Yanglo Pongen
Mokokchung
‘When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity’ -John F. Kennedy. When we ponder upon the building and development of a nation-state, crisis is an inevitable part of it. Through crisis, both positive as well as negative results arefound to be achieved. For instance, fire on one hand has the ability to mould and refine, and, on the other hand melt and destroy. Therefore, as we (Nagas in particular) go through this time of crisis in the form of COVID-19 pandemic, we ought to ask whether this pandemic crisis is moulding or melting us away?Not just as individuals but experiences socio-politico-economically as institutions, organizations, churches, bureaucrats, politicians and asleaders? It is perhaps time that we ought to give heed and be sensible to the definitive and transformative impacts, this COVID-19 is and will cause.
1. Manna Mentality
When we look at the transitional journey of the Israelites, they did venturein the wilderness for 40 years. Israelites were fed and taken care by manna which God provided. After the completion of 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua was given the responsibility to lead. It was almost at the border of entering the Promised Land – land flowing with milk and honey that a crisis is recorded. Crossing over Jordan river andentering Cannan, the following day,the Israelites went out to collect manna, but it was not to be found! They murmured;“what should we do! Our manna has stopped!” Our daily food isn’t available. What shall we eat and drink?The manna on which theydepended completely was no more. For the people of Israel, it seemed like the heaven was locked down. They were in great stress, anxiety, fear, panic, worry and chaos.However, what appeared to be crisis in the eyes of the Israelites was a beginning of a process of building, nurturing and unfolding of God’s plan forthe people of Israel into a nation. If we were to examine Joshua 5:12 with the present scenario, I wonder how would it be, if we rephrase it this way? “Then the manna ceased on the day after they(Nagas) had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel (Nagaland) on longer had manna, but they (Nagas) ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.”Now that the supposed ‘manna’ we the Nagas has been receiving (both from dependency on government and the plains for all food supplies), can we question ourselves whether we too fall under the ‘manna’ mentality?
2. New Crisis, Rare Opportunities
The moment manna stopped, crisis began to arise. But when crisis started, a rare opportunityopened for the Israelites. They began to focus on the land produces. From that year on, they cultivated crops to sustain themselves. For us, this is indeed a great lesson. A lesson not to be reliant but self-reliant, moving from survival to sustainable mentality. Israelites relied temporarily on manna, but then later,God gave them an opportunity to turn to the land by working on their lands for food.
So then,what is this manna for a Naga? Manna is the plains for us and even government’s salary. That’s where we majorly rely upon. But then, God has brought us an opportunity through this crisis – COVID-19 pandemic to the people of Nagaland to work with our hands on our lands. Through this pandemic crisis will something get moulded or melted? Let’s ponder on this question deeply. God implied Israelite to return to the land through a crisis.
3. Crisis Bigger than COVID-19
Perhaps bigger crisis than corona virus ought to be our socio-politico and economic crisis that is existing and unfolding. Should we be complacent about mending our ways in building a sustainable society, a bigger crisis is impending. When lockdown started, our crisis emerged as to what to eat? What if supply doesn’t come from the plains? Panic buying was the consequence to stock up for the household.
Two weeks into lockdown, I was compelled to visit a grocery store. In front of me were few persons who were picking on potatoes and tomatoes which were stale and almostrotten. I too had no choice but to buy the same vegetables. With a heavy heart I wondered why we do not have anything we have harvested from our land? It is indeed; sorely needed time to stop depending on the manna but focus on the land likened to the fertile garden of Canaan and the harvest it can produce. So then, what can we produce that can define and identify who we are as Nagas? I urge you to think aloud!
4. Socio-politico-economic Reality Check
In this pandemic crisis, we ought to have been confident that we have food grains produced from our land and livestock available in stock for atleast 6-7 months on the trot! Alas! in reality, we even fight over stale fish coming from the plains! What are our social and political and economic values that we have neglected to make our land sustainable?
Nagaland is 56 yearssince her statehood (1963). Our neighbouring state like Manipur (1972) is48 years and Mizoram (1987) is 33 years after statehood. Now, can we take a moment to compare and contrast certain reality checks from these states to start with? Be it socially, economically or politically these states are equally confronted withcrisis and even severelylandlocked!Dear readers, where did it go wrong? If we are to track back, I think we got a wrong orientation. And it is this. On the attainment of statehood, we learned to pick a job and did not learn how to work hard. We learned how to buy from others. But didn’t learn how to produce, sell and supply to other people. Nagas’ job-orientation teaching is wrong. We failed to be work-oriented society. Nagas think that a small government job is good enough for survival. It’s time to question such notion and then relearn, unlearn and reorient ourselves.
5. Towards Canaan Mentality
There was a nation in South America, rich oil producing nation in the 1950s and 60s. The government did well with the exports of lavish available oil and imported food supplies, clothing and medicines in lieu. The nation depended exclusively on salaried job revolving around oil exports. There was no land produce and no additionally small industries. Then came the crisis in the oil exports when the prices of oil dropped globally. The government eventually failed to pay the salaries to their strong millions of employees. There was high inflation and low standard of living. This crisis let them to become one of the poorest countries in the world with no employment and alternate resource. This impoverished state of affairs let them to a stateless society. And this state is none other than Venezuela.
If Nagas today only depend and choose to live on the ‘manna’ that comes from ‘others’, the same fate awaits us. In case Indian government goes into a financial emergency, the government would eventuallyfail to pay her employees. Therefore, we cannot effort to depend solely on the manna but be dependent on the produce of the land. A shift from ‘manna’ to ‘Canaan’ mentality is rather imperative.
Yet another very poor nation in theAsia pacific,was stricken by corruption and poverty. This nation came to being in the year 1955. The then Prime Minister of Singapore,Lee Kuan Yew developed many strategies to uplift and better the country. Among the rest, his first agenda was to uproot the cause of corruption. Second, to lead by transparent policy making and thirdly, increase foreign trade through economic exchange of goods and services.This nation is Singapore, which rose from an impoverished state to one of the richest countries in the world. Which lesson should Nagas choose to learn and follow today?
6. Back to the Land concept
How is Nagaland in terms of corruption, transparency and economic exchanges? Do we have any exchange? For instance, what do people trade from Mokokchung to the plains? – Scrap! rest all truck go back to the plains empty (unexceptionally true with the rest of the districts). Henceforth, readers of this message; I submit to you that it’s time for us to return to the land, to ‘go back to the soil’, back to our villages. It’s time for us to work with our hands, on our own land and return to the harvest, produced from our land. Likewise, let us encourage each other to labour on our land and work hard.The will of God for the Israelites to live in the Promised Land was for them to return to the land and its produce. Let us encourage our young minds and each other to honest work and truth. Let’s all make a conscientious decision during this lockdown. Let us do whatever each one of us can do to uplift our land.
