Some weeks back I had gone up to the BOC junction for some personal works and it was during this time that I first came across the marvelous portraits of Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Che Guevara and others drawn on the wall just below the PHQ complex. When my eyes fell upon these pictures on the wall, for a moment I completely forgot about my work for which I had gone up there in the first place as I was completely bowled over and mesmerized by the sketches. I got myself immersed in observing the sketches from all possible angles and distance and the pictures looked marvelously amazing and inspiring from all angles.
Upon seeing these pictures, my first impression was that it was probably the handiwork of some renowned artists brought from outside Nagaland by some govt. departments or local organizations with a view to beautify our capital city and also to instill the Naga youngsters to take up these kinds of art work. After observing the sketches from all possible angles, I finally walked up to a shopkeeper and asked him who had drawn the pictures and to my utter surprise, he replied it was some local Naga youths who had painted the pictures. “Are you sure that it was some Naga youths?” I asked back and he replied that he was sure because the youths were not talking in any unfamiliar languages. I took pictures of the sketches in my phone and returned home after finally remembering and doing my personal work for which I had gone up there in the first place. (It is said that Leonardo Da Vinci took 10 years to paint just the lips of Mona Lisa. But here in the 21st century Nagaland, Naga artists have in a way surpassed even the great Leonardo Da Vinci by drawing such marvelous sketches on our street wall in a couple of just a few days).
I am neither an artist nor a student of Fine Arts. As such I don’t know anything about the basics, technicalities and nitty-gritty of art. But at least I can say that anybody who sees the sketches at the BOC junction will be impressed and touched in one way or the other. The art-works are simply so damn good that it is impossible to be unimpressed and untouched by it. I am sure many have been completely mesmerized by the pictures like myself. Even if some renowned artists from outside Nagaland had come and drawn those sketches, we would still be impressed and inspired. But the fact that the pictures were drawn by some of our own Naga youths makes the whole story even more impressive, inspiring and touching. Like I said above, I am not familiar with the technicalities of drawings and paintings, so I do not know with what materials they drew those pictures and I also do not know how long the sketches will last there without fading. But if the sketches were to last beyond this generation, I am sure that even the coming generations would be totally bowled over and mesmerized by the art-works and the location (BOC junction) will certainly become an important landmark in our capital city.
After seeing the sketches that fateful day, I started to make enquiries from all possible sources about the artists who could have probably drawn the inspiring pictures. Finally through a news coverage in my favourite Morung Express I came to know the whole story behind the ingenious and innovative drawings.
As per the news coverage in the Morung Express, the sketches are the handiworks of two young Naga artists namely Vineizotuo Tase and Vithuse Temi. These artists had drawn the pictures in collaboration with the Project 72 Hours Team spearheaded by the ever innovative, ever smiling and ever polite Sievituo Solo (whom I know personally). The Project 72 Hours team had also earlier won the hearts of many denizens of Kohima when they voluntarily took upon themselves the challenge to clean up the capital town in their own unique and unassuming manner.
Now as I ponder about the unbelievably impressive pictures and also about the kinds of innovative endeavours undertaken by the likes of the Project 72 Hours Team, I am extremely happy to know that there are at least some Naga youngsters who believe in doing things differently and who are prepared to go down the lane which others usually do not even consider to be a lane. Regarding the beautiful sketches on the wall, it’s still hard to believe that some Naga artists can draw such kinds of impressive sketches. So what is the Nagaland state government doing or will do for these Naga geniuses? It would be a hard slap on the face of the whole Nagas if we are to let these Naga talents slip into oblivion and obscurity without giving them the due platform and recognition that they truly deserve. Yes, we need to encourage youngsters who are willing and ready to think and act outside the box instead of treading down the same old saturated lane over and over again.
I always believe and feel that Naga youths need to think beyond government service. As often stated, the Nagaland state government service sector is already at a saturation point. If only Naga youths can realize that there are limitless opportunities for making money, earning recognition and showcasing one’s talent even beyond the periphery of the Nagaland state government sector, a new era will dawn upon us all. And here, I am happy that at least a trend has been started by the likes of Vineizotuo Tase, Vithuse Temi, Sievituo Solo and their Project 72 Hours Team.
Yes, a real issue with majority of the present Naga youngsters is that they think only about government jobs and about driving SUVs. But the truth is that even if we drive up and down over all the roads of Kohima and Dimapur in our impressive SUVs, in the long run nobody is going to admire or adore us if we don’t have the heart to pursue and cherish the real worthwhile values and virtues of life. After our time is done and after we are dead and gone, there will be no footprints even for our own children to see and follow. Driving up and down in SUVs does not in any way mean that Nagas have become so developed, so advanced, so accomplished or so up-to-date because everybody knows that all the cars in Nagaland were and are imported from outside. Up to this day, we have not manufactured even a bicycle (let’s not forget). And at the rate at which we are buying cars, a day will surely come when our roads will not be in a position to accommodate our cars because with every new car, our roads are getting narrower. Therefore it is only when we think and act differently that we can see some desirable changes in the tapestry of our society.
Allow me to conclude by saying that I dedicate this write-up to the marvelous art-work displayed at the PHQ junction and I am of the firm conviction that innovative ideas and worthy ideals can bring about desirable changes in our society. In the times of Daniel in ancient Babylon, it was “The Writing on the Wall” that shook and changed the destiny of the people and I will hope that “The Sketch on the Wall” at PHQ Junction Kohima will at least bring about some changes in the mindset, mentality and attitude of the Nagas especially the youths……. And yes, kudos to the artists Vineizotuo Tase and Vithuse Temi for the magical touch…..
