When all the roads in Kohima lead to the local ground; when there is unusually tight and congested traffic flow; when vehicles are parked on both sides of the road from the BOC junction to the TCP gate and from the TCP gate to the Razhü Point and from Keziekie to Phoolbari via the D Block road and when there is not even a single spot to park your car even for a single minute in town and when even the police and traffic personnel can do nothing about it; and when all the male government servants working in the many directorate offices in Kohima are not to be found in their seats; then you know that Naga-wrestling is going on at the Kohima local ground. In today’s time when we are in a position to access entertainment anywhere anytime, instances of mammoth people converging at a particular venue to witness entertaining or interesting events are certainly on the decline. But whenever Naga-style wrestling takes place at the Kohima local ground, it is the same old story over and over again with mammoth people converging at the venue and thereby bringing the whole capital city to a standstill.
I am told that there used to be a big cinema hall called the Ruby Cinema in the heart of Kohima town in the 1960s and 1970s and that the Kohima denizens used to throng the venue to witness blockbuster Hindi and English movies screened there. I am also told about a football match that took place in the Kohima local ground between the Nagaland team and the famous Mohan Bagan team (India’s No.1 football team at that time) which attracted an unprecedented crowd. I am also told about the Billy Graham crusade that took place in Kohima local ground in 1972 which also attracted large numbers of people. On and off, the citizens of Kohima also get to witness some rare occasions when people over-crowd the local ground to witness some popular music shows or sporting events. But apart from this, nowadays we often do not see any particular event (even special ones) getting such response from the people despite the best and utmost efforts of the organizers to attract the maximum number of people. This may be because today we live in a world where we can access all sorts of interesting and captivating entertainment through television, internet and mobile phones. But Naga-style wrestling seems to be the one thing that is still able to rekindle the spirit of Naga brotherhood by bringing together people from all walks and strata of the Naga society.
So what are the factors that make Naga wrestling such a big hit even in today’s time when we are bombarded by entertainment and interesting programs from all sides? Firstly, let us bring out the clear-cut difference between the Naga-style wrestling and freestyle wrestling (national style) because Nagas are interested only in the Naga style. Strangely and ironically, even for those Nagas who are fanatics of Naga style wrestling, freestyle wrestling is probably one of the most boring and uninteresting sports. So, why is it so?
Freestyle wrestling is lengthy, boring and uninteresting to watch. In freestyle wrestling, the actions continue even after one or both the wrestlers are hopelessly glued to the floor and they continue to wrestle and wrangle like two snakes fighting in the ground with their bodies entangled to one another till the long awaited whistle is blown by the referee. As such, for the viewers viewing the wrestling, it becomes quite boring, tiresome and lackluster despite the fact that the wrestles are giving out all their energy and efforts into the sport.
On the contrary, in Naga-style wrestling, the actions take place with both the wrestlers firmly standing on their feet, their bodies locked shoulder to shoulder to one another and their hands firmly gripping on to the waistbands. And as they wrestle, wrangle, twist, pull and push to put down one another, the spectators are treated with a wonderful array of strength, stamina, determination, will-power, arm-struggle, inimitable tactics and mesmerizing foot-works. And the action stops and the winner and the loser is decided the moment one of the wrestlers’ body touches the ground (no action takes place on the floor). As such, Naga style wrestling is quick and fast as the winner and loser is decided in a matter of minutes (sometimes even seconds) and it is thrilling to watch because it is action-oriented and captivating to watch two full-grown men displaying their manpower and manliness in such an exposing manner. I guess this is the reason why once you witness a Naga wrestling bout, you ultimately end up becoming a fan of the sport.
Secondly, apart from being action-oriented and thrilling to watch, Naga wrestling in indigenous to the Nagas and it has a history behind it which makes it even more irresistible, captivating and exciting. It is said that in the olden times Naga wrestling was sometimes even used as a means to decide serious disputes between people. Likewise, when young men came to a squabbling situation over a pretty girl and the situation reaches a boiling point, the elders would usually recommend the youngsters to settle the matter through wrestling bouts rather than indulging in other unruly tactics. And as the young men get ready and come out to wrestle, it becomes an exciting event which gets the interest and attention of the whole village as the matter would be decided quick and fast in a dramatic manner in front of the whole village.
