Setting a positive course for the year 2022

Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | February 19

Against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that witnessed sorrow for the dead and dying across the world besides all its other devastating impacts especially in the last two years, 2022 has somehow has ushered in hope that life will be better.

For children who started their first school year amidst the pandemic and got through their academic year(s) by attending online classes, it is their hope to physically attend classes in the respective schools in 2022. “I hope I get a job this year” is another common refrain for graduates who have been looking for employment over the past few years.

However as COVID-19 still poses as a threat, Human Rights activist-cum-academician, Kekhrie Yhome notes that “there is no timeline for this disease, so it’s a good time to experiment with confidence and explore for example, telemedicine.”

It may be a new idea for us, he says, “but we need to restructure our government policies as well as our everyday social life according to what will come in the future.”

Pointing out that many people are affected not just in the urban cities but rural areas and very faraway places, he states that, “they are all suffering because of lack of access to health system because they cannot travel.” Every dark moment, he articulates “is a moment for us to creatively think” while explaining that it gives us the opportunity to reassess our creativity and we should use this kind of situation to further improve our lives.

In the meantime, he is mindful of the places where it is impossible to get internet. “The kind of data which we are getting is not up to the rest of the country,” he says, while pointing out that the dependency on digital India is going to expand more and more. In this, he views that the private sector needs to be called into action. “The infrastructure of IT sector is one area where the government should take up with the private sector,” he articulates.

On the other hand, he points out that during the year preceding the general elections, the entire Naga public is going to be taken for a ride with speculations and a lot of political instability. “I think there should be a decisive mode. We cannot predict the future but we know for sure that the stability of the government is very important which also gives peace to the public mind. All these instability, all these political dramas, we should limit ourselves to a preparation where a particular government is expected to come and we should gear towards that,” he asserts.

Every time election year comes, he further points out that we see a lot of people joining this party and that party. Instead of that, he emphasizes that “the public should know, and start deciding who will best represents us.” 

“A year like the election year creates a lot of distress for the public, and that is one thing we can definitely avoid,” he affirms.

For social activist and businessman, Kevitho Kera, the common Naga public “seem to be opening their eyes a little; they are aware of the issues and injustices around us, a little more than it was ten years back.” The society, he feels, won’t see any big changes, but “I think we are moving towards the right direction as our people are more armed with knowledge and a little more proactive than it was ten years back.”

This, for him, signals hope even as he goes on to recall that “ever since the advent of social media, I have only noticed negative things being thrown around, but finally I can see some positive signs—young people are now bolder, taking up issues which were lying dormant for a long time, more proactive on taking up issues, and reminding the authorities.”

Maybe even for the next one decade, “I won’t see big changes but it seems to be progressing towards the right direction”, he expresses. Social Media, he feels, has provided a platform for young people to voice out and even though they have made mistakes and are still making some more, young people are now beginning to use it positively, he observes.

On a personal note, Kevitho Kera has decided to live the year 2022 positively. “I think I have started with living unfulfilled dreams—travelling to places and I realised that life is very short. I want to visit places and become a more positive person,” he relates. Asserting that travelling really broadens the mind, he has now begun on that journey of exploring more places in Nagaland and the North East to begin with.

“Personally, I have become much more stable. I am hoping to make the right decisions. I see positivity in 2022,” he exudes hope.