By Asangba Tzudir
What is a problem? It can also be understood as the ‘gap’ - between ‘how it is now’ and ‘how it should be.’ The ‘condition’ of the state of Nagaland also ‘presents’ many gaps, and the Slovenian Neo-marxist philosopher Slavoj Zizek brings a cultural analogy who compared different European toilet designs to reflect reality. While it may be disgusting, beneath it lies the need for a deeper reflection on the way a society deals with waste and which reveals how it deals with truth.
The traditional German model “Flachspüler” or ‘flat-flush’ toilet where the drain hole is positioned more towards the front, presents the idea of "health inspection" beyond the pronounced ‘see and smell.’ When things are laid out for scrutiny it mirrors a society that is willing to confront its problems directly.
In Nagaland today, however, such ‘inspection’ is selective. We can be vocal about historical injustices or political betrayals or the ongoing Naga Political Problem. Yet, when it comes to corruption, factionalism, tribalism, nepotism, and unemployment, the courage to ‘inspect’ weakens. The all time record number of unions and organisations speak the language of unity, but ironically remain fragmented. We speak of revival like a miracle, but hesitate to examine the ongoing truth decay made more pronounced by our collective failure to dialogue.
The case of French model, especially in older European design, the drain hole is positioned toward the back of the bowl. So, waste drops more directly into the water and flushing removes it quickly without the need for ‘inspection.’ The human matter disappears immediately, minimizing visibility and smell. This resembles avoidance. There is a tendency in our public culture to silently cover uncomfortable truths. Like the case of social media outrage which flares briefly like quick-reels and fades away. However, as a ‘footnote’, it is also selective between comfortable and uncomfortable truths, and besides the barking there lies the ignorance about the other side of the wall. Things that once could not be imagined are now erupting like public scandals, but are quietly absorbed and normalised. Taxation, inefficiencies of the govt. and employees, contract politics, are all discussed but rarely confronted and sustained towards civic action.
The American synthesis, where waste floats visibly perhaps captures our current paradox most accurately. Problems are visible - the ever increasing educated unemployed youths, alcoholism, educational decline, corruption etc. But sadly, the visibility alone does not translate into transformation. While we see, we hardly translate into action. We are quick to judge morally and criticize, but do not think about the need to reform.
Today, Naga society is at a peculiar yet crucial historical moment. There have been a lot of missed opportunities along the way. Looking back, the coming of Christianity in the 19th century reshaped our moral worldview. Modern education gradually expanded our thought horizons. The World Wars also gave impetus to the Naga Political struggle forging a shared narrative in the process of identity formation. Yet, globalization, consumerism, and digital culture have altered our collective imagination. Our morung is replaced by smart phone university. Oral tradition is losing its value. Elders lose influence even as today’s influencers gain it.
But perhaps there is a much deeper crisis that is neither political nor economic but a moral crisis arising out of a lack of moral imagination. There is an air of sadness and nostalgia looking at Naga Society that once valued communitarian values and shared responsibility and now having to wrestle with selfishness and competing individualism. Our tribal and clan loyalty often goes beyond overriding the common good. Public offices are not just service delivery but ‘opportunity spaces.’ On Naga Nationalism, like grandpa ‘nokdensang’ promising the bright moon to pacify his crying grandson, it finds rhetorically loaded and coexists with various self-interest.
So, what would a healthier analogy look like? It would not merely inspect waste, nor suppress it, nor let it float indefinitely. In ecological terms, waste becomes fertilizer, and crisis thereby becomes a source of renewal. For Naga society, this would mean converting the uncomfortable truths into structural reforms. There is an urgent need for Inspection and which calls for transparency, strengthen institutions, and enforce accountability. This is not the time for avoidance but requires civic courage - for churches, student bodies, and civil society organizations to critically evaluate the present condition and address the widening ‘gaps.’ Visibility and ‘seeing’ must translate into participation where youths need to involve in policy discussions, especially entrepreneurship and move beyond government job. Overall, the situation calls for revival of ethical leadership that is grounded in service.
The Church remains influential and so it must evolve from ‘moral policing’ to ‘moral formation’ by cultivating integrity, and not simply condemning the vices. Education needs to urgently move from rote learning to critical thinking. This will produce an enabling effect on young Nagas to critically evaluate without being defensive. Above all, the most ‘fondly loved’ term ‘unity’ must move from proud slogan towards a unifying structure. Our rootedness in tribal identities will not and need not dissolve but should mature in a way that diversity itself becomes a unifying force. A shared future cannot be built on competition and victimisation.
Zizek’s analogy may be disgusting but it also enables us to see the larger question which is not whether we have waste but what really matters is how we deal with it. Do we confront it honestly, or conceal it conveniently, or allow it to linger indefinitely. The future of Naga society will largely depend on how we deal with it. We need to shed our ten gallon hats being rooted in status, tribe and clan orientation, heroism, and build a society premised on ethical consistency. If we dare to inspect, reform, and transform, then this toilet analogy can definitely help us shift from satire towards a place called hope.
(Dr. Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com).
