“Where the mind is without fear”

An Interview with Yan Murry, co-founder of kuknalim.com

Every kukker knows Yan Murry, co-founder and administrator of Kuknalim.com. He lets us have our voices heard, he interviews Nagas from around the world, but we hardly get to hear him. So I decided it’s time to listen to him.

Here’s our own modest Yan in his own words:

Paul: How did you get
started on computers?
Yan: Well, it started out of curiosity more than anything else.

Paul: When did you first get the idea of building a website for Nagas? Why?
Yan: It happened way back in the year 2000. The dot-com boom was happening with Yahoo, Rediff and the likes dominating the internet space in India. Surfing the internet was a costly affair during that time. I tried searching information on Nagaland on the web. I could not find even one proper website on Nagaland.
Then the idea of starting a website for Nagaland hit my mind. I shared the idea with my friend Jeremy who instantly liked the idea.

Paul: Was Kuknalim.com your first venture? Why the name? Please tell us about its beginnings and what it has come to be today.
Yan: Yes, Kuknalim.com was my very first venture.
We wanted the name of the site to be meaningful and sound very Naga – Kuknalim fitted perfectly. Then Jeremy and I started working on the site. Jeremy's technical know-how helped a lot in it's development.
The beginning was tough yet memorable. When Kuknalim.com was launched, Nagaland was quiet new to internet but the buzz was there. People were used to reading about internet in the newspapers but knew little about it and its applications.
We somehow managed to convince Naga writers, local Hotels and Travel Agencies to collaborate with us. We then sold Naga books. People could also book Hotel rooms and travel packages in advance through the site. But with time we found out the business was not sustainable, so we did away with them and concentrated on site development.
Kuknalim.com was a hit among the youth who were more net savvy. Soon the phenomenon of social networking started and Kuknalim members were popularly known as “kukkers’. Today, Kuknalim.com is among the well known sites among Nagas. Our dream of making it a home for Nagas on the net has been realized. Last year, Kuknalim.com was awarded the Manthan Award, which shows that we’re moving in the right direction.

Paul: What other web sites have you developed? Tell us about them – purpose, content, audience.
Yan: Lately, I’ve developed a few sites, namely Bharatchronicle.com, Travelsmart.co.in, Emodop.com and Nagamusic.com
Bharatchronicle.com has been developed in association with Globe Press Media which runs the popular Maldives Chronicle. It is an internet newspaper- main visitors being Indian's abroad.
Through Travelsmart.co.in people can do online bookings of flight tickets, hotel rooms and vacations. It was developed along with my partner Jenny Haining and is operated in association with Travelocity which is among the world leaders in travel bookings. Emodop.com was developed in association with the Department of I.T, Govt of Nagaland. People can register their complaints to the Govt through the site and officers reply to them. Students can also check exam results in the site. It is a good step taken by the Govt of Nagaland from e-Governance point of view.
Nagamusic.com features Naga bands and musicians. It is an interactive site and aims at promoting Naga musicians and their music.

Paul: What is a typical day like for you as administrator of web sites.
Yan: It’s pretty cool except for the huge number of emails that flood my inbox each day. LoL

Paul: Can you tell us about the challenges you’ve had so far?
Yan: With growing competition, innovation is required in the www. My main challenge is to think of new ideas from time to time and provide something new of the people visiting the sites. Sites take time to get popular- it is still early days.

Paul: What future do you see for the worldwide web? Where are India and China in this field?
Yan: With the advent of Web 2.0, the face of the www has changed. More and more companies are using the web to enhance their businesses, more people buy online now, it has also added a new dimension on how we communicate with people. www will continue to grow bigger.
Web giants like Google, Yahoo, msn and AOL have started their offices in India. This shows that India is a big market global giants are eyeing. Besides the cost-effectiveness of setting up offices in India, Indian talent is also much sought after. Many useful Google applications we use today like Google News and Google Map maker have been developed by Indians.
The number of internet users in China will surpass that of USA by next year. China is another big market, the only hitch being their Govt keeps a check on site content- like the banning of websites showing Tibetan protests recently.

Paul: Where do you see yourself in the cyber world in the next 5 to 10 years?
Yan: Cyber stuff has been mostly a hobby for me as I never involved in it full time. Time permitting, I wish to work with like minded people and develop sites and applications which will be beneficial to people, especially Nagas.

Paul: You’re a medical doctor by training and profession, but most people know you as a computer technology buff. How do you divide your time and skills between these two sides of you?
Yan: That’s right (smiles). I’ve always worked on my internet projects in association with like minded people. That leaves me with ample time for my other duties.
Paul: Can you tell us about yourself – your personal and family background? How has it contributed to who you are?
Yan: I’m just another Naga – a Lotha from Wokha town, where I grew up. I was a bookworm till I left Wokha, my only other interest being Cricket (smiles). I’ve three siblings- two brothers and a sister. One brother is an Engineer, the other an aspiring musician in the States. My sister is a humanities student in Delhi. My parents encouraged us to follow our dreams and do things we were interested in. I think that helped a lot.

Paul: How do you relax? What do you do for fun?
Yan: Listening to music is a great form of relaxation. I like reading fiction too. I’ve just started reading Chetan Bhagat’s “The 3 mistakes of my life”. For fun, I take out time once a while to go out fishing with friends or take a long bike ride.

Paul: You’re young and know a wide cross-section of Naga young people. What good and potential do you see in them as a generation? What weaknesses?
Yan: The present generation of Nagas is promising. We’re finally realizing that life does not end without Government jobs. More and more Naga students are opting for non-traditional courses. I know so many young Nagas around the world who are following their dreams and doing well. I think the present generation of Nagas are more determined, adventurous and hard-working.
Regarding weaknesses…I’ve noticed young people in other countries start earning and become independent at a relatively young age – say during high school. They do odd jobs at times but I feel this inculcates a sense of ‘dignity of labour’ and other values at a young age. Young Nagas have embraced western culture but not this aspect.

Paul: What couple of things would you and your friends most wish the older Naga generation (fifty and up) would do for the Naga society as a whole?
Yan: I think they’re best placed to find a solution for the Naga political problem. If they find a solution to this during their lifetime, it’ll make a big difference for future generation of Nagas.

Paul: What’s your vision of the Naga society during your lifetime?
Yan: Let me share the beautiful vision which Rabindranath Tagore had for India. I think many Nagas will share the same vision….

“Where the mind is without fear
and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been
broken up into fragments
by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from
the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its
arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason
has not lost its way into the dreary
desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by
thee into ever-widening thought and
action…
Into that heaven of freedom,
my Father, let my country awake.”

Source: Kuknalim Columnist