Longrangty Longchar
Dimapur/Mokokchung | June 19
Mokokchung has come a long way since its inception as a town and a district headquarter. This year this hilly town celebrates 117 years since its foundation and its 50th year as a district headquarter. And those who have inhabited this calm and beautiful town and have fallen in love with it have provided somewhat mixed feelings about the developments that have taken place here so far. So what makes Mokokchung so special to its inhabitants; is it the people or the location or something else? The Morung Express, as a tribute to Mokokchung on its 50th year as a district, explores to understand the various facets of the town.
Akok Walling, an English lecturer in Fazl Ali College, the oldest college in Nagaland, expressed his views that the town has economically improved with local entrepreneurs coming up, taking to business activities, and becoming more politically conscious. However, Walling strongly expressed his concern that the town is going through a stage of moral degradation.
“Mokokchung will see a moral bankruptcy if the NGOs and concerned institutions, I mean the church and educational institutions do not do anything on a war footing, then the morality will go down so much so that what we are today will be an Utopian society for the people in the future” he said.
Walling shared his dissatisfaction with the education system ‘full of defects’ and lamented on the fact that people do not realize the real values of education because they are unaware of the goals and objectives of education. However, he deeply appreciated initiatives around self employment.
The president of the Mokokchung District Chambers of Commerce, Bendangnukshi Longkumer, opined that the people should not bask in the past glories, be complacent or ignorant about the developments taking place in the world. “This is the best time to wake up” he said and added, “Political, economic and spiritual awakening is much needed here.”
The principal of Zunheboto Government College, Dr Chubatola Aier, said that earlier the people thought that securing top positions in the NBSE Board Exams by students from Mokokchung was next to impossible. However, with three toppers in the NBSE exams this year and even the top one position in 2005 by a student in Mokokchung, she regarded it as a remarkable achievement. Dr Chubatola, being born and brought up in the town, considers herself as one of the staunchest supporters of the town, and added she is “temporarily out for now” from the town due to her current posting.
Dr Chubatola said, “The town is improving in many areas…environmentally, economically, educationally, but socially I don’t know.” She also pointed out that the striking feature of the town is the civic sense and cleanliness of the people and the town.
However, all did not have the same good opinion about the town. The president of the Watsu Mungdang (Ao Women Hoho), Supongla, while saying that the town enjoys a very free and congenial atmosphere, lamented that the there is no women participation in the decision making bodies in the towns and the villages. She said that the Watsu Mungdang has toured all its 120 federating units, and they found the women community wanted and needed more participation in deciding important matters relating to the well being of the society.
An English lecturer in Fazl Ali College, who has lived in the town for more than twenty years, Khuholi Sumi, wondered and questioned why the Ao people would like to leave the beautiful town and settle in places like Kohima and Dimapur. “What is wrong with your land that the elite people should be leaving this beautiful place?” asked Sumi and wondered why most of the top retired officials and wealthy people prefer to stay in places like Kohima and Dimapur.
Khuholi Sumi emphasized that because of the ‘elite’ Aos settling in places other cities; it is affecting the growth and improvement of the town and also the market. She wished that they would come and settle in the town. Nevertheless, she regarded Mokokchung as the cleanest town in the state, with the people having great civic sense. Sumi also said that the town is not a ‘cosmopolitan’ but rather a ‘metropolitan’, as the majority of the citizens are of the Ao people.
Her views were shared by Dr Lanusashi, a professor in Nagaland University, who wished the people in the town to be more mixed up with all the Naga tribes coming and settling down. Dr Lanusashi observed that the positive spirits of Mokokchung has been awaked under the dynamic and able leadership of Abhishek Singh the town’s DC. No wonder, Abheshek Singh has been instrumental in taking Mokokchung to the limelight through the M Fest orgainsed last year.
The Governor of Nagaland will formally launch the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Mokokchung District on June 28 in Town Hall and the celebration will continue till December. Mokokchung district acquired the status of a district on December 1, 1957.
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