As the Wednesday issue (November 29) of The Morung Express (both print and web editions) made its way into people’s home both across the State of Nagaland and beyond, a sense of awakening among cross section of people could be gauged as countless number of telephone calls started to ring from early morning hours till late into the night at this office with respondents pouring in their choice for The Morung Express Peoples (Queen) Award to be announced on December 1 during the grand finale of the Miss Nagaland 2006 Beauty Pageant. The telephone calls were nothing compared to the sheer volume of endless SMS streaming in.
Empowerment as it has often been said “is seeing reality as it really is” and having a stake at the choices that one makes. It would not be an under-statement to mention here that there is incredible power in the simple words “I choose”. Giving back to the people, the power of choice to decide for themselves and making them co-owners in a process was the aim behind having such an award in the first place. The Morung Express Peoples Award more than anything else ought to be seen as an acknowledgement of the self-worth of the individual which has so often been coerced by the socio-political system known for imposing its well oiled power-machine on a helpless and voiceless citizen. Any empowerment, socio-economic or political ultimately depends upon peoples awakening. Empowerment is about choices. Being victimized is about not having choices - being alienated from the democratic process. In order to start becoming empowered in life it is absolutely vital to start owning one’s choices.
Many people are not comfortable with or aware of this power of choice. It is because of this that Naga society has today become a people known for finding faults, playing the blame game and pointing fingers. This is because it has been allowed to happen! We have made the laws, voted and chosen for things to be this way. The choice to transform to a better way, if we so desire, and the power to liberate comes only if we choose and participate in this process of change.
The countless people who have participated in this empowering process over the last three days is testimony to the fact that people have rightly taken into their possession what has always been their right, to make choices instead of merely following someone else’s set of rules or agenda. Rest assured, the one girl among the 17 beauty contestant who finally walks away with The Morung Express Peoples Choice Award will be the empowered choice of the thousands who are the co-owners of this Award. Chosen of free will the award ought to be a special gift of the people, by the people and for the people. It is hoped that whoever is crowned The Morung Express Peoples Queen will accept this award with an inner conviction that she is there less for the glamour but more importantly to be a role model of positive influence and social transformation.
