Some of those who voted YES had this to say:
• Along with everyone else's
• Yes, why is this important? Obviously everyone will agree that his or her tribe is better than anyone. So I guess this is not really a poll question.
• Admitted that there are always rooms for improvement, I definitely think my tribe is the ‘BEST.’ There should be a healthy doze of positive ‘ism’ in everyone of us.
• Yes, you know it is
• Why is this stupid question?
• ....bcoz people say so...but God knows who the best is...don’t agree much with human judgment...
• Because I feel most comfortable with this
• But why???
• We are honest and simple hearted people
• Most people will poll no and I wonder how many are honest. Nagas like to say that there is no tribalism but the fact is there is but we keep denying it and this denial has only led to more tribalism. In truth no one tribe can be said to be the best, but in practice, look at Nagas, even the churches are along tribal lines, even during festivals, we do not go to other tribe festivals and so on. So unknowingly, even if we say that no tribe can claim to be the best, our actions are misleading and is only creating more frictions. Many people may write to you asking the intention of this poll, but as a concerned Naga, this poll has raised so many questions that make us think where we are going.
• Now who in Nagaland doesn’t think that his tribe is the best? Come on lets be honest with ourselves. As much as I hate tribalism, I have to admit that I consider my tribe to be a little better if not the best, even though my tribe is classified as backward. We Nagas tend to be self-righteous while we describe ourselves with hallelujah words; the other tribe gets all the synonyms of ‘fool.’ But hey I am no jingo jerk who’s fuelling animosity among the tribes. There’s no hard in thinking that one’s own tribe is the best as long as it drives us to compete sportingly with other tribes. But people with minds narrower that our streets clog with jams of greed and selfish interests, smokes of suspicion, and horns of intimidation and antagonism leaving our traffic of development stranded. More often than not, covetous bumpkins in jalopies and dissatisfied scums in Mercs are responsible for the mess. Alas, our ‘sirens’ doesn’t seem to obey traffic rules either.
• I'm ashamed to admit it, but it’s a yes
Some of those who voted NO had this to say:
• Revise your question Please... Be evaluative in your enquiry.
• My tribe may be better than other tribes in some ways, but never the best in general.
• Not that brilliant
• No tribe can survive on its own, it also depends on other tribes and societies for its own survival.
• All people are equal and are created by God equally.
• Why do we have to think it that way? It's not the matter of tribe, we should think about a solution in our state.
• I belong to one of the majority tribes but Please...this type of questions will only bring division among the tribes.
• Only a person with tribalism in his/her mind will think that. I wonder what was the objective of posting this poll question.
• This question itself is controversial because when you posed this question everyone in their heart will be for their tribes only…outwardly we may say that no, but inwardly everyone is proud of his own tribe, but it should not be too extreme to lead to tribalism.
• Because no such thing like BEST exists. One may be better than the other in some ways or the other. Amen
• I don’t think my tribe is the best and infact no tribe in Nagaland is the best. Among many reasons behind, we Nagas are corrupted socially, politically, economically, spiritually and morally. Unless we start to find solutions to these problems, there’s no place for ‘best’ but only a place for ‘worst’
• No, because when one thinks like that, than there comes tribalism and people become selfish and it creates differences between people and there is communal disharmony and conflicts arises. So its best to respect and look up to other tribes and live hand in hand as one.
• If we think like that than we are too selfish. Because we are all made to be one.
• I sincerely think "No". But it does not mean that other tribes are better. Together we are Nagas, and that is what is important.
• No not at all. My tribe is full of weaknesses as well as full of strengths. But the strength of my tribe cannot be complete unless the strength of others tribes have been equally allowed to grow. Nagas are strong only when each tribe of the Naga nation is allowed to grow equally.
• No, neither my tribe nor the other tribe is better than any other. Do you think that Ao is better than any Naga tribe? I am an Ao Naga, but by what yardstick can I say that Ao is best? Only a foot can say so.
• I dont agree. Though we speak, act n looks different we have the same soul. All tribes are same. Its upto u.
• I do not think so because I am what I am as an individual and as the tribe we are now that have survive thus far is because of the affiliation each tribe have felt to the political identity of being a 'NAGA'. Without each other (Naga tribe) we would be today a oblivious to history today.
• But we see before us the differences deliberately flaunting by the more affluent tribes. Be it church, building, tribe based magazines or any publications. Minor tribes are marginalised for no fault of theirs. To begin with, why can't we do away with these tribes wise worship on Sundays. e.g. Let there be Nagamese and English services at the Ao church at different hours. And slowly do away glorifying a particular tribe before God.
Some of those who voted Maybe had this to say:
• Perhaps this question could have better said more explicitly if at all the intended meaning or idea is to see through evaluation of the popularity... nevertheless I do respect all tribes and I really don’t want to promote "isms"
• Because the love that I get from my tribe is more then as compared to other tribe and I believe my people are innocence and doesn't show pride like other tribe and to be true to you I am from Zeliang tribe and am working in Mumbai as software Engineer in Iflex company
• Don’t you know tribalism is one social evil in Nagaland?
Others:
• What kind of poll is this? AS much as there is no best individual, society, country or a state, there is no such thing as a best tribe. Qualitizing a tribe on the basis of its strength, manpower, resources, etc is dangerous. Please go for more imaginative and constructive poll that would promote tolerance and social harmony in Naga society. Thank You.