Since Naga wrestling is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports (if not the most popular) here in Nagaland and since it is a sport which is indigenous to the Nagas, I believe that the sport has a huge potential of becoming a fantastic ambassador of Naga culture, Naga tradition and the Naga way of life if it is given the right and proper impetus, encouragement and promulgation not only here in Nagaland but even beyond our lands. And in this, I believe that the state government can play a big role by channelizing its resources effectively with a view to not only encourage the wrestlers and the fans but also propagate and uplift the sport here and beyond.
We often talk about the lack of industry here in Nagaland and the lack of opportunities and facilities for our sportsmen. But if there is even an iota of chance of a sport or sporting event becoming an industry in itself here in Nagaland, it would be definitely Naga-wrestling. Keeping in mind its huge popularity and the craze that many Nagas have for this sport, I am of the view that solid chances are there for interested and talented entrepreneurs to make and run a million-dollar enterprise out of this sport. And if such a thing were to happen, Naga-wrestling (like I said above) would undoubtedly become the champion ambassador of Naga culture, Naga tradition and the Naga way of life here and beyond.
There is a difference between doing something because you have to and doing something because you want to. In our lives, many a times we do things not because we want to but because we have to. Likewise, there are also things which we do because we want to even though it is not necessary or obligatory for us to do such a thing. And entertainment is born out of the things that people want to do even though they may not be necessarily obligatory for them to do such a thing. Yes, entertainment is born out of the things that people want to do or enjoy doing. And by doing the things that we want to do or like to do, we get thrilling experiences, we get relaxation, we get entertainment and add more values, joys and colours to our lives. And I have absolutely no doubt that Naga wrestling has all the potentials to become an entertainment industry in itself because it has the power to pull together different elements of our societal structure and diverse people from all walks of life as is generally witnessed whenever Naga-wrestling takes place here in Kohima. The Bollywood entertainment industry runs and thrives solely on India’s craze and madness for Cinema. Likewise, someday I would like to see some Naga entrepreneurs set up and run a thriving Naga-wrestling entertainment industry taking advantage of the Naga people’s madness and craze for this indigenous sport. I want to see such a thing because Naga-wrestling is indigenous to the Nagas, it is popular and it is the one sport upon which the Naga sun, moon and stars never seem to set.
Now let me come to the symbolism of brotherhood which is generally associated with Naga-style wrestling. Indeed the spirit of brotherhood is a core and integral part of traditional Naga-style wrestling. It is said that once two young men engaged themselves in Naga wrestling, they become friends for life. In traditional Naga-style wrestling, one’s competitor is not regarded as an opponent, a rival or a challenger. Rather one’s competitor is referred to as “Khrietho-u” which means ‘bosom friend’ or ‘best friend’. Indeed the symbolism and spirit of brotherhood comes out alive the moment you see the two wrestlers entangled to each other bare-chested, shoulder to shoulder and their strong manly arms firmly clinging on to one another’s waistbands. Moreover, irrespective of who wins and who loses, the two wrestlers also usually fall down together giving a penultimate message of universal and undeniable spirit of brotherhood. Indeed when the two wrestlers stand together bare-chested, shoulder to shoulder, wrestle, wrangle, pull, push and ultimately fall down together (with the winner on top), nothing can give out a more touching message of brotherhood than this dramatic scene. And thus in the olden times, young men who wrestled one another became friends for life even though they may belong to different villages or tribes. And this symbolic gesture of brotherhood should be borne and carried forward by all the present-day Naga wrestlers also.
Today I end up writing this article on Naga-style wrestling because I have had a very memorable and enticing wrestling season this year. Moreover, I have always been an ardent and insatiable Naga-wrestling enthusiast since my earliest school days. Whenever Naga wrestling takes place at the Kohima local ground, I become restless and desperate unless and until I am in the local ground vicinity and I cannot concentrate or indulge in any other personal or official works until the ultimate results are decided. And since I am such a devotee of Naga-wrestling, I feel that my list of articles would remain incomplete if I don’t write and publish an article on this very irresistible, enticing and indigenous Naga sport….. and hence this article. And I dedicate this article to all the Naga-style wrestlers who came and gave their best at the Kohima local ground during this year’s wrestling season….
