Mâtu (Madu), a modest Dai Village

Aug 2, 2013 [Dai_Groups] --- The original name of Madu Village is Mâtu. But it has been transferred to Batu, and then Batu became Matupi and Mâtu became Madu. "Tu" has been changed to "du." They took "tu" and gave us "du." They deliberately expropriated the name of our village for the name of their tribe. 

The original name of Madu Village Mâtu thus became the name of the tribe. The collective name of the sub-tribes Ngala, Cing and Doem became Matu since 1948. 

According to one Royal and Senior Pastor the name of the tribe Matu never appeared before 1948. What we find in this is that if Ngala, Doem and Cing claim and like Matu as the identity of their tribe, they were originated in Madu (Mâtu). And thus they were also originally Dais, as Dai has been registered as a tribe since 1890 by the British Government. The village situated in the South of and 30 miles far away from Matupi. 

It is one of the Dai villages in Matupi Township. It comprises more than 175 houses and the population is 987. 

The surrounding villages are: Aukkheng (Bü Si) Village (six miles) in the east, Vuilu Village (seven miles) in the south, Thungna Village (four miles) in the north, Mitu village (nine miles) in the south-west, Sihleh village (eight miles) in the north-west. 

There are rivers and streams around the village. In the east, there is River Lemyo (Phung Lawng), and River Awt Lawng in the west. These rivers are infested with fishes and some other aquatic creatures, i.e. crabs, prawns, edible frogs, mollusk, etc. We get these animals in the whole year. 

There are also small treams in the east side which are flowing into River Lemyo such as Yu Lawng, Awtpi Lawng, Kak Lawng, Hauhang Lawng, Ca Lawng and Humhang Lawng. 

There are also small streams in the west side which are flowing into Awtlawng such as Mhai Lawng, Hlüi Kyum Lawng, Da Lawng, Mtei Lawng, Hreitui Lawng and Pu Lawng. All these rivers and streams are perpetual and we can have fishing every season, and are capable to generate mini or mega hydro-electric power.

Transportation is so bad. No car can be driven up to the village because of the narrowness of the road. However, we can go by motor-bike day and night in every season up to Lungtu Village which is 25 miles far from Mâtu Village. 

In dry season you can drive two hours approximate, but in rainy season you will need about four hours between Mâtu and Matupi by motor-bike. Motor-bike carriers are available any time from any village of Khunu Zung (Khunu Mountain range). 

In the rainy season you may have problem on the way because the road is muddy and slippery and so your vehicle may be bogged down. But they drive every day. 

Regarding education, the Government of Myanmar has opened Basic Education High School. There are about 345 students in the School. Some graduated people are opening tuitions for Middle and High School level. There is also dispensary in the village where we can get medication and approach health workers 24 hours. 

Radio/wireless telegraph (RT/WT) is also available to communicate people who are in distance. The occupation of the people is shifting (jhooming) agriculture. There are few Government servants who are working in the school, in the dispensary and in communication department. 

There are also some religious workers including one Buddhist monk. There are also small shops where we can get things in the same cost of Matupi. 

We get any of our daily needs in these stores. There is no tea stall, but we can order coffee, tea, cold drinks and breads, or we can request the shopkeepers to prepare whatever we like. 

If you want strong drinks you can get somewhere. If you have good friends you can drink you can drinks local product fermented rice beer without pay. 

In Mâtu Village marketing is very sporadic because there is no market. Sometimes you may find moving market that comes to your home and you can buy vegetables and some confections (not every day); and there are also irregular butchers, mithun or pig is slaughtered at random by them for selling; this is a chance to eat meat in the village. 

In thanksgiving services you can also consume meat. Christmas and New Year feasts are also good seasons to eat meat. Mâtu villagers are generally friendly, affectionate, ruth, humble, broad-minded, fond of jokes and so on. If you go to Mâtu Village you will find people sitting together and laughing together. 

Women are also always making jokes anywhere they are. Vilifying people is not the conduct of most of the villagers. However, no one is perfect in the world. 

The weather of the village is moderate and healthy. There is no extreme climate in summer or in winter. Regarding religion, approximately 95% are Christians. Christians comprises four denominations such as Presbyterian, Baptist, Assembly of God and Roman Catholic. 

Presbyterian is the biggest and a dominant Church. There are some few people who are semi-Christians or semi-animists who are in lukewarmness. There are also some few people who espoused Buddhism for their religion. 

If you migrate and settle in Mâtu (Madu) village you are free to join any denomination or religion. Lip-service enterprises: The Government has a project of Hydro-electric power to generate 200 Kilo-watts for Mâtu and other surrounding villages, and to put a hospital in the village. 

An enterprise of road construction up to the village will be undertaken by a compassionate company. The village people are going to offer a good place of their land for establishing a town. But all these are only lip-services, not yet implemented.

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