Survival or Living?

Dr. Asangba Tzudir

In the current Naga political spectrum, the coming 31st October has been playing as a devil in disguise creating a lot of apprehension more so triggered and heightened by the very recent series of events causing more anxiety and uncertainty. The unfolding events however, only attest to the nature of uncertainty in ‘certainty’ and certainty of uncertainty.


Having said that, while placed within such a sticky situation, the past becomes a point of reference towards shaping the thought process. Ironically, the issue centers on survival rather than struggle to life. Is it helplessness without any alternatives? For now there is heavy rush in the market in an effort to stock up essential commodities   Today, the idea of ‘survival’ or surviving seems to have taken precedence over the meaning of life, what it means to have a life, and what it means to live. 


The Greeks used two terms to define life - ‘zoè’ and ‘bios.’ ‘Zoé’ expressed the simple fact of living common to all living beings, and ‘bios’ indicated the form or a way of living that is proper to an individual or a group. The former, talks of existence while the latter implies living. Contextually, the question of survival seems to be a more pressing concern rather than living, a fact testified by the various forms of discontentment which in no way adds value to build a life and therefore living.


Within the quest for survival is the issue of dependency syndrome where ‘we’ have adopted a culture of undeserved eating while depending almost everything on ‘others’ to get our things done, so also the things we buy to keep us alive. Bee Gees heyday song ‘Staying Alive’ aptly reminds of our condition. It only presents a tragic reality that we are traversing a path where we have to struggle even for ‘survival’ to stay alive because of our apathetic attitude towards work culture and the kind of lifestyle that rather ‘despises’ our rights, our life and living. 


This has led to ‘hijacking’ of our lives and subsequent enslavement in every way starting from economy that even the question of survival has become a difficult proposition. Our reality finds illusioned while day-dreaming about a genie with a lamp to fulfil your wishes unmindful of the real sickening world of our own making.   


A change in our mindsets from our easy life attitude and of ‘undeserved eating’ only can serve as a prologue to carry forward our struggle in reclaiming our ‘rights’ towards a shift from struggling to survive to a life that actually lives. It remains a central component of not only in ‘theory’ but a foundational aspect of our everyday life.


 But so long as we fail to evolve and change the sickening mentality, we will only continue to ‘exist’ and ‘struggle to survive.’ Time is now ripe to really start struggling to reclaim our rights and re-create a meaningful life called living.

 

(Dr. Asangba Tzidir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)