I write this piece with a deep sense of anguish as a concerned citizen without mincing words, without prejudices and malice towards none. Changki village which is considered as the most learned village in Nagaland is in the throes of a raging controversy and reported to be in a state of retrogression. I, as an admirer of the great village, Changki could not believe my ears, when I heard that a group/clan in the village has been ostracized and are not allowed to cultivate their land, which they had inherited from their forefathers. Further, the sources emanating from the village confirmed that the members of the rusticated clan have been denied all government’s benefits that are to be accrued, such as old age pension, VDB scheme, social welfare scheme and subsidized kerosene etc.
These poor clan members cannot rent out their house nor are they allowed to live in a rented house within the village jurisdictions. Even contractors are also debarred from executing contract works. And, the icing in the cake is; “No more social intercourse” To paraphrase, no members of other clans are allowed to visit the ostracized clan’s house and vice versa, no matter how intimately related you are, through marriage, blood relations etc. And failure to comply with the diktat is unbelievably harsh, which entails a fine or a pig, weighing not less than 100 kg. Last, but not the least, the recalcitrant defaulters are to be deported from the village.
My intention is not to delve into the crux of the issue, but constrain to pose a question that lingers in my mind. The punishments awarded to this group are too severe and extremely harsh. My point is: Is it a manufactured culture or a culture that exist since time immemorial? Is this kind of punishment justifiable in a court of law? Will it stand the scrutiny of the law of the land? Above all, is Changki/Ao/Naga culture so uncultured? To my mind, the benefits such as subsidized kerosene, VDB scheme, old age pension and all development is a modern concept that is not within the purview of the culture.
Development cannot be halted in the name of any traditional practices of any civilized societies. The entire Nagas are aghast over these developments. The government must step in and do whatever possible. Or is it a clear case of “Nagaland Government proposes and the Village Council disposes?
The most obnoxious of all is the denial of “livelihood” - forbidden to cultivate their land. This is against all human ethics. This is against all civilized norms. This is against human rights. This is against fundamental Rights as laid down in the constitution. It reminds me of the turbulent early 50s and 60s, wherein; the Indian army unleashed a reign of terror and made the village folks to fend for themselves. They were even forbidden to cultivate their fields thus, depriving the most basic human needs. Would you like to replicate the same in the name of culture? Whose culture is this anyway? The culture of Indian military regime? Or it’s an Ao Naga culture? Have you ever come across any culture or traditional practices or kind of penance that entails to “Die of hunger” to a group or peoples within the village polity?
Let’s ponder, introspect and analyze whether we can apply the most primitive and inhumane means of punishment in our very enlightened social setup. It is difficult even to fathom of such severe action against fellow Changki by the Changki assembly called Changki Senso Mungdang. It is all the more surprising that it could happened in a village with galaxy of well known personalities from first Naga IAS, to first Indian Olympics captain, to first ordained minister, to the first graduate among the Ao’s and hosts of other well known and highly educated people.
If this can happen in the most educated and enlightened village, taking a cue from them, other villages might root to revive head hunting in the name of traditional practices.
R. Chakhesang
Nagarjan, Dimapur
