By - AsangbaTzudir
Nagaland is classified into ‘backward’ and ‘forward’ tribes, and so these words are often used in Nagaland’s political and social discourse.
They appear in government classifications,in community conversations, and even in everyday demeaning arguments where both words are used often to inject sarcasm and insult. This calls for a look into the meaning of it in the Naga context, and also see whether we can truly call someone ‘backward’ and ‘forward’ in Nagaland today.
Historically, the notion of being ‘backward’ was tied to questions of education, infrastructure, and access to modern facilities. When Nagaland attained statehood in 1963, large sections of the population lived in rural isolation, with little exposure to modern schooling or healthcare facilities. Many tribes and villages were economically disadvantaged, with subsistence farming as the main occupation. In this sense, ‘backward’ or ‘backwardness’ was linked to lack of opportunity rather than cultural or any other inherent weakness.
More than 60 years after statehood, and especially after the dawn of the new millennium, the landscape has really changed. Literacy rates in Nagaland have risen dramatically. Young Nagas are excelling in civil services, academics and research, games and sports, entrepreneurship and start-ups. The internet and social media have connected even remote villages to the global world. And yes, we still complain about bad roads but it cuts through places that once took days to reach on foot. With all these major shifts and changes, the old criteria for defining ‘backwardness’ no longer hold the same meaning.
However, Nagaland needs to evolve, so also the question of ‘backwardness’. This brings us to the real pressing question: Is ‘backwardness’ about material and infrastructural deprivation? Or is it about having a mindset that does not allow progress.
Honestly, ‘backwardness’ in contemporary Nagaland cannot simply confine to lack of material wealth and other facilities or living in poverty. ‘Backwardness’ can be understood from the way in which certain aspects like corruption, tribalism, and resistance to reform prevents real growth and development. A society that clings to easy money while neglecting hard work is ‘backward’. Nagas still cling to a mindset that glorifies clan supremacy over the collective Naga good and unity is backward. Dependency on government subsidies, existence of multiple taxation, organisations existing without purpose but thrives on donations without fostering self-reliance. All these and more reflect ‘backwardness’.
On the other hand, ‘forwardness’ is not simply about wealth, education, or living in high rise buildings urban areas, but ‘forwardness’ in thought and action. Being truly forward is about embracing honesty in public life, drawing unity in diversity, working to uplift all including institutions in whatever measure. It also means having the courage to innovate be it in institutions, technology, business or farming. More so, being “forward” also means the power to pause, reflect and engage critically especially with politics instead of being whirlpooled into empty promises of tribal or party loyalties.
In context, looking at the brighter side, opportunities galore. Nagaland’s youth today stand at the threshold of being forward. Many are returning from universities outside the state with fresh energy and ideas. Women are also breaking barriers of silence that long defined ‘tradition.’ These are clear signs of a society going forward.
However, challenges remain. Corruption continues to eat into the state’s resources, and educated unemployment is pushing many into despair. Negative understanding of tribalism still divides Naga society at a time when unity is indeed crucial. Unless these issues are addressed, the label of ‘backward’ will remain with Nagas.
So, for real journey to begin from being ‘backward’ to ‘forward’, one should really understand that, it is not the poor farmer or the remote villager, but those who choose dishonesty, corruption, and disunity that are backward. And it is the ordinary Naga who chooses to live with integrity, who values education and hard work, and who dares to imagine a Nagaland built on unity, creativity, and justice is the ‘forward’. On the whole, forwardness is less about the statistics and more about transformation of the Naga mindset.
(Dr.AsangbaTzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for the Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
