Reacting to the statement of Mahatma Gandhi who said, “Indians live in villages, not in cities,” the novelist and social activist Arundhati Roy quips, “Indians don’t live in villages; Indians die in villages.” The recent visit of the Governor of Nagaland Dr. Ashwani Kumar to a fairly lesser known village in Pochury area at Weziho by road caught my attention. While many a politicians and bureaucrats of his stature opt to fly high up in style to get to a place like Weziho, he has shown the way through his down to earth example.
Neither am I a politician nor is a discourse on political pleasantries my cup of tea. I don’t even claim to know why he went there and what commitment he has given to my people. My sole intention in writing this letter is to convey my sincere thanks to him for taking the road which even the angels fear to tread. By driving through the road conveniently avoided by VIPs, he has earned the distinction of being not only the first Governor to drive his way straight into the book of record but also into the heart of the people.
As rightly said by someone, a leader is he who knows the way, shows the way, and walks the way. Your Excellency, you have heard, seen, and experienced the regular plight of common people personally and practically. Because you have come so close to us, we are happy that now you can feel our heartbeat and can understand us better. Thank you once again, Your Excellency, for taking the country road to reach us. Please visit again.
Rümatho Nyusou
SBS, Zubza
