It is the world of ideas that transforms the world and they act as the bridge between historical forces and the uncertain future. A society, any society that is unable to nurture, nourish and develop ideas invariably finds itself caught in the history of the past, which leads to a state of stagnation that fuels forces of homogeneity and permanence. Consequently, monotony becomes the status quo, and is intolerant to the rich culture and diversity of a society. Ideas and its capacity for imagination is the strength of a peoples’ to exercise the value of its own future.
The world of ideas is a scene of endless confrontation and is split between those who use power to maintain the status quo and those who aspire and struggle for change. The question of ideas is at the center of these confrontations and it is through these encounters that the distinct position and roles between reactionary intellectuals and activists becomes more apparent in their conflicting strive for either maintaining the status quo or enabling transformation.
While activist persistently criticize immobility, permanence, homogeneity and hegemony the reactionary intellectuals forget their true function and forgo critical thought. Subsequently reactionary intellectuals shrink their ideas into concrete sound bytes, excluding both the past and future, only to focus on the immediate present and are constantly criticizing any and every effort towards change. Activists on the other hand are constantly engaging in self-criticism with critical imagination and their ideas not confined only on the immediate present, and are in fact more future oriented. Invariably, the outcome between the clashes of these ideas is what defines the existential reality.
It is ideas that are going to shape the future of the Nagas. At present, public focus is compulsively centered on actions and activities of the past and immediate. But such fixation will only lead inward and prevent any self-criticism and critical imagination. There is a dire need for Nagas to courageously be more open to criticism across all levels of society and to be able to accept criticisms and differences without any personal indignation. Far more important will be the ability of the Naga spirit to shift from a perpetual habit of self-righteousness to self-criticism. Self-criticism is after all the manure for critical imagination.
The future of history is calling forth Naga youths of today to nurture, nourish and develop the world of ideas so that the Nagas can confidently and deliberately strive for realization; a realization that allows the possibilities of a creative imagination. Nagas must have the will to be visionary in how we conduct our human affairs and to recognize that in order to move forward, our future depends on our ability to create ideas and to be inventive enough to build an alternative world. Invariably, Nagas must take care not to forget that ideas are weapons which define the journey of a people!
