo neih pui thin te nen inngaidam tawn ila, Lal Isuan min duh ang ngeiin a theih chin chinah inrem taka awm i tum ang u.