Vishü Rita Krocha
The Naga sense of community is powerful to say the least. For years and decades, it has served as a vital safety net for people across generations.
Especially in times of crisis, it is this strong sense of community that has often brought strength and relief to those who have gone through the most devastating experiences.
When the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world, affecting even the farthest corner of the globe, Naga communities came together; they shared precious resources with each other. Even when markets collapsed and there was no easy access to green leafy vegetables, farmers in villages ensured that their labour of love from their farms and gardens made it to town dwellers.
There was collective grief at the loss of numerous lives during the pandemic despite the fact that even funerals during that period were held in isolation. Like anywhere else in the world, nobody was prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. It tore families apart, it broke the fabric of every social life, it quite literally brought life to a halt, but we survived as a community because we were there for each other in ways that only the Naga sense of community could bring about.
"If your house burns down, if your family member falls sick or dies, if you are suddenly diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, if your crops fail, your neighbours, kinsmen, clansmen, come to help you build a new house, help care for the sick", Easterine Kire, a noted poet & author once expressed on the Naga sense of community.
There are several instances that reflect this kinship. In many Naga villages, it is not just during the times of crisis that communities come together, but they consistently exhibit a shared bond throughout. When a certain community is undertaking a project, say, for instance, construction of a new church building, village communities come together to give their service even if they are not members of that particular church.
It is heartwarming that Naga communities are there for each other in all circumstances and more importantly, when tragedy strikes, for we need our community more than ever during such times. The Naga sense of community is still highly valued and upheld today as witnessed even in the most recent Landslide Tragedy in Mon.
It is hard to imagine the sheer magnitude of this tragedy even as we are once again reminded of how precious and fleeting life is. But when we come together as a community, we share the load and in some measure, it lightens the burdens of those deeply affected by it.
By lifting each other up, we find collective strength- strength we didn’t know we had.
Despite modernisation and the constantly evolving society, the Naga sense of community is one good thing that has remained, a precious value that must be upheld to bring healing to our land.
This is a guest editorial by Vishü Rita Krocha. She is the Publisher of PenThrill Publication and a senior journalist based in Kohima.
