Aiborlang Nongsiej
Mawlai, Shillong
It is indeed a good initiative by the Naga students Union (NSF) of Shillong to host such an event to raise fund and help Naga students who are in need of help. Having stayed in Nagaland for the past five years I appreciate and love the Naga culture particularly their traditional attires. Consequently, it is my pleasure to attend such an event held in my own home town. It is a great joy to see all the Naga students of Shillong belonging to different tribes yet coming together and host this event. The venue was at Jingking ground near Nongthymmai which is very convenience for the local people to witness and participate actively in this Naga food fest. The students were trying various means to attract more people to come and participate in this occasion. Thus, the event was quite satisfactory to see and be part of it.
Having said that, it is also my duty to point out few things to improve upon when host such occasion next time. Nagaland is known for festivals because of the various tribes residing in it. It is very rich in culture and we just love it to see them coming with full cultural attires especially during Hornbill festival. Therefore, being a local from Meghalaya and have lived in Nagaland for few years I just feel pity and sad to see the Naga students here forgetting their own cultures and traditions. I was so happy to hear about the Naga food fest and in fact, I took some of my friends to see the colourful people of Nagaland. Unfortunately the occasion was just like attending a programme somewhere in the western countries. A friend of mine, who once attended the Hornbill festival, was so unhappy with the occasion. In fact he said, the food was simple and nothing special as he experienced in Nagaland, the students were not in their own traditional attires and the food arrangement was not systematic. Thus, he said that if the students could have been in their own traditional attires as in Hornbill festival, the attendants could have been double up and the income of the event could have been better. The locals here could have been happy to attend such an event and see the richness of the Naga cultures through their traditional attires. The music was all in western languages and not even a single folk song added to stimulate the event and the attendants who want to know the Naga culture. Hence, in my opinion I would like to encourage the Naga students who are here to be proud of their own cultures and if such an occasion is organised here, the locals would be happier to attend and learn something about the Naga culture. ‘If such programme is well organised with the rich cultures and traditions of the Nagas, we do not need to go to Kohima and attend the hornbill festival’ said one of the locals. It is so unfortunate that young people are not comfortable and not proud of to put on their own traditional attires. Instead they prefer to put the other western dresses and costumes. The richness of the Naga culture is weakened and decreased when young people are uncomfortable with it.I personally admired the richness of the Naga cultures and in fact I never miss to attend any programme conducted for promoting the culture. Nagaland is the only state in which every month there is festival such as Muatsu for the Aos in May, TokhuEmong for the Lothas in November, Tuluni for the Sumi in July, Sekrenyi for the Angamis in February and so on. The colourful people of Nagaland is seen when one puts on their own traditional attires which is so unique and beautiful from one another.Therefore, my humble advice to the Naga students of Shillong is to be proud of your own culture and we the locals would be more appreciated to see you in your own traditional attires when such occasion is held here in Shillong. Lastly, this is my personal opinion and it is not of my intention to hurt anyone instead to appreciate the richness of your culture that I love and value it.
