Witoubou Newmai
It has become a matter of critical importance for Naga society to fully understand the issues before it endorses them. Or else, it must be happy when the tag ‘hero-worship’ is attached to it. Naga society needs much thought and penetrating conversations over this question today.
‘Blind indulgence’ has been contributing myriads of problems in the Naga society, and it is getting even more complex with time as society has simply become an object to be shaped by vested groups and so called leaders. At the peak of the society's over-brimming enthusiasms while creating an aura around these groups or so called leaders, it is only helping in consolidating the positions of those vested elements committed to control and manipulation. Still more brutally cynical is Naga society’s disillusion over the confronting issues, once the individual interests are not served by the engaging movement.
At this critical juncture, one thing that bothers one’s mind is not about the question of Naga society’s authenticity towards the issues it is fighting with, but it is the worry over the current standard view of the society and its happy indifference to this discouraging trend. Even worse is the considering of the Naga society that, it is superfluous to even take a perilous route for a worthy cause.
Even as Naga society is distressed with the everyday businesses of vested interest, hypocrisy and tribalism, which are fast draining out its energies and resources, few people who are considered as the conscience keepers of the Naga society cannot find the required strength.
This is so because the values of confronting issues have not seeped into the collective Naga mind. Hence, the society is left to see the cordial affairs disrupted, and what should have been the Nagas’ finest period seems destined to become a nightmare. The collective Naga society is to be blamed for the diminishing provision of a meaningful ‘Naga journey’. In short, this trend is a self manufactured penalty of Naga society.
What, then, are the difficulties for Naga society to realize for it to genuinely engage with the ‘Naga journey’? Perhaps Naga society’s flaw lies in its weakness for pain-killer pills, and not for the diagnosis. This weakness for adhocism or cosmetic treatment is because of indigestion of the issues confronting Naga society. This is to say that, what can be considered a more vulnerable thing than vested leaders and groups finding appeals in an ignorant mind?
Unless the concerned people start asserting their responsibilities loudly and openly, there is no immediate remedying measure at the moment. Trenchant engagements with the ignorant public should be part of the concerned people’s assertion towards shouldering their responsibilities.
Once the people become fully aware of the issues confronting them, there is little room for vested interest elements manipulating the situation to their advantage. In this way, chances of anxiety taking place is little, even if crises overwhelm ‘the helm of affairs’ as issues or the ‘Naga journey’ will continue to be relevant. This perhaps is a ‘sustained campaign’. In such case, the concerned people spearheading the campaign will have much chance of succour.
