What’s on your Mind – Kiphire!!

What’s on your Mind – Kiphire!!

Every morning as I switch on my phone, I have Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook staring at me with the question – What’s on your mind!! As we bid good bye to 2017 and heralded 2018 – when most of my friends and family wished a Happy New Year for me and my family – my mind was more occupied with Kiphire – one of the remotest districts in the extreme North East of India. Kiphire is around 2500 kms from New Delhi and it takes almost 18 hours to reach the district from Delhi with the fastest mode of transport – a combination of a 4.5 hour flight to Dimapur and another 13.5 hours of tiring road journey on the hill roads.

               Towards the end of 2017, I got a call from the young Deputy Commissioner of Kiphire with the news that his district has been identified as one of the most backward 115 districts of the country which have been chosen for a special focus by the Prime Minister for Transforming India. He also informed me that he has been invited to participate in a Conference in New Delhi on 4^th and 5^th January where the District Collectors (Deputy Commissioners) of the 115 most backward districts will be making presentations before a panel chaired by none other than our Prime Minister. He asked for my suggestions on the theme that he should chose for Kiphire – from amongst Education, Health, Nutrition, Agriculture, Water Resources, Financial Inclusion, Skill development and Basic Infrastructure. We discussed the various development indicators for the district and the Deputy Commissioner was preparing for his big Day with the PM. However, this was in the last week of 2017.

               Come 2018 and a different kind of crisis awaited the DC and the district of Kiphire. A potentially explosive law and order situation over nomenclature of a village and we had a situation where the focus shifted from development to maintenance of basic law and order. Social Media these days is a willing medium to be misused for spreading all kinds of rumours that can disrupt normal life. So a decision had to be taken – much to the chagrin to champions of free speech – to restrict Internet services in the district. Meetings were held with all stakeholders to avoid any loss to life and property. With great effort, the situation has been brought to control and normalcy prevails as of now. But at what cost? The Deputy Commissioner could not attend the Conference which was addressed by Hon’ble Prime Minister. The Prime Minister exhorted the young District Collectors – referred to them as Change Agents – who can together transform the Backward Districts to be Aspirational Districts. Identifying the aspirations of the people of these districts and taking steps to meet those aspirations can help not only transform these districts but the entire State. The Deputy Commissioners – the Change Agents – who have the opportunity to work in these Aspirational Districts are fortunate to get an opportunity to do something meaningful – that can bring about real change. The Prime Minister called upon the young officers to strive hard to change the negative psyche and mindset of pessimism into that of optimism in these districts.

Given this context, we need to go beyond the dispute and the acrimony of the past week – look for ways and means to resolve our differences and work together – hand in hand – to help improve the development indicators of Kiphire. The literacy rate of the district is 69.54% against 79.55% for the State. The Sex Ratio of the District – 956 is better than that of the State – 931. But the sex ratio of children below the age of 6 is only 948 and that’s a trend that needs to be reversed. Poor infrastructure facilities in the districts results in a situation where we don’t have sufficient teachers in schools and colleges, doctors in hospitals are missing and people suffer as a result. Bad roads and lack of proper infrastructure is one of the biggest bottlenecks in the district. Coverage of Banks is limited and Financial Inclusion is a major challenge. With the relatively young population, Skill Development can be a major focus area to help the youth find jobs. The Prime Minister has given a target of 3 months to work out a plan and move ahead – this will be challenging and what we need is to get all like minded people – specially the youth – who are aspirational to come forward and give suggestions that can help transform Kiphire. If we can do this, there is an opportunity to make Kiphire the role model for the Nation. And this would ensure that Kiphire will be on the minds of people across the country, next year – for a totally different reason. Lets do it.

Abhishek Singh

(Views are personal)

In defense of The Naga Blog - The Dimapur Conundrum

In defense of The Naga Blog - The Dimapur Conundrum

Dimapur and Nagaland have been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the past two weeks. I was deeply anguished and hurt when I heard of the brutal lynching of a rape accused on March 5. The news shook me. The pictures and videos that were shared by people I know were scary, creepy, dark and macabre. Children in school uniforms as part of the mob that was parading the accused was horrid. This is a State that boasts of high literacy levels and Christian values which went to such ghastly levels of violence. It brought back memories of the head hunting days of the past.

