Lohrü Soruna
Kuda B village, Dimapur
Ever since we grow up, join college, and step into a fast growing competitive generation, secularly and academically we experience exceptional growth and progress. However, similarly the fading and erosion of indigenous ethos is also swift either. The chief focuses of the world happen to be advancement with new development, bringing new methods and running after newest research theories and productions. We all busy running after this fast growing competitive world. In the mean time indigenous cultural and traditional ethoses are also severely sinking. Looking through the way of life particularly our young Nagas generation today, knowing his origin and accepting his existing lineage is been often despised and ignored. Inclusive advancement of human standard, cross culture adaptation and particularly the western thoughts and its way of education has made our way of thinking global and liberalized our approaches. When we look into post modern social scenario ours may not be exceptional but not less than any other existing society in the world. However in the process the knowledge of our own unique identity is been compromised and neglected but praised and press on to adapt foreign culture and even excels in many fields. Not intended to discourage about excelling in other cultures and studies, but embedding the concern of resurging our valuable culture and tradition amidst advancing because it is our identity. Many young people considered indigenous tradition and culture as primitive and unexciting. Learning and preserving of folklores seems irrelevant to many smart and intelligent people. Various contemporary philosophical thoughts and concept, advancement of science and technology has already preoccupied many minds. However no matter how advance we become with foreign cultures and traditional ethos we will be a Naga and to keep our Naga identity we must not confused or ignorant about our basic cultural evidences such as our own tribal dialect, historical account, costumes and its implication, folklores etc, which gives a good account of our origin. Ignorant or clueless about Naga history, culture and traditional ethos is a great shame to claim oneself as a Naga or belong to Naga. Likewise claiming or consider oneself belongs to a particular tribe without having the basic etiquette of tribe such as dialect, cultural and traditional beliefs is a lost person.
Our society is a kind of society formed and shaped by moral philosophy and traditional beliefs. Though as Christian we may not strictly adhered and practice yet we should acknowledge and cultivate the good of our own tribal taboos and gennas which is the principal guidelines of our ancient morality. Comparatively today’s morality and ancient morality has a very different outlook. We all heard and know ancient morality has a very high and respectable value where every citizen is disciplined and accountable for the secured and peaceful society whereas today it is contrary. Having a good building, doors with hard lockers and fortified compound walls and yet still live insecure. Thus this single situational phenomenon absolutely explained the moral value between us and our ancient. Indeed it will be wise to inculcate those ancient moral principles.
Today Nagas are struggling for national identity; however many young Nagas are still ignorant, some confused, some wrongly brained washed about the history, identity and lineage of the Naga ethnic group. Early study of foreign history and education might also be the cause. Nevertheless midway historical propaganda should not propagate less we lost our genuine identity in the process. To keep our identity alive and to form our substantial nation as unique and original; truth must be accept and told. We young generations have the right to know a clear undisputed historical account of our origin and existing lineage.
Real patriotism and nationalism spirit of any person for a given nation should come from one’s original sense of belongingness and bear responsible towards that particular unique identity formed by its blood relation, culture and tradition. Any other given argument or claims of patriotism and nationalism outside of culture and traditional relation is a mere emotional expression or a conditional set of role to be played under political situation. Individual, group or regional interest can be a dangerous element to the spirit of nationalism and that is what it’s slowly crept into the mind of young Naga generation today.
While excelling and prospering in life, losing of one’s own intrinsic cultural knowledge in fact is a great lost. Losing of one’s originality may also lead to identity crisis. Had we failed to contain and preserve our cultural and traditional identity within ourselves today, our rich culture and tradition may be sparingly found only in the museum and library tomorrow. Had we failed to retain the originality of our identity with honesty and sincerity, our future generation may probably have a fake and deficient historical account and may face identity crisis. Educational department has introduced and integrated our folklores and histories in the school syllabus to learn about our own. However unless an individual posses a knowledge and acquired a trait personally it may at last inscribe into a degree certificates alone. Likewise every young people know at least a church choruses and hymns, a folk song of our own tribe can also be learned. Simple yet foremost initiation can be diligently start speaking mother tongue or native language with families in the home and to homogeny tribal folks. Tribal Hohos and other tribal organization can emphasis more on promoting and preserving indigenous culture and practices, they are amiable and have better opportunity to organized and promote indigenous ethos than the government organization has. Lest we mastered and pass on our cultural identity in person, our descendant will study it like purely foreign culture, than our culture is a lost culture only to be talk about.
