Late Shri Ziona Chana died on 13th June, 2021 at the age of 76. In today’s world people are afraid of getting married – both men as well as women. Women complain about men and vice versa. Probably the phobia of commitment is haunting them and their unwillingness to marry. Late Mr. Ziona Chana had 39 wives, 94 children,14 daughters-in-law, 34 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Thus, he became the head of the world’s largest family.
The ancient saying ‘no two women can stay under the same roof’ – is proved wrong. All Ziona Chana’s wives lived happily together without complaining of any differences whatsoever between them – under the same roof! The wives and their children share a very strong bond and everlasting love for Mr. Ziona Chana. Mr. Ziona Chana is a resident of Baktawng village, Serchhip district, Mizoram. Mizoram shares borders with Burma and Bangladesh. Mr. Ziona Chana’s father had 7 wives and 29 children…15 daughters and 14 sons.
When asked, few years ago, what are your plans for the next year? He smiled and replied ‘to marry and expand my family’. His birthday celebrations are like a festival for the entire village. This huge family lives happily in a four storeyed building with 100 rooms. This mansion is called Chhuantharun. – when translated – it means House of New Generation. All his wives share a dormitory near Ziona’s private bedroom. It is whispered that on any given day he prefers to have 7 or 8 wives by his side.
This family consumes about 100 kg of rice, 60 kg potato, 40 kg chicken a day! Since chicken is expensive, they turned vegetarian. The entire family eats vegetables that are grown in the kitchen garden. They grow spinach, cabbage, mustard, broccoli, beans etc. The wives have a timetable. Who must do the cooking and the dishes etc., are happily worked out as per an agreed schedule.
Mr Ziona Chana’s last words were ‘I have many people to care for and look after. I consider myself a lucky man’. Ziona Chana belong to a Christian religious set called Chana. This Christian religious set accepts polygamy.
This man told the world the importance of family relationships, children, grandchildren, living happily under one roof and has redefined the concept of joint family – a concept that was forgotten by the so-called modern India long time ago. It is not how many wives or how many children you had that is important…what is more important is the love that is cherished between all these members.
You gave all of them love and you received a thousand-fold love in return from them. Our salutations to you Mr Ziona Chana. Your life has a lot of teach. You are the Man…in its true sense.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