There have been various versions of the story. Some called it an expression of people’s fury against the perpetrators of rape – which is a crime worst than murder. Many in my friends and family circles outside Nagaland justified the mob action and felt that this is the way to treat such perverted criminals who indulge in the most gruesome form of violence against women. In the aftermath of the incident and the media hue and cry over it, the Government of Nagaland has rightfully launched an enquiry and taken action against the guilty.

However, what has come as a shock and surprise to me is the reported move to ban Social Media forums like The Naga Blog FaceBook (FB) group. The Naga Blog FB group was started in 2008 and I am proud to be amongst one of the first people to join the group. Today the group has almost 60,000 members and I have seen the way the group has evolved and the role it is playing in today’s Naga society. It is a breath of fresh air in the State and the society which has seen too much of violence, hatred and killings in the past 60 years. At times, there are posts and comments on the group which smacks of tribalism and even hatred for communities but by and large the group admins have regulated the FB group in a fair manner. I commend Yan Kikon, one of the founders of the group to have played a key role in helping the group and page evolve to what it is today. The Naga Blog has also spawned the growth of several similar groups in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung and all of them have given a forum and platform to people, specially the youth to express themselves and vent out their anger and anguish to all that is wrong in the present day Naga society.

The role played by The Naga Blog in the movement against illegal taxation and extortion in 2013 was commendable. This forum helped people of Dimapur express themselves in no unclear terms to the militant organizations that people are fed up of the illegal taxation. In 2012, The Naga Blog launched one of the most noble initiatives in the form of a Blood Donors list which has almost 14000 members and I know many a people who have got their lives saved cause someone from this forum donated blood when it was needed the most. The Naga Blog group also came forward whenever there was a need to collect donations for national disasters like Sikkim Earthquake in 2011 and even extended help to the administration and Government for local relief operations in cases of fire and accidents. The forum also launched innovative campaigns like Mission Potholes in 2012 which was directed towards bringing attention of the Government to the poor condition of roads and highways. The Naga Blog volunteers have over the last few years become the part and parcel of every noble initiative in the State and volunteers have been in the forefront of almost every social activity. This group cuts across the tribal and class boundaries and I was very impressed with the modern tech savvy outlook of this group. This was in stark contrast of the existing systems in the State which are divided on tribal lines and perpetuates parochialism and nepotism. This group and members are like a breath of fresh air in the otherwise polluted and corrupted systems that plague our society.

Given this background, it pains me to hear reports that The Naga Blog is being blamed for whatever went wrong in Dimapur. Instead, I was telling a friend of mine on March 4, that given the strong views being expressed by people on this forum, the administration and police had their task cut out. It was clear that people will come on the streets and the District Administration ought to have taken preventive measures to ensure the security of the District Jail and ensuring that law and order remains in control. Thus, it’s not fair to blame a Social Media group for what has been an institutional and Governance failure.

I would pray and hope that no such action for banning The Naga Blog is taken. I am sure that the Admins of The Naga Blog page would also ensure that views and comments that promote hatred and enmity and violence are edited and blocked from the page. Let’s hope that all in the State work constructively to ensure return to normalcy and supremacy of law and order.

Abhishek Singh

(Views are Personal)

Technicolour Weekend

I must say that it has been a great weekend for me and for Kohima. Nothing could have been better than to get to enjoy good music and see the best plays that I have ever seen in Kohima. Well it all happened on Friday and Saturday. Friday was a real treat, the occasion being the launch of the debut album of Nise Meruno, the celebrated and widely acclaimed pianist, composer and musician. I must say that Nise is truly gifted and the way he performed shows the true professional he is. It is widely believed that we have real talented singers and musicians, but I must say that those like Nise are rare. He has really honed his natural skills and talent by going through formal training in music in Singapore and Trinity, London and it shows. A good singer or a musician becomes a true professional when he adopts the fine art of performing on stage. Kudos to Nise. He is really blessed and we all look forward to many more albums and performances from him.

