A Shyerhunlo Lorin
Concerned Citizen
Oh Nagaland, oh Nagaland. You are a land of beauty, courage, and promise. Your hills whisper ancient stories, your rivers sing songs of peace, and your people once held unity and hope in their hearts. Yet today, we find ourselves asking with heavy hearts: how long will it continue?
How long will corruption stifle the dreams of our youth? How long will politics separate us along tribal lines when we are all one people under one sky? How long will roads stay broken while promises of progress echo in every election? How long will our educated youth seek opportunities in office after office, only to find none?
Nagaland was meant to shine as an example of progress and peace in the Northeast. It is a homeland built on faith, hard work, and truth. But somewhere along the way, greed replaced vision, and silence became safer than speaking out. We have learned to cope with injustice, to accept wrongs as normal, and to smile even when we feel pain inside.
Everywhere we look, we see the same story: projects left unfinished, funds mismanaged, schools without teachers, and hospitals without doctors. Yet the people show resilience. From farmers working the fields in the rain to young artists bringing hope to crumbling walls, Nagaland still breathes and believes that change can happen.
But hope alone is not enough. It is time to rise, not out of anger, but with purpose. It is time to demand accountability, not through violence, but through truth and openness. Our churches, student bodies, youth, and elders must stand together once more as Nagas with a shared destiny.
Oh Nagaland, oh Nagaland. You deserve better. You deserve leaders who serve rather than rule. You deserve schools that educate, roads that connect, and jobs that uplift. You deserve a future where every Naga can proudly say, “This is our land, and we made it better.”
The question remains: how long will it continue? The answer does not lie with the government; it lies in us. It is in our courage to speak, to act, and to care again.
