Dr. Asangba Tzüdir
“The general population doesn’t know what’s happening, and it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know.” – Noam Chomsky
The above quote by Chomsky is an apt reflection of the times we are witnessing in our society unperturbed by the growing culture of silence and nonchalantly surrendering (or is forced to surrender) to the realities and issues at hand. Where the very freedom to live a free life without any fear, where free expression of thoughts and ideas and opinions, of critical expression that is integral to the promotion of a democratically ideal society finds hijacked. The culture of silence thereby has been the ‘golden mean.’
Besides the silence of the submissive masses, the culture of silence among the intellectuals, generally, is a serious concern and needs an urgent role reversal. Nonetheless, of late, a form of resurgence is being felt and witnessed that has led to a critical assessment of our society. Thrown between despair and hope, the coming together of the intellectuals as a strong ‘body of resistance’ will bring the much needed impetus in creating a democratic culture towards creating a free democratic space where the paramount issues are put to the test of debates and critical enquiry. In no way can it function freely in any space that is contrary to the ideals of democracy.
Today, the voice of the intellectuals posits themselves in a space between the state and the citizens or peoples in a set-up where the people are simply made to bow to the machineries of power thereby propagating the silencing of the voice of dissent. We are also egoistically crippled by a nonchalant atmosphere where it responds to the ‘wills’ of those who govern and thereby our existence becomes just another channel to legitimate the unprecedented power of those who ‘govern’ rather control sans governance. We thereby let ourselves victimize and becomes the new ‘subaltern’ that refuses to speak.
Within such constraints, the presence of a vibrant voice of the intellectuals that articulates the language of critical thinking and dissent becomes integral to countering the ‘forces’ that tries to suppress the emerging voices of the people – the voice that speaks the language of self-determination; aspirations; freedom and the ‘will to power’; to live free from oppression; and the freedom to express ones thought freely against those in power.
The general culture of complacent nestling and the culture of silence among the intellectuals, there needs to be a role reversal towards asserting the ‘truth’ by speaking ‘truth to oppressive power’ and against elements that propagates social injustices, against denial of rights and one that curtails free living.
In posterity, on a positive note, right thinking groups that refuses to accept the given ‘Naga condition’ are slowly emerging and assessing the social and political status and rights towards a politically qualified life and living. The role reversal of the intellectuals from a culture of silence should thereby be directed towards creating democratic spaces where one can think and critically express freely and more importantly as a resisting force that comes alive to the impending realities and issues at hand. That, the articulation of free thought will then find a place in our society. As Kekhrie Yhome rightly asserts, “No Power can stop the freedom of Imagination,” therein lies the voice of hope and justice, the voice of truth and liberation and the voice of freedom from fear. The voice of the intellectuals as change agents should also press and work forward in addressing issues in reforming the system of education and learning where students are allowed to think and engage freely in issues beyond text book culture so as to imbibe in them a sense of consciousness and awareness about the existential realities. Only then the pursuit of education and knowledge becomes a meaningful discourse beyond the simple attainment of degrees and also in building a civilized society.
The hope is that the ripple effect is slowly taking place where the new ‘Naga intellectual selves’ finds it uncomfortable to stay encoded in silence to the present ‘Naga condition.’
Let Tagore’s prayer keep echoing deep in our hearts…
Where the mind is without fear, and the head is held high Where knowledge is free… Into that Heaven of freedom, My father Let my country awake.
(Dr. Asangba Tzüdir is an Editor with Heritage Publishing House. He contributes a weekly guest editorial to the Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
