N Arhe
There was a distinct air of melancholy and nostalgia permeating the entire setting. It was Sunday, August 14, 2022, when the Chedema village ground in Kohima district was bustling with people and activities as the Naga National Council and the Federal Government of Nagaland commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Naga Independence Declaration.
A group of volunteers stood along the village grounds' entrance, handing out miniature Naga national flags and a pocket-sized New Testament Bible. For the notables, a stage was put up on the ground, draped with a banner exhibiting the Naga flag, which features a rainbow, a star, and an expansive blue background. On an exceptionally hot and sunny day, the banner, the flag, and the sky were all the same brilliant blue, creating a visually pleasing harmony as the banner merged into the skies with its hues.
The NNC soldiers stood in rapt attention in two groups in the middle of the ground, all eyes fixed on them as the crowd awaited the chief guest. As a car finally emerged, a few men scrambled to clear a path for it, and two women emerged from each door to usher the third woman out. People in the audience straightened up to get a better view of the woman. She was their president—Adino Phizo. Her back was arched and her shoulders rounded as they led her up the stage with slow, deliberate steps, a sign that she had been around for a long time. She did not speak, but the respect and allegiance of her group members were clear.
The event organisers, interested onlookers, and well-wishers totalled over two thousand in attendance. In the audience, the elderly, the emotionally invested, and the devout were easy to identify. Dubhashi men, all dressed the same down to their crimson waistcoats, filled two rows. Citizens of the golden era appeared to be well represented. Amongst them was a man who shunned the provided plastic chair in favour of the bare, dusty ground. With a bamboo basket slung across his back, in it was a bottle gourd jar filled with frothy rice brew.
An eventual unification of all Nagas was the central point of the invocation prayer. As the Naga flag unfurled and the choir sang ‘God bless Nagaland,’ glittering specks burst from the flag and briefly twirled in the air before resting on the dusty ground. The soldiers marched out of the ground, as dust followed with every stride.
‘We owe our existence today and beyond to the almighty God and the patriotic Naga men and women who had given their all, for us to live as one nation among nations, which is the envy of people around us,’ Gen Retd Viyalie Metha, Kedahge, FGN said in his speech.
The cultural ensemble stole the show soon after, and several performances made a memorable impression. All of the songs and dances were about victory, joy, freedom, and the sacrifices of young men and women who hoped for freedom and cried out for peace and unity. The songs were mostly in local dialects except for one, and the Bayie Kro-u from Riisoma village stretched on their last verse with the only English word, 'Free Nagaland'. In any cultural programme, the Tetseo Sisters are always a pleasant addition as performers because of their boundless energy, good looks, and endearing personalities. On the 75th anniversary of 'Nagaland Independence Declaration,' their mother joined them as they sang in their signature style, two of their original compositions, one in English and the other in Chokri, that go something along the lines of 'Nagaland will surely get its independence.'
As the show progressed, patches of clouds formed in the azure sky above the Chedema ground. The Khiamniungan cultural group, magnificent in their majestic headgear, practically appeared to loom over the landscape as they took centre stage. An equally extraordinary song, a lament as heartbreaking and agonising as an animal's cry of despair, followed their one-of-a-kind dance.
‘We do not extort or make demands of any kind, Lhouvitsii Kesiezie, Speaker, Tatar Hoho of FGN, made a confident and bold statement in his vote of thanks speech. Perhaps it is an undeniable fact that cannot be disputed. Considering the current economic circumstances, it is noteworthy that FGN cadres continue to sell inexpensive calendars and other publications at a fair cost, a stark contrast to other organizations and individuals seeking to generate large sums of money quickly.
The occasion was sincere and solemn. There was no grandiosity in action or speech. Their acts were earnest and passionate; their cadres were lean and elderly—mostly men—carrying outdated weapons and wearing ill-fitting uniforms.
As the programme came to a close, the all-too-familiar and uniquely Naga call for a communal feast began with a loud and repeated announcement, inviting everyone to join in. The announcement that different tables would be set aside for cultural troupes, the general audience, and VIPs was the only aspect of the event that had a hint of modernity.