While Nise really enthralled us, I must also say that I was quite impressed by the performance of Ballad Fusion that evening. The array of compositions presented by them was truly amazing. Whether it was the Circle of Life medley or Go The Distance, they excelled. Heart of Dreams by Bethel was quite original. She too is really gifted and I am sure we are going to hear more of her in the days to come. The whole show was conceptualized by Hope Productions and I must say that Team Hope is doing a great job in promoting music and talent in the State.

If Friday it was music, I was treated to theatre on Saturday. It was the concluding function of the Intensive Theatre workshop organized by National School of Drama and North East Zone Cultural Center. They staged snippets of 3 plays and I could not believe that just 45 days of training can result in such beautiful productions. Full marks to the Directors and the trainers from NSD and I am sure this venture will draw many of our youth to theatre which is one of the most creative art forms. The participants truly excelled – whether it was presenting Technicolour Dreams or A Doll’s House or Scapin the Scoundrel.

Technicolour Dreams was one show which should not have been missed by anyone. If you live in Kohima, Dimapur or Mokokchung and you missed the play, you truly have missed something big. This performance was so creative and so original and it depicted present day realities that we all face that not only makes us laugh but also retrospect and introspect as to what can be done to set things right. The snippet that they staged on Saturday showed the complications we face in view of the multi ethnic communities, languages and values and customs. The link language amongst people – Nagamese – howsoever we may detest, is a reality. We have different tribes having their own way of speaking and interpreting Nagamese and life for someone who can not communicate in this crazy language can really be difficult specially in our cities, as depicted in the play. This play makes us think as to what do we do with Nagamese. Should we just let it be as it is or should we try to adopt it as a uniform language with providing for proper grammar, syntax and including common words from across various languages spoken in the State.

Moliere’s Scapin the Scoundrel was truly present in the signature comic style and provided humorous anachronisms and funny situations. The actor who played, Scapin, the clever scheming servant of Geronte, is a most amusing, likeable scoundrel who makes us complicit with his schemes. The social satire presented in the play is still relevant though it is more than 300 years that the play was written.

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House traces the awakening of Nora Helmer from her unexamined life of domestic comfort. Ruled her whole life by either her father or her husband, Nora must question the foundation of everything she believes in when her marriage is put to the test. Having borrowed money from a man of ill-repute named Krogstad by forging her father's signature, she was able to pay for a trip to Italy to save her sick husband's life (he was unaware of his condition and the loan, believing that the money came from Nora's father). Since then, she has had to contrive ways to pay back her loan, growing particularly concerned with money. The actor who played Nora really excelled showing a wide range of emotions and looked to be quite an accomplished performer. She has great potential and will do very well if she takes to theatre.

The performances had musicals also which made strong statements on the problems our society is facing today. Whether it is killings, fight for supremacy, drugs, HIV, the performers exhibited the strong resolve and will of the youth in having a stake in improving things. Overall, the plays were staged beautifully inspite of the limitations of stage, equipment and time. Full marks to NSD and NEZCC for brining such a show to Kohima. I am sure if these, in particular, Technicolour Dreams, are staged in other districts also, it will draw huge crowds. So Social and Cultural organizations, if interested, may get in touch with the NEZCC office in Dimapur.

Thus music and theatre kept me away from the other negative happenings in Bangalore, Ahmedabad and our very own Parliament. Sometimes one wonders where are we headed for. Blasts and killings of civilians is the most barbaric thing that can happen anywhere. What happened in Delhi during Trust vote was shocking and sad for our democracy. If elected representatives can be bought and sold, what future do we have. Collectively, as a nation, we need to reflect on these issues and as citizens need to take strong stands.

I wish we are able to focus more on positive things like music and theatre. Infact I got another piece of good news last week. A young guy named Toshi Sangtam from Dimapur has qualified for the theatre round of Indian Idol. He is to perform in Mumbai on August 5 and needs everyone’s blessings, help and support and later SMS votes. At the same time I am waiting for the launch of the third edition of our very own Naga Idol from Mokokchung. I am sure my erstwhile colleagues in MDACC must be making big plans for this years show.