‘Nagaland reminds me of Ireland’: Ambassador Kevin Kelly

Morung Express News 
Kohima | December 1

Describing Nagaland as ‘absolutely beautiful’, Ambassador of Ireland to India, Kevin Kelly said that arriving in the state reminded him of his own home country, Ireland which is also green and has beautiful scenery. Interacting with a section of the media at Hotel Vivor on December 1 afternoon, he said, “in many ways, our culture is more like Nagaland than it is Britain or France or other countries in terms of certain traditions, family, the importance of community, even the importance of rituals.’

One of the things he also observed was the warmth of the welcome. “Even though we’re so far apart geographically, we’re very similar”, he remarked. 

Given the historical connections and with Nagaland on its journey to development, he further noted that the partnership with Nagaland is also because, “we feel maybe it’s more manageable for a small country like Ireland to develop a relationship with a state like Nagaland because we can have proper relationships and connect better.” “We want to have relationships with individual states”, he added.

Along with the Ambassador, Prof. Jane Ohlmeyer, and Footballer Terry Phelan also interacted with the media. 

Professor Jane Ohlmeyer observed that like Ireland, Nagaland has also been colonised while pointing out that, “colonialism really impacts on how people see the world.” Expressing that there are so many historical similarities between the two places, she also felt that Nagaland still has the advantage of keeping it ‘organic.’ Urging the state to keep that, she highlighted that, “we were organic once, we lost that.”

On future collaborations, she underscored that it’s about establishing lifelong bonds and relationships along with the educational links, where there is research collaboration. In this regard, she exuded hope that they would see some sort of student/academic collaboration and mobility coming out of the partnership.

Footballer Terry Phelan spoke about the sporting sector, while highlighting that they have been to the northern parts of India to have a look at these sporting talents wherein 18 children have been identified in this regard. “My role now is to identify sporting talent”, he said. He was earlier in Manipur and in Nagaland now, he exuded hope to come again in January to have a look at the talent. 

He said that they are building a story with them to further tell a success story in the sporting world. Building on their education, he underscored is also very important so they can come back as entrepreneurs if not as football players and give back to their own society. 

Also recalling playing for Ireland and growing up in the streets of Manchester and Ireland, he indicated that it’s about giving back.

“We can’t change everybody’s life, but if we can take a few children from Nagaland, it would be absolutely wonderful”, he noted. He shared his dream of taking one or two boys or girls down and then having little collaborations with the Football Association, getting them into one or two of their little clubs and doing some coach education, player education along the way.

In the meantime, the Ireland Ambassador to India, Kevin Kelly highlighted about what he called “an amazing art installation” in Kisama, built by Bengali and Irish artists, which is a 16-foot Celtic goddess called Danu. “She’s an ancient Irish Celtic goddess, part of Irish mythology. And she was constructed last year for the Durga Puja festival in Calcutta”, he revealed while informing that she was transported all the way by road up to Kohima to be displayed at the Hornbill Festival.

Expounding further on this, he said that, “it’s a real visual symbol of female power, Irish and Indian artistry, and craftsmanship.” Nagaland, he said will be her final resting place as they are not taking her back. 

Further highlighting that they are bringing the famous Jaipur Literature Festival to Ireland for the next three years, with support from Trinity College, he said that they would be bringing Indian and Irish and British and international literature on themes of relevance. In this context, he also hoped to have Naga writers and musicians and added that, “I think that this week will give us an opportunity to build some of those relationships.”

Speaking of identity and conflict, the Ambassador impressed upon that in so many of these issues we share and our journeys, literature brings people together.