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Life engaged with shifting cultivation in hilly areas was not easy - for there were many dangers and snares. Due to lack of knowledge and many other reasons under adverse weather conditions, we could not prevent the spread and infection of diseases like malaria, typhoid, dysentery, influenza and so on. We hardly escaped from them. My younger brother, when he was eleven months and nineteen days, was taken away by such diseases. Oh, I still remember those traumatic and bloody days! Life really was a hammer on a baldpate, hanging up side down, in the reduced circumstances! I helped my parents under such hardships to get food, shelter, clothing and medicines as well as expenditure for my schooling.
I did my primary schooling in our village called: "Hpawm Chyawm Mare" in the Triangle Land of Mali and Nmai rivers. I was then, brought up at No. 2 State High School located in N-gumla, Burma under the Ministry of Education, Kachin Independent Organisation (KIO).
With the grace of God, I was selected to study abroad by the KIO. I left my parents on 01 August 1989 and worn my feet to reach India with a company of Kachin troops, i.e., Kachin Independent Army (KIA).
After many tries with anxiety under the technical problems of the country, now I am staying, I hardpressed all the circumstances and made do to study here in India as an Indian. But then the situation did not invite me to join formal-educational institutions established by law. I first did my non-formal education in General Agriculture at Allahabad Agricultural Institute (now, Allahabad Agricultural Insititut Deemed University) in 1994 with the support of a German Catholic Welfare Association (MISEREOR), Germany. Then the KIO brought me back to a military camp where I took the mitary training for two and a half months. In the same year, the organisation granted my request to continue my study here in India. In 1997, I qualified the entrant examination of BSc Agriculture, at Allahabad Agricultural Institute Deemed University and get supported by Dr Kazuho Makino, Japan and the Open Society Institute, USA.
Without these bounteous supports, I could have failed to complete my BSc degree. It's not that I brag but I am proud of myself to be such a graduate of Agricultural Science and I am sure that I have confidence to do well for my future and our people.
Many fears and anxiety are borne of fatigue, imagination and of loss-confidence. According to my own lights about myself is that I am one of the most successful persons. Because I realise what I was and what I am doing. I know my value and my ability. Many people neglect to it while they are striving for their goals. I never forget about myself even though I am in a crowd or where ever else I am or what ever I do with different people under different situations - this makes me confident to do, to go, and to stand myself.
If we look the world, there are a great many changes in the field of science, technology, industry, education, politics, economics, arts and so on, that can not be written to an end. These changes influenced me so much so that I could not learn all of them in a single life or two. The following ones are a few instances that influenced me to see in our country:-
1) Information Technology (IT),
2) Electrical Engineering and Electricity,
3) Politics, economics and industries,
4) Agricultural, and other science and technology etc.
I could not go in detail for each one of the topics since they are so huge. Well, pontificating too bad on one's own country is a baby on a back bites the back. But it's a fact that the changes between world and Burma is like Heaven and Earth. Today IT in the world makes everything visible and crosses million miles within a minute or in a second and many makes IT as a profession. But the people of our country are made blind to IT because of the Lawless Elements of the country. That means IT becomes an Idiot Technology in Burma! As far as Electrical Engineering and Electricity is concerned with the world, they are so advanced that day and night can not be distinguished, but then the hapless bystanders of our country with Birthday candles will scare shit out of taboo when they could see a 20-Watts bulb! Education systems, materials and methods of teaching etc., have been changed in the world accordingly where as the same thing becomes a maiming system of military junta, and its institutions are replaced by venomous spiders and cobwebs in stead of students. No wonder, the world sometimes has a change to the worst either - politics becomes an economics and vice versa. There are many changes of such policomicsess(politics+economics+business) conundrums like the recent ones in South Asia and North America that all mathematicians ate their hats.
Out of many changes inside the story of science - from the Universe down to the Earth and death to life, cloning animals and mapping the human genetic are the greatest changes ever made by man in the history of mankind that life and death will be profoundly different from what we experience. Due to lack of knowledge, traditional and cultural complexes, many of people in our country get married to mother's - brother's daughter for a son, who we called: cousin in English - if I am not mistake. This is prevailing in the remote areas of the country, especially among the ethnic minorities that can cause gene affect and other genetical diseases in following generations. This should be changed from our culture. Similarly, many changes are to be made in every field of study and application.
Anyhow, I hope the people of our country will see the funny side and feel the lights of knowledge with new looks and hopes under new changes of the best.
An English to Kachin dictionary with a few stationery and stuffs were inside a bamboo-made-basket; wearing an old Kachin Longi and a pair of Thai-made-flip-flops daubed with mud; travelling many days to reach India; at a few yards away from the border of Burma, I took a pause and turned my face back to the land where I was before; I saw a wreath of smoke around the towns and red brooks, flashing against the twilight, below the foot of mountains in distance --- left me with sweet and sour memories. I love my parents. I love my friends. I love my Burma. Once she was one of the richest countries in the world, she is now smeared with blood and turned upside down. O, poor people of my country! I love you. I will be right back there with gifts.
It's been nearly for a decade I left my country only to pursue my study. In the search of freedom, I hardpressed life in different colours and experienced the value of it in democratic society. I tasted the tear and tasted the joy. Life, in one hand, is an odyssey. It's sometimes down to the valley and up to the hill then makes a successful ascent of victory. We mourn and lament before we get the victory over the military junta.
Similarly, life has been in the throes of struggling to achieve my goals. It was a sort of dauntful situation in my case to join any institutions, established by law, without having the certificate of migration, documents, etc. in my host country. Many tries and anxiety in the search of education to help my people who remain in my motherland. Meanwhile, the spider attempts were made do with whatever way I could find in order to continue my study. At the same time, environment, financial adjustments etc., were also come out as other matters of life. Sometimes, life without parents, feels like an orphan --- for they are so far away. Neither help nor contact and all that may be parts of life.
Now, life seems to be quite okay hence student of M Sc. I hope and trust to myself that life will come out with flying colours with the touch of rainbow in the sky.
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