The Lai people (also referred to as the Pawi people in India) primarily inhabit the southern part of the
Chin Hills in Myanmar’s
Chin State, particularly in the townships of
Falam,
Thantlang
Thantlang (, ; also Thlantlang or Htantlang in Burmese transliteration) is a town and the administrative center of Thantlang Township in Chin State, western Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Names
Thantlang was formerly known as Thlan Tlang ("Cemeter ...
, and
Hakha. In India, they are also found in the
Lawngtlai district of
Mizoram, where they are governed by the
Lai Autonomous District Council. Outside this region, they are scattered across Mizoram and parts of
Manipur. Their languages—
Lai holh and
Hakha holh—are classified under Central
Kuki-Chin languages. The Lai peoples are predominantly Christian.
Demography
The total
population
Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of the Lai people was estimated to be around 170,000 in 1991.
[Lalthangliana, B.: ''History and Culture of Mizo in India, Burma and Bangladesh'', 2001. RTM Press. Aizawl. pp. 101–102.] The term "Laimi" often refers specifically to Chin people living in Central Chin State, including
Hakha,
Thantlang
Thantlang (, ; also Thlantlang or Htantlang in Burmese transliteration) is a town and the administrative center of Thantlang Township in Chin State, western Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Names
Thantlang was formerly known as Thlan Tlang ("Cemeter ...
, and
Falam.
Lai communities are also found outside Myanmar—in Mizoram (particularly Khuafo and Thlantlang/Tuichhak Pawih), the Chin Hills (Hakha Township, Thantlang Township, Webulah, Zokhua, Keiphaw, Falam Township), and parts of
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
, where they are sometimes identified as
Bawm people (Bawmzo, Bawmlai, Panghawi, Ramthar, and Sunthla).
Origins
The Lai of the
Lai Autonomous District Council in Mizoram are a subgroup of the broader Lai population found in Myanmar and neighboring regions. They share common ancestry with several tribes of
Northeast India
Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
. Oral tradition holds that the Lai once lived in China before migrating through the Tibetan mountains into the
Chin Hills of Burma, from where some migrated into Mizoram in the early 18th century or earlier.
Some traditions claim the Lai are descendants of the
Qin dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...
. British colonial records used the term "Shendoo" or "
Shendu" to refer to groups like the
Lakher (now known as the
Mara), who are believed to be offshoots of the Lai. F. Chhawnmanga, a retired District Adult Education Officer in Mizoram, conducted interviews with Lakher chiefs who identified their lineage as stemming from Lai families in Hakha. For example, the chief Kilkhara of Saiha and Tawngliana of Serkawr traced their ancestry to the Hlawnchhing family.
Vumson, a historian, supported this connection, noting that the Mara and Lai share similar customs, languages, and clan names such as Hlawnchhing, Chinzah, Bawikhar, Khenglawt, and Thianhlun. Other groups such as the
Bawm and the Tlanglau, living in western Mizoram and Bangladesh, also share linguistic and cultural similarities with the Lai.
Culture
Chin National Day
Chin National Day is celebrated annually on 20 February, commemorating the General Assembly of Chinland held in 1948.
The first Chin National Day was celebrated in Mindat in 1951 and attended by
U Nu, Burma’s first Prime Minister.
Celebrations include traditional dances such as Ruakhatlak, Khuang Cawi, Sarlamkai, Rallu lam, fashion shows, beauty pageants, and wrestling (Laipaih). The most notable Laipaih wrestler is Rung Lian Ceu from Chuncung village, now residing in the United States.
Clothing
There are many distinct styles of traditional clothing among Chin subgroups, including Matupi, Hakha, Htantlang, Falam, Zophei, Zotung, and Mindat. Most traditional garments feature red and black, with accessories like necklaces, bracelets, and hairpins. These are worn on special occasions such as Chin National Day, the Tho (Chin New Year), Sundays, Christmas, and weddings.
Greeting
Handshakes are the common form of greeting in Chin culture.
Sports
Popular sports among the Laimi include traditional Chin wrestling (Laipaih), football (soccer), and volleyball.
Tho (Chin New Year)
''Tho'' is the Chin harvest and New Year festival, celebrated in October.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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{{Hill tribes of Northeast India
Kuki tribes
Ethnic groups in Northeast India
Ethnic groups in South Asia
Ethnic groups in India
Scheduled Tribes of India
Tribes of India