Theja Kaco
The roads here are, to say the least, PATHETIC!!! I’m sure everyone agrees with me here. The roads here have countless numbers of potholes. Some of these potholes are so huge that calling them ‘craters’ would not be entirely wrong. And when it rains, oh-my-God when it rains, these ‘craters’ and potholes turn into ‘mini- ponds’ in which frogs (and sometimes fishes too !!) can be found thriving. SWEAR. And when the “concerned” authorities black top the roads, the new layer is, most of the time, thinner than the thickness of the newspaper you’re reading right now. And so, when it rains a bit heavily (God forbid), the so called “black topping” washes away like mud.
On the other hand, these bad roads, as odd as it may sound, have benefits. For example, we don’t really need speed breakers or speed bumps/humps (which is the actual term). The “strategically” formed potholes do the job of speed humps really well. We don’t need speed limits as well. No sane person would dare drive his vehicle over 60 kph lest it breaks down going through the unforgiving bumps, Potholes and ‘craters’. But, you know what, as “tempting” as these “benefits” are; I think I’ll have the smooth roads PLEASE.
Entrepreneurship is a word alien to many Nagas. Some even give it the “too risky & too much work” tag. This kind of mental attitude and ignorance is a real hindrance in the path of the development and progress of Nagaland.
But, thankfully, there are at least a few entrepreneurs here in Nagaland. I really hope that we open up our minds a bit on this issue.
Summer jobs: Some of you might be thinking, “what’s that?” I’m afraid not many know what the words “ summer job” means. We Nagas are oh-so-good at imitating others. Why not try out this trend? Btw, I’m not being sarcastic here. I really wish that the trend of summer jobs catches up here.
It is said that Nagaland is one of the most corrupted states in India. I don’t have the lies or the excuses to disagree with this. Scandals are common. Bribery is given and/or taken as if it’s our birth right. Anyways, thank God that there, still, are men and women who are righteous and hardworking. May there be more people like them.
BSNL: I’m pretty sure that some of you feel like crying or hitting someone every time someone mentions, the now infamous, BSNL. Anyways, don’t do that right now. You can do anything you want AFTER reading my article :). It’s true, their service really sucks. But I don’t think it’s their entire fault. I’ve come to know that the people here owe them some few crores. So, in this case, both BSNL and the people who don’t/haven’t paid their bills are to blame. The majority of the blame goes to BSNL though.
Did you know that there actually are benefits of BSNL’s bad service? Let me enlighten you. Well, if it weren’t for their awesomely bad services, we wouldn’t have had so many laughs- at their expense. As we all know, BSNL is the butt of most jokes. All the local newspapers (including this one) make fun of them almost every other day. And also, BSNL UNITES us NAGAS -- in hating them, that is. By the way, Aircel isn’t doing great either. Airtel/ Reliance-- hope they do better than the others.
Sometimes, the weather (especially in Kohima) here becomes quite unpredictable. It’s like sunny one minute and it begins to rain the next minute. I’ve experienced all the seasons’ viz. spring, summer, autumn, and winter- ALL in just ONE day!!!
But, you know, Mother Nature has been real kind to us. We very rarely experience the wrath of nature, unlike some other less fortunate places. Thank God for that.
There are virtually no public toilets here in Nagaland. I blame the public for this (at least some of them). I’ll tell you why. There is a ... I mean, there USED to be a public toilet at the Kohima local ground. But, now, it’s more of a septic tank than a toilet. If you haven’t been there- PICTURE THIS - sh*t (faeces) of every imaginable shape, size and colour everywhere on the floor. I could almost swear that I’ve seen faeces that looked like the Taj Mahal and the Leaning Tower Of Pisa. Ain’t I disgusting??
On the other hand, if there starts a war (e.g.: WW III), we don’t need to be scared coz we’ve got the ultimate weapon. We’re sure to win. Just fire the “bombs” i.e. faeces and the stink in containers, at the enemy. Nobody would dare come near us. In this way, we’ll win the war and eventually rule the world. MUAHUAHUAHHAAHAHAHA.....(that’s my evil laugh). But this will happen only if they don’t use their nuclear weapons.
I’ve never heard or gone to a concert where there hasn’t been a fight or a drunken brawl. And you know what pisses me off more? The stupid comments and jokes passed by some idiotic drunkards. I’m sorry to say that most of us Nagas don’t know the real way of enjoying a concert. Most of us are just too self conscious and the others , who aren’t self conscious are, more often than not, drunk.
Looking at the brighter side, I’m glad that most of us are music lovers. That’s really cool. Murders, extortions, rapes...etc. The small number of people who commit these anti social and sinful acts puts Nagaland, and us Nagas, in bad light.
But thankfully, as far as I know, the number of good and selfless people greatly outnumbers the above mentioned disgraceful people. Why can’t we just live and let live and not take the Guns N Roses song title “Live and let die” too seriously?
As I’ve said before, nature has been really kind to us. But we have not been kind to nature. Hunting, Pollution, Deforestation. The animals and birds – we don’t see much of them these days, do we?? The trees here are fast disappearing too. And the Dzukou fire- real sad. Btw, what happened to the Kohima Zoo?
Here’s one topic I quite like. Girls: Most Naga girls are pretty. Thank you Lord. I’m told that we (Naga guys) aren’t bad looking either. I’m not going to talk much about politics here. I just have two questions. First, is it politics or the politicians that suck the life out of Nagaland??
Second: Is there any law or rule in our constitution or anywhere else, which states that an honest and hard working person cannot enter politics? There are a few institutions that really rocks like the orphanages, old age homes, rehab centers and the like. May God bless those who run these institutions and also those who help run the institutions.
I don’t think that the prohibition of alcohol has been lifted. If I’m right than why do I see the bootleggers selling alcohol so freely? I can show you at least 10 places in Kohima alone, where alcohol is sold freely. I’m not for or against this prohibition act. I just don’t think that partial prohibition (as it is now) is a good idea.
There are many more issues on my mind. But you guys must be feeling really bored by now. So, I’ll keep the other issues for another article. Well, here’s my verdict:
Overall, according to me, NAGALAND ROCKS!!!
Ok...one last paragraph. I promise. Bear with me.
Let me give you some of the reasons behind my verdict. I know that we have weaknesses. But I also know that we have our strengths. And I know that no place in this world is or can be perfect. In my opinion, the good things about Nagaland outweigh the bad points slightly. But, we must keep in mind that we still have a long way to go. We still have a lot of things to set straight. But, I know that we have the potential to be the best. The thing I’m uncertain about is the near future. We’ll just have to wait and see what comes out of the talks between NSCN (IM) and GOI. Then we’ll know whether Nagaland will be rocking the good way or “rocking” because of the bombs and gun fires.
