Zakie Khate
Classic club coined Kohima as the mirror of Nagaland. One may perhaps notice an awful representation glancing into this mirror. Our streets and haircutting saloons are crammed of Bihari porters, barbers and cobblers. Miyas, Bengalis and Tibetans are found out undertaking colossal trade in all the good markets and shops in Kohima. Our local dairy farms and picturesque woods are dealt with by the Nepalis. Nagas are seen contentedly shopping and wandering about nothing better to execute. Popular Naga singer from Kohima village have illustrated it all, ‘Nisa laage phutani’. This is the depiction in the mirror. The reflex ion is impartial, undeceiving and unbiased. It’s a reasonable fact! The maxim of the visuals in the mirror is just that we are slaves of our own laziness. The rubbish anecdote of self-denial and self-unemployment of the knowledgeable Naga youths is such a shameful matter. But, this cannot be termed as a question as there is furthermore something called as ‘at leisure unemployed fleas of society’. The subject adds up to wastage of time, energy and money. “Work and eat” is a universal say. It’s a technique of living applicable to knowledgeable jobless those.
A major Bulk of the Nagas resides in the rural areas. Out of this, most subsists on self-subsistence farming. Roughly, there are more than 80% under this classification. The other 20% dwells in our towns, cities and elsewhere. Their occupations are wide-ranging. It stretches from policy-makers to learners and officialdom to blue-collar labourers. Mainly, folks in this category survive in serving government sector. Quiet a few in rural sections are also reliant on government career.
According to aggregate, Nagaland is the highest public employed government in India. Employment is said to be at an over-saturated point. Except from passing through tough civil service examinations, government seems to be in a fix. It may not be desirable or practicable. Nevertheless, a minister’s son might obtain an extra JEE. The perception of all and sundry getting a government job and becoming a bureaucrat is at a dead end already. The view of getting a white–collar job leading to an easy and settled life seems to have been dispelled. Time, state of affairs and the nature of our society have changed. To a section of people who don’t suppose in the philosophy of well-informed unemployed youths would expound a different view. The AK 47 culture of extortion, taxation and demands have shattered their desiring objectives of outshining in entrepreneurship to just ideas.
A number of individuals are pursuing this culture as a profession or nurtured this culture as a small industry. Another section would agree that government is not a popular government. It is undeniable that preferential treatments, inducement, corruption and red-tapism seem to be a par for the course of the Nagaland government system. Our Politicians are furthermore established enjoying life to its fullest at the expense of the people. They ride the most excellent cars and reside in the most deluxe stately homes and own vast lands and houses in Dimapur, Kohima etc.
The citizens appear to stare them as some knight in shining armour invading heavy traffic jams in Kohima. Whose money is this? They may well squabble that the public voted them to authority. Nevertheless, they ought to recognize that they are not designated to procure their Scorpios, boleros and their splendid mansions at the people’s expenses. Our road conditions and the quality of it prove its pathetic nature. Making it more pitiable is the taxation of four Naga National governments. Every single one of them professes to be nationalist but is geared up to suck one’s own brother’s blood. They tax people as if the whole lot is their own. Naga problem is unquestionably a political issue and tax or no tax people have a responsibility to offer. Yet, the public can’t effort to tax four governments. They also cannot effort to see their tax being used to finance or shoot their own people.
Last week, I saw a Naga woman nourishing her infant by the footpath in Kohima. She was literally shedding her tears. The Kohima Municipal Corporation has seized all her vegetables which she brought for trade. This sort of confiscation drive is not somewhat new. It’s an estimable action in its stringent sense. In any case, they are giving a face-lift to beautify the striking mirror by doing away with the ugly things and awkward materials in the footpath. Yet, its act is not preceded by an alternative planning or rather a proper arrangement. It is furthermore short of suitable understanding of the inconveniences linking to it. This plain village woman side of the story offers a rationale to reasonably authenticate on this end. Transiting by old NST quarter, one also witnesses the legally working Bihari cobblers at one of the finest and the most inner locale of Kohima town. They are gladly earning their livelihood out there by the pavement. This woman said, “Where will I sell my vegetables if I don’t sell it here? The market where they told us to sell has no space. It is always full. The place is small and congested. Still they tell us to go and sell it there! I am from the village. I come in the morning and leave in the evening” Here is a rural Naga woman with nowhere to sell her vegetables in her capital, her mirror, except on the roadside. She pays rs.25 as her bus fare for her arrival and another 25 for her departure. Her vegetables value more than Rs. 100 to Rs.120 only. She is a simple rural Naga mother, a farmer and a vendor. Casual sale of vegetables from the roadside is not desirable. Still, on her part, she is seems fair enough there is no other choice left for her. She seemes fair enough in selling on the footpath and she is also quiet right in asking where she’d sell her vegetables.
The established rule of KMC in its attempt to doll up the mirror is itself is beautiful. However, set of laws must be structured for the benefits and the interest of the public. Pros and cons must be well thought-out. It is undeniable that 80% of our big business establishments and business folks are non-locals. The confiscated people are the marginalised local section of Naga society. And they are seen to be only a few Naga faces wrestling to be on your feet. In fact, these people are the beauty of the mirror. Lawfully, she is definitely on the erroneous side. But, circumstantial compulsion has forced her to sell it there on the footpath. The market positioned for them (keziekie market) is very not fit to be called a market. There is totally any up gradation of the market in years. The Bihari and Miya business folks and the Kohima based vendors occupy this miniature unhygienic place ahead of their arrival leaving them nowhere to sell. One is left to doubt where the KMC dispose off the seized vegetables. It may sound or seemed like a small thing but it’s a big thing for such a rural woman. It means a livelihood for her. It means feeding her children and dressing them up in very fine second hand clothes and shoes. It also means a well-fed tummy for a good nights sleep. Contrary to this, when their stuffs are seized, they despair. Just think of your family being stripped of your very resource of earnings with no other income.
Visualize about toiling your fields in the sun and rain only to be confiscated at the time of getting some amount of income. I see it nothing more than legality in the form of illegality. It is unethical, unscrupulous and manipulative. Beautiful it may sound but naming a place to justify the endeavour and making it as a rule is not enough. The problems must be understood and addressed. As much as selling in the footpath is illegal, as many of these local business women must be accomodated in the different markets of Kohima. They need a place to sell their vegetebles. Confiscation may solve beautify Kohima but it will marginalise and isolate these people. It’s not only a matter of pity for them alone but the consequences they and their children would have to bear are far more important. This cannot be ignored. We are experiencing anti-social cultures like extortion, burglary, small scale AK 47 money wielding industry etc. This may also be a factor in breeding such cultures. It’s just a factor among many reasons. However, researchers have shown that most people who follow this type of culture generally are nurtured from low-economic status and low educational background.
Its time women associations or feminist groups’ speak up for them. An alternative must be formulated for this marginalised section. In the process, further confiscation must cease. The policy makers of KMC ought to understand this on logical ground and take all necessary actions and measures. Big things are the result of small things whether it is good or bad. People with Scorpios and Mansions maybe less bothered. Some will care less about this issue as unworthy of discussion or debate. Some as none of their business and nothing serious as it pose no threat to their interest. But let’s note that she is a Naga mother struggling to survive all odds like anyone of us.
