Unity, according to the Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary means the state of being in agreement and working together; the state of being joined together to form one unit.
I would like to begin by stating to all the readers that whatever I’m going to write is not out of compulsion, but out of endless thoughts which pop out in me every now and then as I look at the prevailing situation in Nagaland. As a student, I honestly believe that whatever is going on in our society will not bring resolution for where there is no unity, the word “peace”cannot prevail. Development in the fields of economy, politics, society, etc. is not possible without unity and to bring development the presence of unity in a particular society is essential.
With the passage of time, the presence of various divisions has led to the creation of cracks in our social structure.The biggest of these cracks can be attributed to tribalism, which is a social threat thatconstructsan illusion of differences, and creates enemiesand hatred. The presence of ‘ism’ has hindered our society’s progress. Life on this green planet races like the blink of an eye, and asShakespeare once verily maintained that the world is a stage and we are just mere players.We have been created by a creator to perform certain tasks and this can’t be done without the presence of unity in ourlives.
I’m elated to share one common, yet powerful, story.This ismy version of thetale. Once there lived five brothers and theirfather. Their lives were filled with hatred and enmity amongbrothers.This was painful for the father.One fine day, the father called them for a task. He asked his eldest son to bring a stick and politely asked him to break it which the eldest son didinto pieces.The father asked the same fromhissecond son, and he, too,brokethe stickeasily.Likewise, the other three brotherswere asked to do the same. The father then asked his sons to bind 30 pieces of stick tightly together and break it, which to their surprise could not be broken. The five brothers gave a stern look at each other as none of them could complete the task. Then their father told them,“Dear sons, have you realised that 30 sticksbinded together cannot be easily broken.Likewise, the more united you are, the stronger you become.”Thereafter, five of them lived together as one.
This story is short but the message it gives out is huge. Perhaps we all need to realise that divided nothing can be achieved. The more we create identities to differentiate; ranks to classify, the more our society is going to slide away from development. The most important thing which this story teaches us is the importanceof ‘unity’;unity to do the task together and to show unity in every breath of our life by eliminating anger, selfishness, and arrogance.
It is a known fact that the population of our state is comparatively low, and we have very fewindustries and factories. Our society has become a hub for unemployed youths.Nevertheless,thisdoes not wash out our selfishness, arrogance, and bias againstother genders and tribes. It hinders the young talented youthsfrom securing the right job, which they are capable of, since they never have the right mindset towards work. On the other hand, the undeserving find jobs, owing topolitical backings and money power.
A society without the feeling of oneness will always lag behind in terms of social, political, and spiritual development. There will always be a lack of co-operation, adjustment, and moreover, various problems will arise bringing with themequally numerous consequences which we will have to face. Chaos will take place and slowly the society will be separated by factionalism.
Society is not solely for some men or women only, but it is anendeavourwhere everyone has to work together. One should treat others as one would like to betreated. People must not create a room for differentiationbut, in fact, work together. To bring development and change in our society is not easy.Ourpath toward advancement is hindered due to lack of unity among Nagas. For the bright future of our loving state, each one of us must set a common goal and should have one common voice, for where there is unity there ispeace and development. To sum upmy thoughts, I would like to pen down a poem dedicated tomy state.
Many have shed their blood; More remains to be shed, But what does it reflect, If it all went in vain? For there is no sense of oneness.
To create oneness, Is to create love and peace, Live as one, Voice as one, And resolve everychallengewe face.
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr. Hewasa Lorin, Anjan Behera, Dr. Salikyu Sangtam, Nivibo Yiki, and Kvulo Lorin. For feedback or comments please email: dot@tetsocollege.org.
