Dimapur, November 20 (MExN): Members of The Naga Blog – a Facebook group comprising Naga youths and young professionals – are diving into it again. Designer tragedies in “foreign countries” can wait for now. Someone in the state’s own backyard is in trouble.
Restless, loud, young, angry and hungry members of the group have eagerly launched a relief drive for families affected by the November 15 fire at Burma Camp in Dimapur. The fire leveled hundreds of mostly-makeshift dwellings and left 3 dead and scores injured on the night of November 15. The ‘Burma Campy Relief’ is the second initiative members of The Naga Blog have taken to hand. The first was the aid campaign for victims of the earthquake that devastated in Sikkim in September.
On their own and reaching out from their thin pockets, the group’s members launched the relief campaign for Sikkim and handed about Rs. 1.59 lakhs to Indian football superstar Baichung Bhutia in Kohima.
The aid-for-Burma-Camp initiate is also a sharp – if youthful – reaction to just more than tragedy. Members of the group are bristling with irritation that Naga civil organizations continue to fawn over tragedies that occur only in “rich foreign countries” like “Japan” and “Thailand” but never those closer to home.
Unambiguous voice of exasperation and anger continue to be heard loud from the corridors of The Naga Blog. The reasons? Prominent Naga civil and church organizations uttered no whimper when an earthquake devastated Nagaland’s own neighbor, Sikkim. But, the steaming members explain, “concerts” and “blah blah” are being organized for something that happened all the way in “Thailand” and “Japan” but not for those who have been left naked and homeless out in Dimapur’s dark winter nights.
Obviously, the Naga Blog members – about to reach 9,000 members now – were referring to the recent initiatives of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and the government’s “Solidarity Concert for Thailand.” Not to mention the media-hyped “Rs. 10 lakhs” donation splashed across the newspapers. None so much as a mention was made for Sikkim and Burma Camp, disenchanted members say. A member suggested to the ‘Naga organizations’ that are so fond of publicity and media attention, that they can always organize a “Turkey earthquake” concert or something similar if tragedies that occur only in foreign countries are fashionable.
Fashionable or not, the group isn’t waiting for the Naga church or sections to help. As was with the first initiative, The Naga Blog is depending on voluntary assistance and efforts from members and well-wishers to funnel the drive. Collectors, auditors and estimators, coolies and human calculators are all youths – from students to government employees to young entrepreneurs and professionals. Pick-up points and donation counters have been arranged (see contact points in the following).
This practically means administrators and leaders of The Naga Blog fund drive are in for more rough-and-tumble nights, hairy meetings at 2:00 am, arguing and deciding through Zero-balance mobile phones, and going about with yellow teeth until the campaign is complete. But as was with the first fund drive for Sikkim, it is for sure that the un-brushed teeth for the Burma Camp campaign shall be more than a reward for these young, loud but benevolent Naga youths.
Restless, loud, young, angry and hungry members of the group have eagerly launched a relief drive for families affected by the November 15 fire at Burma Camp in Dimapur. The fire leveled hundreds of mostly-makeshift dwellings and left 3 dead and scores injured on the night of November 15. The ‘Burma Campy Relief’ is the second initiative members of The Naga Blog have taken to hand. The first was the aid campaign for victims of the earthquake that devastated in Sikkim in September.
On their own and reaching out from their thin pockets, the group’s members launched the relief campaign for Sikkim and handed about Rs. 1.59 lakhs to Indian football superstar Baichung Bhutia in Kohima.
The aid-for-Burma-Camp initiate is also a sharp – if youthful – reaction to just more than tragedy. Members of the group are bristling with irritation that Naga civil organizations continue to fawn over tragedies that occur only in “rich foreign countries” like “Japan” and “Thailand” but never those closer to home.
Unambiguous voice of exasperation and anger continue to be heard loud from the corridors of The Naga Blog. The reasons? Prominent Naga civil and church organizations uttered no whimper when an earthquake devastated Nagaland’s own neighbor, Sikkim. But, the steaming members explain, “concerts” and “blah blah” are being organized for something that happened all the way in “Thailand” and “Japan” but not for those who have been left naked and homeless out in Dimapur’s dark winter nights.
Obviously, the Naga Blog members – about to reach 9,000 members now – were referring to the recent initiatives of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and the government’s “Solidarity Concert for Thailand.” Not to mention the media-hyped “Rs. 10 lakhs” donation splashed across the newspapers. None so much as a mention was made for Sikkim and Burma Camp, disenchanted members say. A member suggested to the ‘Naga organizations’ that are so fond of publicity and media attention, that they can always organize a “Turkey earthquake” concert or something similar if tragedies that occur only in foreign countries are fashionable.
Fashionable or not, the group isn’t waiting for the Naga church or sections to help. As was with the first initiative, The Naga Blog is depending on voluntary assistance and efforts from members and well-wishers to funnel the drive. Collectors, auditors and estimators, coolies and human calculators are all youths – from students to government employees to young entrepreneurs and professionals. Pick-up points and donation counters have been arranged (see contact points in the following).
This practically means administrators and leaders of The Naga Blog fund drive are in for more rough-and-tumble nights, hairy meetings at 2:00 am, arguing and deciding through Zero-balance mobile phones, and going about with yellow teeth until the campaign is complete. But as was with the first fund drive for Sikkim, it is for sure that the un-brushed teeth for the Burma Camp campaign shall be more than a reward for these young, loud but benevolent Naga youths.
