The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
The largest family in the world belongs to an Indian man, who seems like doing a Dhritrashtra (100 kids) – except that he is a Christian following a peculiar sect in the Indian state of Mizoram.
Residing in a 100-room four story mansion outside of Baktawang in Mizoram, Ziona Chana is married to 39 women with whom he has 94 children, 14-daughters-in-law, and 33 grandchildren and lives in hills of Baktwang village in Mizoram. Chana had first married at age 17.
His oldest wife is 70, and the youngest is 31. The wives sleep in communal dormitories (see pic below) with the youngest women sleeping closest to Chana and a rotation system for visitations. Chana had once married ten women in one year.
The family is organization almost reflects military discipline. Zathiangi, the oldest wife, organizes her “fellow partners” – other wives – into doing teh various household chores such as cleaning, washing and preparing meals.
What and how does such a large family eat? It is almost running an entire Hotel! Well, it takes 30 chickens, one “giant” pig, 55 lbs of rice and 88 lbs of potatoes for every meal cooked for the entire family.
Interestingly, the family grows its own crops and also keeps its own livestock – hens and pigs!
Chana keeps the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the family sleeping further away and there is a rotation system for who visits Chana’s bedroom. (Image #5: Zuali, 37, twentieth wife of Ziona, adjusts his shirt as his sons and driver (Left) watch before heading towards the construction site of a church in Baktawng village)
Rinkmini, one of Chana’s wives, said, “We stay around him as he is the most important person in the house. He is the most handsome person in the village.” She said Chana noticed her on a morning walk in the village 18 years ago and wrote her a letter asking for her hand in marriage. Another of his wives, Huntharnghanki, said the entire family gets along well. The family system is reportedly based on ‘mutual love and respect’
Ziona heads a local Christian religious sect – which seems somewhat similar to Mormonism – called the “Chana”, which allows polygamy. Formed in June 1942, the sect believes it will soon be ruling the world with Christ and has a membership of around 400 families. In any case, Ziona has not stopped looking for new wives. ‘To expand my sect, I am willing to go even to the U.S. to marry,’ he said. One of his sons insisted that Mr Chana, whose grandfather also had many wives, marries the poor women from the village so he can look after them.
But Ziona doesn’t appear fazed by the size of his apparently happy family — and doesn’t claim any benefits for their upkeep. ‘I feel like God’s special child. He’s given me so many people to look after,’ he said, adding, ‘I consider myself a lucky man to be the husband of 39 women and head of the world’s largest family.’
The whole family with Ziona Channa in the middleZiona and his 39 wives!28 of his 39 wivesA dormitory style bedroomWhat goes into the each mealMeal being preparedThe Youngest Engi (5) with other kidsZiona with his 20th wife Zuali (37) – sons and his driver are behind them
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
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