“Tornadoes always make the news headlines but termites cause more damage.”
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud. It is also often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone. Whenever a tornado hits an area, it causes havoc and widespread destruction. Places hit and damaged by tornadoes take time to return to normalcy as the effects of the tornado would linger on for many months or even years.
Due to the technological advancements made in the field of weather forecasting, nowadays we are able to predict the oncoming of tornadoes in advance and take necessary precautions. A 2019 study found that 87 percent of deadly tornadoes were forecast. However, it is very hard to predict how powerful a tornado will be.
Tornadoes are some of the most destructive forces of nature. It is a most violent weather phenomenon which causes massive destruction and sweeps away almost anything that stands in its way. Tornadoes occur in many parts of the world including Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. The United States sees the most tornadoes in the world (over 1,000 annually).Two of the highest concentrations of tornadoes outside the U.S. are Argentina and Bangladesh.
The intense high winds of a tornado (also called a twister) are powerful enough to knock over trees, flatten buildings and destroy roads. But one of the major destructive forces of a tornado is the debris that turns into projectiles. Such is the destructive power of a tornado and it always makes the news headlines whenever it comes.
On the other hand, termites are some of the smallest insects that exist in our planet. They are so tiny and fragile that we can destroy them anytime by trampling them with our hands, feet or any other thing. Termites do not make noise and do not come suddenly and forcefully and destroy like tornadoes. As such termites never appear on news headlines. Journalists or reporters normally do not report about termites because they don’t create sensations like tornadoes.
Then why is it said, “Tornadoes and hurricanes always make the news headlines but, in reality, it is the termite that causes maximum and permanent damage”.
Termites do not come suddenly and destroy everything on its path and disappears again suddenly like a tornado. But termites are no less destructive because termites are always working and doing its job even when nobody is aware of their activities or reporting about them.
Why are termites so destructive? This is because termites serve no purpose. They simply exist to destroy. While termites are known to destroy homes, they serve a great purpose in nature. Termites serve as a natural recycling system, helping to break down fallen trees and dead wood into nutrient-rich soil that helps other plants to grow. The greatest strength of the termites is that they are always working even when nobody is paying any attention to them. And thus they are able to cause so much damage and destruction without anybody coming to know about it.
So the similarity between tornadoes and termites is that both are great destructive forces. They come only to destroy. While a tornado comes and sweeps away everything on its path, termites can eat away and destroy almost anything that humans consider valuable and precious. But there is also a big difference between the two. While a tornado always comes in a big flamboyant manner and catches everyone’s attention and always makes news headlines, termites do not announce their coming or activities but work silently, secretly and unceasingly and can eat up almost anything.
So what about the Nagas? Are we fighting against tornadoes or termites today? In my opinion, the real fight of the Nagas today is not against any tornado but should be against the many termites that are eating away all that we hold dear.
For once, Nagas are not in a state of war with anybody. But does that mean we have no battle to fight? No tornado is killing or destroying us like during war time. But termites are everywhere penetrating deep into our society, system and psyche.
If some authorities are to proclaim “pull down all the churches in Nagaland and build temples and mosques in its place”, we would all be alarmed and startled because such a proclamation would be no less than a tornado. But since we all know that India is a secular country, we feel safe and protected and we are not concerned about the ideological and philosophical termites that are constantly waging war against our faith.
If some authorities are to proclaim “financial assistance to the state of Nagaland would be stopped henceforth”, we would all be alarmed and startled because such a proclamation would be no less than a tornado since we have become so accustomed to the assistance that comes from outside. So, as long as India is feeding us and providing us whatever we need, we don’t care about the termites that come along with these packages and thus we become more and more dependent on others rather than learning to stand on our own feet.
As of now, Article 371 (A) prohibits outsiders (non-Nagas) from buying and owning lands in Nagaland. So, at least for now, our lands are safe and secure in our hands. But if, one day, this Article is abrogated and our lands become purchasable commodity for all, that would certainly be a tornado. But now, since our lands are not on sale for outsiders, we don’t seem to care about the termites that are eating away our land resources.
We have also been categorized as scheduled tribes and we are reaping many benefits today because of this. And we feel protected everywhere we go (at least in India). But since we will always be a minority in this great country, the benefits and advantages that we enjoy today may not be able to withstand the termites one day.
Our bosses have also openly declared that ours is a political issue and thus need to be settled politically. And we are elated and overwhelmed that our adversary has finally recognized our unique history and sitting across the table with us for an amicable solution. Thus we no longer may have to deal with the tornado of the military might of this great nation. But we seem to be losing sight of the many termites that come along with the delaying tactics and the gentlemanly dialogue.
One big reason why termites are flourishing in our land is because of our disdain for manual work. This has made our land a land of employment opportunities for outsiders. Outsiders pour into our lands and make comfortable earnings for themselves and their families. This workforce which is comprised mostly of outsiders is slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with. And this workforce is flourishing and thriving not because of any advanced technological tools or know-how that they have. They also do not come against us with guns, bullets or explosives. But they are thriving because of their labor, sweat and hard-work. This workforce is slowly becoming the backbone of the Naga economy. And the Naga economy would be hit by a tornado the moment this workforce is taken away. As such, many Nagas are not bothered about the termites that come along with this indispensable workforce.
Apart from these, we also have the termites of tribalism, corruption, greed, personal aggrandizements, apathy, lack of work culture, crave for easy money and comfort, disunity, etc.
There is also a saying, “it is the little foxes that spoil the vineyard”. When a lion, a tiger or a bear comes into the vineyard, it will cause panic and alarm and we will do anything to scare and chase away the intruder before it causes any damage. But nobody will care much about the little foxes roaming around in the vineyard because they would be considered as harmless and nontoxic. But in actuality, it is the little foxes that cause maximum damage to the vineyard. In the same way, we would be panicked and alarmed if any political, economic or ideological tornado hits us. But none of us seems to care about the many political and economic termites lurking in every nook and corner nearby or afar.
Today, the Naga House may not be in danger of being hit by any tornado. But in our land, everything seems to be done under pretext and wraps. So, we need to be aware of the many political, economic, cultural and philosophical termites that are slowly eating away the Naga House. We see tornadoes come and go. But we often fail to see termites doing its work until it is too late.
This article is a discourse on this maxim in the Naga context
