It was on Friday, September 2, 2011, the Junkeri Welfare Group (SHG) team happened to visit a place called Suruzha Village, Chumukedima, which takes around one hour to reach from Dimapur. Our team was led by a close friend Arjun Gurung. It was a remarkable day for us to visit the place and we were able to interact with many families. The population mainly consisted of mixed culture, where minorities are considered as Gorkhas.
We happened to interact with an old lady, 84-yrs-old Phull Maya Tamang, who couldn’t hear or see properly. After some deliberation she told us about her life. She was originally come from Kalimpong, now known as Gorkha Territorial area. She was very small when she came to Nagaland, and she is still living in Nagaland along with family members.
She says, “Sometimes due to my bad health, I feel like committing suicide, what to do? We don’t have good food to eat, or a good house to live in. If we have that, we would not be like this, but we never beg because we are Gorkhas and we would rather work and earn than beg.”
We were shocked by the old lady’s encouraging words. Imagine how she must have been when she was young. On asking the economic strength of the family, she replied ‘that there are nine members out of which three are painters, or any kind of work that they get or prefer, and often my Buwari, would also go for work and by this we live our life happy. Sometimes our Naga neighbors also help us in every way during the time of difficulties, so we live like brothers and sisters, in our colony.’
We also had the opportunity to interact with one of her daughter Mrs. Kumari Tamang. Kumari who suffers from bone disease was in a deplorable condition. She told us about the pain she had in her body, and with tears in her eyes told us, “someday will come when our Lord bless us with happiness.” Finally the day ended and we left the place.
Of course, poverty is everywhere. Be it in the city or in the streets, no amount of natural or cultural beauty can long distract you from the depressing realities that the majority of Gorkhas have to face every day whether living in Nagaland or outside. Those who think they can insulate themselves from the poor people around them are deluded; until they take an active interest in improving the lot of those less fortunate, their comfort zones are mere eggshells.
In our modern day, poverty has been the breeding ground in Gorkha Community. Yes, this is true of half of us in a literal sense, living as we do in the corrugated half of the country. Please think it was just a village where we met only a few families members, there might be more villages across Nagaland where the Gorkhas are facing so much hurdles in their life. How can we sleep when our fellow brothers and sisters are going to lose their ground beneath their feet and roof above their heads, how can we eat when our fellow people are hungry .
Therefore the Junkeri Welfare Group (Self Help Group) took initiatives to help the valued Gorkha Families who are in need of help, through our own work and wisdom. The Junkeri Welfare Group (SHG) along with Paudel Pariwar Productions (A Joint Venture Group) is going to release a poetry Book titled ‘MERA KAVITA HORU’ comprising of English and Nepali language. The main cause of publishing the book is to highlight some social works, by selling or helping in publication and also to uplift the young buds to make keen interest on it. Henceforth, the proceeds of this book shall be contributed in the field of social activities such as education, orphanage, Medical etc and to help in recent above subject. Hence, in order that our Self Group succeed and progress with first step, through this launch show, we earnestly seek your prayer and support, without which our dreams will not be accomplished. Therefore, kindly support us today and in future ventures.
Rupak Chetri
President
Junkeri Welfare Group (SHG)
