Lushai Customs And Ceremonies

Lushai society has always been characterized by egalitarian values. The customs and ceremonies of this social groups are indeed an embodiment of this phenomenon. It goes without saying that customs and ceremonies provide a convenient mechanism through which the web of social relationships can be understood in their correct perspective. While customs command a special dignity and recerence, ceremonies embody ?the bond that holds the multitudes together.? The interaction of Lushai society with the streams of modernization had taken place in a rapid way and as a result the traditional social order had undergone significant changes without creating corresponding social tensions characteristics of a situation where the forces of tradition and modernity confront each other. In a complex society like that of the Lushai customary norms and procedures are apt to lose their sanctity, but their relevance especially in the context of the emergence and formation of social order and codes goes unquestioned. The Lushai chiefs enjoyed a position of eminence in their traditional society and their concern for the welfare of the masses was particularly noteworthy. The Mizo Union non-cooperation movement was, however, a watershed in Lushai society. Beginning, at first, with the demand for the abolition of the chiefs? rights and special privileges, it resulted, finally in the abolition of the chiefship itself. The authors make an excellent survey of the social and political development among the Lushai. The book is an invaluable addition to the current literature on the north-eastern region in India