• This is a very important issue. Of late we have reading in the news of how Indian designers have been using Naga designs and motifs without the community consent. In our Naga society, the intellectual property right is not owned by an individual or an organisation. It belongs to the community. The government department needs to take steps in educating the people of their rights.
• The government needs to wake up from its slumber and go on a war footing. There must be participatory interaction and discussion at all levels and awareness programs must be held. Also the orgnizations of each tribe should be given responsibility to cross check whether their cultural designs are being misappropriated.
• This kind of issue will only increase we will face increasing cases of plagiarism and cultural appropriation. The Government needs to take proactive counter measures. Right now the Nagaland Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited under the Industry Department is too weak and disorganized to handle serious matters. The Nagaland government should empower the Corporation by creating a special unit to address such issues. Educated and qualified people should be inducted in a special task unit to do research work and prevent such cultural appropriation in the future.
• This is a pressing issue that requires the immediate concern of all Nagas. The government should initiative an assessment to document which all companies are using designs and motifs of Nagas. This should also include Naga companies that are dealing with traditional wear.
• 1. The responsible Nagaland Government department (Are you even Listening), may form an action Committee comprising of active Academics, Naga civil organizations from various communities within Naga land to understand the critical aspect of cultural misrepresentation and the adverse impacts.
2. Have an official committee working (not sitting) to reach out to all the communities across Nagaland, we all may know that Nagaland to date has only 3 GI tags! We need to really start reaching out to the communities to safeguard our culture, which is gradually eroding. Cant, we have 16 or more GI Tagged products, if yes why not, if no, why?
3. Reaching out to communities through their respective Hohos, and see what can be done further, It's our only Naga culture and traditions at stake, in this swipe-cancel world, we have to pull up before some corporation cancels our culture and say it's theirs!
4. The said Government department to connect with independent bodies, institutions, and individuals to establish and collaborate in-depth research, study, collect, preserve all knowledge of cultural significance.
5. May have a cultural ambassador for each district and entrust them with responsibilities of maintaining, guarding, and connecting with the state and the communities.
That's the 5-Lakhs budget suggestion I honestly disclosed. Unlike our NL Government who won't disclose their funds and other funds and, where and how it was utilized (was it ever utilized).
• Invest in Research and Documentation to identify what are our cultural resources first.
