S.I. Jamir
Dimapur has grown from the sleepy and tiny railway town it once was to what it is today. It is the only town of Nagaland connected by road, rail and air. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, etc are only a few hours away by flight. Apart from its importance as a strategic military base, it is the melting pot of all the Naga tribes as well as people from the rest of the country – a mini India one may say.
Undoubtedly the commercial hub of Nagaland and the neighbouring state of Manipur, and parts of Assam as well this ‘gateway’ to Nagaland and Manipur, is one of the fastest growing towns in the country.
Dimapur valley can, according to experts, accommodate a population of two million people. There is a huge floating population in Dimapur providing different kinds of services and trades, all of which are economy generating.
The area can boast of numerous schools and colleges – some among the best anywhere – including 30-odd theological institutions, which may be the highest in the country if not in the world.
With the few facts mentioned to its credit and the potential that definitely exists, Dimapur has reached the starting point on the road to becoming a sprawling and bustling metropolis. But, and this is what counts, the future of Dimapur depends on how it progresses on what remains of the route ahead.
Given the facts, what sort of metropolis should we envision for Dimapur of the 21st century? Expand it surely will but on what lines? We would be put to shame and would be held responsible if it were to develop into an ugly concrete jungle with clogged sewers and narrow and dusty roads littered with stinking garbage and market places where germs breed. God forbid that such a catastrophic fate does not befall the gateway to Nagaland and beyond.
For us Nagas, it is without question the most important town and all of us should strive to make it a utopian show-piece of Naga culture and values.
I believe most of us have seen, be it on TV, the major cities of the country and other nations of the world and all of us must have felt how wonderful it would be if Dimapur becomes the same.
The following would have to be considered if dreams of a modern Dimapur are to be fulfilled.
Dimapur would need to have a network of wide and well-lit roads with broad sidewalks lined with trees and statues that relate to the history, culture and way of life of the Nagas in particular.
As in the case of roads, the sewerage system too would have to be wide and well covered. A network of drains would have to be provided to lead into the major sewerage systems. There would also have to be garbage disposal points that are cleared on a daily basis. Needless to say that garbage is waste matter but modern scientific research has found that sustainable energy can be produced from waste matter and used as domestic gas. A plant for this purpose would have to be set up outside the city.
The city would have to have a modern and efficient water supply system to provide sufficient water for domestic and other purposes.
Power is indispensable, be it in homes, commercial centers, industrial enterprises and for traffic control and, therefore, sufficient and regular power supply would have to be a must.
The city would have to be beautiful and interesting to live in. Green parks, open spaces, entertainment and recreation centers, gymnasiums and sports infrastructure would have to be sufficiently provided.
A city is what the inhabitants make it to be and, therefore, Dimapur would have to have friendly and helpful citizens with a high sense of civic responsibility. Such a city would attract people from all over to enrich the society. Such a city would naturally attract tremendous outside investment as well.
A congenial and trade-friendly atmosphere would have to be created. No city can flourish without the tax payers and therefore legitimate taxes should be regulated and judiciously utilized. The dubious taxes, however, would have to be discouraged.
Sufficient numbers of private schools, colleges and hostels as well as hospitals and clinics are extremely essential to cater to the population but they should not be allowed to spring up any and every where. They should neither be money minting enterprises. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that they be regulated and be governed by terms and conditions laid down by the government and the municipal body. The functioning of all such institutions would have to be reviewed on a regular basis.
Law and order would have to be in top shape and free from compromises. Modern crime protection and detection facilities with up-to-date infrastructure should be made available to an efficient force for quality policing. The Police department would do good to set put more stations and outposts to cover all sections of the city and implement community policing in every colony to ensure that criminals do not run free. Citizens’ welfare committees and community policing, as practiced to great success in other parts of the world, would deserve encouragement.
The Municipal body should encourage people’s participation in managing civic affairs. Without the awareness and responsibility of the citizens towards the well being of the city it would be difficult for any civic body to function satisfactorily.
The most important factor, however, would have to be the size of the city. It is therefore vital that the people, NGOs and governmental agencies integrate the entire valley into a single metropolis.
Undoubtedly there are thousands of concerned citizens of Dimapur who believe we can make it a great, clean metropolitan city in the 21st century. Let us strive together to make this vision possible. All tribal unions, community organizations, student bodies and political as well as religious leaders must take up the mantle of leadership and work in unison towards this vision. Our concern, our efforts today can make this dream possible for our children and grandchildren. Visions will always remain as such unless the visionaries make the first move towards fulfillment. Fellow citizens should we not all get up and say, “Let’s do it.”
