Dr. K. Hoshi
Economic development is the ‘mantra’ in present Naga society. What the laymen perceive as economic development are the physical infrastructure developments visible to the naked eyes. Today, this concept of development is manifested in road construction, construction of new buildings, etc. Very important indeed for any decent modern township or village! As for Phek district headquarters, economic development would have make more sense if the headquarter is link with at least one all-weather road.
There’s no denying the fact that in the name of economic development we have over the years, pushed many other important issues to the back, the most important of which is our rich culture. The beauty of Naga society was this rich culture. In the past, the people lived in peace and harmony because they lived under certain guiding principles of life. The most important of these are – shyness, to obey forbidden laws, fear, and respecting elders.
For instance, it was customary for Nagas to offer food to a visiting friend from the same or other village. Our fore-fathers and fathers cultivated the habit of saying a polite ‘NO’ to such offer of food by the host even when one was craving to the point of salivating. It was taken as an impolite manner to say a direct ‘YES’ to the offer. It was customary for the host to press with the offer of ‘take more’ and the guest to resist it even if he wanted more. Today, we have many uncultured people who would say ‘let me first’ even on dining table.
Our fore-fathers feared ‘the laws of forbidden’ for fear of being cursed and ostracized. If it was forbidden to work on a particular day of public importance they respected the law. No body dared question and violate the forbidden law.
It was customary to swear by the name of their generations when two parties have a land dispute. People feared to falsely swear for fear of the curse going down the generations. Today, justice has become purchasable commodity. Fear for God’s wrath is the last thing one would not even think of.
Respect for elders was practiced. It was a cherished value. Youngsters never dared call their elders by name. It was considered rude to talk when elders were speaking. The youngsters listened in stoic silence. What we see today is a role reversal. Elders of today are scoffed at by youngsters. Elders of today are looked down upon as ‘know nothing’ folks. Elders have no say in matters of public importance. They are told to maintain silence and listen carefully to the discourse of ‘know all’ youngsters.
Naga society has gone rotten so soon. What has made us forget our age-old valued cultures that fast? Money; crave and craze for money and nothing else. Who does not need money? Where we went wrong is not the ‘need’ but the ‘want’ that has become endless. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, so the Scripture said.
Let economic development activities go on. But can we afford to neglect the pressing social issues in the name of material development? What is economic development at the cost of life? Money may be able to buy power but not character and character is the fabric of culture. A society without culture is dead. The need of the hour is a cultural renaissance, not only how we dress but how we behave.
No alien or no Naga with alien culture can bring about cultural renaissance. It is a Naga and a Naga alone, groomed in a Naga bowl that will herald the cultural renaissance. A man does not live by bread alone but by every bit of social values.
