Intentionally naked and Unashamed, I once wrote an open letter to a Person of: ‘How sensible his Good Sence is’, because he wrote a Write-up I thought lack Common Sense Civility.
Actually ‘Common Sense’ is not very common. Common Sense is having wise and nice sensibilities, a not very common Trait in Many.
I knew the Ban on Movement of Vehicle in the Road on 5th Oct, was 6 AM to 6PM to emphasize Environment Cleanliness in our land. I did not know it was limited to Kohima District only.
For an unavoidable work I had programmed ahead to go to Dimapur on that day, and to reach Dimapur before 6AM, I and my wife woke up at 2:15 AM and started for Dimapur at 3:06 AM while it was still dark.
We finished our works early but straggled at Dimapur to while away some time and started for Kohima travelling slowly intending to spend some 3 hrs on the way.
When we reached Chümukedi Check Gate we saw Vehicles on the Road coming towards Dimapur from the direction of Kohima. I thought the BAN must have been relaxed from the Afternoon, more so because there were no Youth Volunteers stopping Vehicles at Chümukedi, Gaspani, Pherima or at Piphema.
We reached Peducha Bridge, and One Youth signaled us to stop. When I did, the Youth, middle height and build, a Volunteer, apparently the Leader of a Pact of Youths standing at the Roadside, came and politely informed me that Vehicles are not allowed to ply in the Road on the day to emphasize Environment Cleanliness in the Land. He was crew-cut, in clean half-sleeved shirt, decently dressed and spoke very civilly in calm normal low voices.
“But”, “Vehicles plied down towards Dimapur and nobody stopped us at Chümukedi or at Piphema from coming up”, I said, trying to justify myself.
“The Ban is only within Kohima District Jurisdiction, we are doing this to make a wide circle of the general Public to be aware of the Need of Environmental Cleanliness” the Youth said.
He stopped another Car and spoke to the Driver. The Driver stopped and spoke to him something and then drove off. The other Angami Youths of the Group simply stood quietly looking at the whole episode ‘unlike a pack of wild dogs’, saying nothing to help their leader. I remembered Laurence of Arabia describing the Arabs as: “A Fiercely Independent People; but Does not know cohesion”: I thought Laurence may as well describe the Angamis. The Youth calmly said: “You may defy the Ban and go but it will be at your own risk or you may go ahead and stop to rest somewhere in the Road and enter Kohima only after 6.PM.” I felt a little uncomfortably embarrassed because of the Youth’s civility, and my violation of the Ban but I thought I would stop ahead at Manipur Hotel at Zubza and moved on only in time. The Youth Volunteers of the day conducted themselves considerably civilly and maturely and I hope the day passed off successfully without any ugly incidents.
Indeed, environment problems have appeared starkly even to Nagaland, and everybody, learned or not, must be aware of the seriousness of the problem. I am proud the Angami Youths are one of the first to do something for the Issue I looked after when I was in Service, but since this problem can not be tackled with a onetime Action only, in future, a less drastic Action may be devised than Ban of Vehicle on the Road for the whole day, particularly on the National Highway.
Thepfulhouvi Solo, IFS Retd (RR -68) Principal Secretary, (Retd) Forest & Environment, Nagaland
