Veroli Zhimo
The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) recently made an appeal to all the school and college authorities in Dimapur area, to implement wearing of traditional attire once or twice a month, “so as to preserve and promote traditional and cultural values and also to keep intact with one's identity in the constantly changing contemporary society.”
The DNSU’s appeal is reminiscent of the circular issued by the Mizo National Front government in Mizoram in 2019, asking government employees to wear Mizo traditional, cultural and ethnic attires at the workplace at least once a week, voluntarily.
Among other things, the circular stated that the voluntary dress code would inculcate a sense of closeness to culture and tradition.
“Tradition, being a critical element of culture, helps in forming the structure and foundation of families and society. It helps to showcase the principles of a society, celebrate its diversity and unite as an ethnic group of people. And in the promotion of traditions, values and cultures, valuable information is displayed about one’s ancestry. Cultures, traditions and customs play an important role for a civilization and in shaping the character of its citizens and society,” the circular further stated.
The Mizoram Government’s intent was to encourage thoughts and practices that could lead to greater bonding with one’s roots especially at a time when Indigenous peoples around the world have been ‘invaded by alien cultures.’
“The conservation and protection of cultures, traditions and customs of a society depend much on how they are embraced and nurtured in the contemporary society,” read the circular.
There are two takeaways from the Mizoram government circular. The first being that there is no forced imposition and the will to wear traditional attires must come from the heart. And secondly, when government employees begin to wear traditional dresses even as tokenism, it will go a long way in boosting innovation in designs and production of cultural attires.
Similarly in September 2021, the staff and officers of the Nagaland Tribal Affairs department were been directed by the department to wear their own traditional costumes during work hours on Wednesdays. The decision has been taken by the Nagaland Tribal Affairs department to preserve and promote the rich Naga culture and attire, according to media reports at the time.
In the context of the Naga society, most traditional textiles are sacrosanct and form the very basis of Naga identity. Much like other Indigenous cultural materials, they have deeper meaning associated with the struggle to ensure the survival of the people and their culture over generations, besides its aesthetic function.
In this light, the DNSU’s appeal is a step in the right direction considering that the symbolism and meaning of these cultural materials are being forgotten with the onslaught of various influences from outside the state. Perhaps the Naga society can take it as a cue to remind itself that along with the political identity, it also has its responsibility to preserve and propagate its cultural identity.
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