Ao Yemen Chang
If at all one wants to learn about a society full of paradoxes and one wishes to make research on paradox and paradoxical thinking and action then one need not go far or travel anywhere but should come to Nagaland where ready materials on paradoxes are freely and readily available.
Nagas are Christians by religion and according to Christian tenets and doctrines, a Christian means follower of the way. Christians are those who follows the teaching of Christ. But the Naga Christians of today will surely put their animist forefathers to shame by their way of living and action. The Christian leaders and Naga Christians have declared the Nagas and Nagaland as “Nagaland for Christ”, a declaration which has been noted in the Christian world. But when one looks within, Nagaland has become a land of heathens where all despicable acts have been in vogue which is quite contrary to the Christian way of life and living. So, could we use the term Nagaland for anti-christ.
Nagas have passed an act which had declared Nagaland a dry state. As per the Act no liquor is allowed to be sold, consumed and purchased. But in practice, Nagaland has become a land where almost 60-70% are drinkers. It is a place where liquors both local and Indian made foreign liquors are available in every nook and cranny. A tourist who came to Nagaland commented, “We were warned that no alcohol is allowed in Nagaland but when we reached Nagaland it is found that there are more liquor dens in Nagaland where there is prohibition than in other states where only licensed wine stores are allowed to sell liquor.
Nagas have been harping on unity and integration in every gathering and conclave,the issue of unity and integration has been the main theme. but the ground reality is far from satisfactory. Every Naga is divided along tribal line, regional line and so on.
And if we look upon the freedom fighters they have taken the motto Nagaland for Christ as their motto. And under the cloak of Nagaland for Christ, fratricidal killings have been witnessed.
Nagas have been crying hoarse for freedom when every one is afraid to voice out his/her true feelings for fear .then is it the freedom we crave so dearly?
Hence, Nagaland is indeed a fertile ground for any researcher where paradoxical works could be pursued with great success.
When one ponders on all the above mentioned points, one come to the conclusion whether we the Nagas are on a time warp.Why so many contradictory things are occuring in our society? Is it due to the fact that we the Nagas jumped straight from the Primitive Age and culture to the Modern Age without going through the Medieval Age ? Is it why we are facing the problem to adjust ? It is indeed to be noted that the Nagas are in a transitional stage and what is happening is to be expected in a transitional stage. But it is high time for us Nagas to deeply visualise and introspect where we are heading, what lie ahead ? Do we really want to gift our children the chaos and turmoil that we have created ? The state we are existing is an illusion and the dreams we have are at the most a hazy dream bestowed on us by our parents. Nagas of yore as we have heard were hard working, honest and independent; economically self-dependent, socially and politically free.
We have aped and imbibed the western culture without realizing the shock it will create in our society. We have gone ga-ga over all things western; western way of life, western materials but in pursuits of such life we have not learnt how they evolved their way of life, how and why they become what they are and who they are today. It was built on firm foundations of hard work, enterprise, perseverance and belief in God.
So, unless we return to the basics, we the Nagas will roam between heaven and hell; neither with God nor with the devil. And our whole life will be one of confusion and turmoil.
If only, we return to the basics and tries to slowly evolve ourselves, then there is no place like Nagaland. A place which boast of sublime and gentle climate, a land yet to be polluted by pollutants, a place close to nature; where the nature itself is our protector against the fury of natural calamities like earthquake, landslides, floods, heat-wave and cold-wave, etc. Let’s build our future Nagaland drawing the rich resources that is at our disposal instead of going after the illusory mirage. Unless we do so, the paradoxical contradictory Naga society is doomed.
