ONE of the greatest ZO song composers and history tellers, Pu
Mangzathang passed away at his home in Zoveng, Zenhang-Lamka, Manipur, on Sunday
morning, 26th July, 2015.
Pupu Mangzathang Suantak Dopmul of Zoveng, born on 27 September 1921 (as recorded in his army I-card), served in the British Army as a soldier in Burma during the Second World War. He recounted that during the invasion of Mandalay City, he had pulled down a national flag and handed it over to his superior, yet he was neither awarded nor acknowledged. Nevertheless, he remained a freedom fighter until his last breath.
He was the second eldest son of the late Pu Goulian, among three siblings -- his eldest brother, Pu Thangchinkhup, and his sister, Pi Niangzam (wife of the late Khupchinkam Mate, Chief of Tuibuang Village).
"Be bold and be brave, but be very clever in whatever you do," he advised me last year while we shared a cup of tea. He was an ex-serviceman, proud to have served as a brave soldier in the Chin Regiment. He refused my treat that day, choosing instead to treat me -- an act that turned out to be the last… says his grandson, Bruce K. Thangkhal.
Drawing from his experiences in the imperial service, he composed numerous Zo folk songs with strong political undertones.
