Imlinungsang Lkr
F.A. College
“Just raising my hand to volunteer to act in drama at college gave me way to take a trip to Pune. Sounds interesting? Let’s go on……………!”
The Fazalian, both teachers and students let by administrators organized a curtain raiser programmed on the 8th of September 06’ to herald the nearing 50th year of its existence that is the Fazl Ali College Mokokchung which date is its foundation day. On this day there were different items to be performed in the programmed among which one act play was one. So, our lecturer Sir. Akok Walling asked the B.A.1 English Honors students whether we would like to step forward to act a play. So, I with a bunch of my friends shot up our hands to be auditioned and nine of us were selected for the play. We practiced the play, ‘The Bishop’s candlesticks’ and our performance was super. On that day the youth resource officer Arenla who was present there spotted us and we were given a chance to represent Mokokchung district in drama competition in 8th State Level Youth Festival to be held at Kohima from 19th to 20th Dec 06’ Luckily, we won the competition there, whereby fudging us an opportunity to compete in the X11th National Festival 2007, PUNE.
Being overwhelmed at the good news to go to Pune, we were counting the days to start the journey. This time, we practiced a play entitled ‘The convict’ writing by our lecturer Limatula who’s them was “The change for a better life out of a devilish minded person by being show love to him by a selfless Professor.”
It was the first time long journey I had travel and was on the nineteenth year of my life on earth. I didn’t know at all that lots of experiences and realizations were awaiting me on my way to travel. I learnt how people sweat over a ticket for rush train and to get into the right compartment of the train. I gave myself a chance to consider lucky enough for not being one of those who beg on the railway stations and on the streets without even having a roof of their own to be shattered. Again, I learn that the most gloomy looking co-passenger is usually the most talkative one, Once you get into them; not forgetting to mention that train journey is good when there are good friends and close friends around to make you laugh, but you cannot be happy without your best friend sitting with you because, “a person traveling without his best friend beside him must be in want to let some tears roll down his cheeks” because he is missing all the good things that you would always love to share with him and I was the person missing by best friend all the way through- the circumstance was such that he could not make it to the journey.
After reaching Pune, I met with lots of people from Kerala, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and a lot more who were all friendly and everyone had something to say about their own land, place and people and also they asked about Nagaland some of whom even said they heard it (Nagaland) for the first time. I said to them that Nagaland is situated in the North-East of India and is a hilly area where scenic beauty is solely her’s and the people in it are known for its hospitality and you will be awaken in the morning by hearing the cocks crow unlike in the cities where you are awaken by the traffic noise.
Once I had an encounter with a person from Kerala and he shared his understanding to me that the purpose of the organizers in initiating the National Youth Festival is to let the youths of India from East, West, North and South to come together and get introduced to each other and share a piece of each other and that competition was less important comparatively. I realized that my understanding fell short of them because. I was more concerned about meeting new people and learning other’s culture at the first place. Then I thought that due to the reserved kind of society back home, I couldn’t cope up with other’s concept and point of view. Again; he asked me to mention one of the burning issue in Nagaland, so I discussed with him about sovereignty that we Naga’s are fighting for. So, he asked me whether I support in achieving the Independence from the India territory.
Without thinking I said, “Of course, because what our leaders are fighting for is what the followers desire for and I being a Naga youth would support in winning the Sovereignty.” So he replied, “ If Nagaland get independent, other state would also start fighting for their independence and India who is known for its unity in diversity will no longer be able to maintain its beauty of diverse and varied cultures, traditions, language and people. And so being a youth of India we should rather come together and fight for peace, progress and prosperity under the same banner called ‘United;” There, I was left speechless but sure I learnt a great lesson that day.
Once when the Director of the X11th National youth Festival was given a complain for improper and insufficient food and water for the first few days, he was submissive in admitting his short coming because people detected that he was trying to thicken his wallet. Then I thought, if this Director happened to a Naga fellow, he might have just kept quit instead of admitting his mistakes; because, to me, Naga’s seems to be too afraid to face the truth and are reluctant to work for something good-that’s my layman’s opinion.
The experiences I had there at Pune was priceless despite not winning the competition. The reason I think for not winning was because we couldn’t give the best shot without a director fro the drama; after all, a couple of months practice is not enough for National level competition where we are to compete with professional actors. And as for the other category of competition like Guitar, Folk dance, Folk song, Painting and elocution, we could not fledge any prize because other got the better of us but not because we were less prepared what I learnt something important is that when the whole thing about Naga’s is compared with the other India state there lies a difference in culture, tradition and approach which makes the ‘Unity in diversity’ more pronounced. But, this diversity may sometimes be disadvantageous because in certain category of competition, we the Naga’s who are more inclined towards Westernization try to bring in some western elements instead of the Indian elements, which becomes the source of not being able to come up to the level of what the competition requires when held within India.
I never knew that life has so many things to teach me and provide me and allow my eyes to see the beauty of God’s creations with ample opportunities, experiences and challenges. I remember that a journey of one thousand kilometers begins with a step: and so this is just the beginning for me to face more things in life because I believe I still have a long way to go and a lot more things to learn as I journey through life. I can rightly say, “The world is ready to teach valuable lesson and polish you into a better person if only you allow yourself by being confident enough to step forward without being afraid to commit mistakes; just raise your hand and say ‘let me try;’ These learning’s I conceived from the journey I took is shared with every reader as a ‘gift from Pune’.
