Vibha Lakhera
Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | April 8
While Vibha Lakhera had no idea what to expect from Kohima or its people when she came to Nagaland’s state capital for the first time in February 2022, she vividly recalled that everywhere she went, she found herself spontaneously smiling at people and being the recipient of smiles.
“Young children playing by the roadside grinned at me, elders sitting in front of their homes nodded in acknowledgement, and shopkeepers welcomed me with open expressions of friendliness,” she expressed.
Following her varied delightful experiences in Nagaland, she found herself wondering what lay behind this extraordinary warmth and softness even as she put across, “was it a cultural trait, an inherent high empathy quotient, or something else entirely? What was governing the consciousness of people?”
She further observed that there are flower pots in front of every house, big or small, irrespective of the economic status. “In Delhi, this is a feature reserved for the affluent, usually,” she observed.
She was also struck by how these elements seemed to intertwine seamlessly to create a society that valued human connection above all.
Coming from a place like Delhi, she said, “this was unique for me. People back there would have found it strange, if not completely ‘cuckoo’ or intrusive, to receive smiles from a stranger, like myself.”
Then, one night, as she sat on the terrace of her house, watching the stars twinkle in the clear Naga sky, she reflected on her journey, and realized that “the smiles I had received were not just expressions of friendliness but invitations to connect, understand, and belong.”
This became the very reason for the inception of the project “Naga Oral History: Stories of Empathy,” she shared even while stating belief that “everything that happened between then and now, when I’m assembling all the experiences into this project, was a prelude to a deep feeling of expression.”
‘Lens of Empathy for fresh Naga Oral narratives’
When she started connecting with colleges in Kohima to collaborate on the project, she said, there was one recurring question: “Why do you wish to cover the oral history of the Naga people? What is your interest in it?”
To this, she responded that, “I only had the lens of empathy to offer to cull out a fresh narrative, giving all the stories a newness.”
Talking more about the Project, she said, “we have tried to combine all the facets of culture, everyday experiences, ambitions, aspirations, feelings of loss and discovery, and the distinct tribal identities of the people with the strong bond that unites them all under the singular “Naga” identity.”
With students who were equally engaged in gathering the village elders’ oral history, she underscored that “the students have been the real heroes of this project.”
‘Bridging cultural divides and healing historical wounds through the power of storytelling’
This project, she went on to say, “Is dedicated to the people of Nagaland for the extreme show of resilience and courage in the face of struggles and strife, as well as to their faith in forgiveness and reconciliation to find a way forward as a community.”
Stating that “forgiveness and reconciliation are human actions that demonstrate empathy and the ability to see the viewpoint of other people,” she underlined that, “Project Empathy not only recognises and acknowledges this in the people of Nagaland, we would heartily present all the lessons on empathy that we learnt while the project was moving.”
“The components of empathy that I found in the Naga people are etched in my memory as I take it upon myself to be the messenger, taking all the stories to people who have never visited Kohima,” she further expressed.
Mention may also be made here that “The Naga Oral History: Stories of Empathy project was born from a desire to bridge cultural divides and heal historical wounds through the power of storytelling.” With the Naga people having long experienced isolation, conflict, and struggles for self-identity, the project also emerged as part of Project Empathy—an initiative aimed at fostering understanding, compassion, and solidarity across communities.
The project is not just a collection of autobiographical anecdotes but includes “travelogue of people who, although did not belong to the state, found acceptance, friendship, warmth, and the kind of care that supported and healed” as highlighted in their website.
“From tales of elders who survived wars and political upheavals to stories of youth navigating their identity in modern India, the project seeks to build a bridge between the Naga community and the rest of the world” as stated in the website.
