Of late many organisations and individuals, in Nagaland, have started shouting against the so-called “illegal immigrants” flowing into Dimapur and to other places in Nagaland. Are our shouts and feelings justified? Let us be practical. Are the immigrants legal or illegal? Whatever, legal or illegal they may be; they are here because we “want” them (let us not say “need’’ them)! We may not really need them; but we want them and that is why they are here!
Why do we have to say we “want them”? Because we do not have the Dignity of Labour! You see, we have not realized that there is no work that is undignified. Every work, even cleaning the toilet or the street, cannot be said to be undignified. Let us not forget what Martin Luther King, Jr, said on Dignity of Labour. He said “if a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say ‘here lives a great street sweeper who does his job well’ ”. Yes, one can be great as a street sweeper; if the job is done well. Boxing is a taboo for most Naga women; but Mary Kom is now a national heroine because she has excelled in her profession as a boxer and so also Chekruvolu. Have the Americans or the Russians reached the moon or have the Japanese or the Chinese become economic superpowers; only by wishful thinking? The Japanese are universally known for being workaholics and that’s how this small country is an economic superpower. Yes, all these countries have done so because they have worked day and night; and not just by wishful thinking. Why not we emulate them? Yes, let us campaign for Dignity of Labour; instead of against immigrants. What I am trying to say is;if the “so called immigrants” go away; who will cut our hair, mend our shoes, pull the rickshaw, push/pull the cart, carry the gas cylinder, load the brick/cement/timber/rice bag/you name any, look after our milking cow, the masonry work, carpentry work, even tailoring etc, etc, the list goes on and on. Are we Nagas not capable of doing such works? I do not think that we are incapable! We can do as good as any. In fact we belong to the mongoloid stock of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Manipuri etc, who are among the best workers of world class workmanship. It is only our attitude that is wrong. When will we start working? If we really want the immigrants to go, why not campaign on “Dignity of Labour” instead of shouting against the immigrants?If we start working and do all the works ourselves; the so called immigrants will themselves go away because they will have nothing to do and hence no reason to remain. But under our given circumstances insisting that we do away with the immigrants is like saying that we want good health without food. God forbid!
Is it really true or is it a hypothesis/presumption that we were ousted from China during the time of construction of the Great wall; because we refused to work diligently? It is also possible that someone has drawn up this inference as it appears appropriate to our present day attitude towards work culture. Many will not like this remark; but it is true. Our this wrong attitude is not only towards manual/blue-collar works; but true even for the so called white-collar works (let’s not say “job”; but “work” because “job”, in our present Naga context, may or may not involve work; may be only pay). The Bible teaches us in II Thessalonians 3:10 that if any would not work, neither should he eat’’. Are we worthy to eat? Do we lack vision? Let us also remind ourselves with the Bible verse of Proverbs 29:18 “where there is no vision, the people perish”. Are we perishing beneath the immigrants? Let us start working and not perish underneath the immigrants!
Let each one of us examine ourselves and agree with the truth that unless we start working; doing away with the immigrants is practically impossible. Hence let our youth wake up, stop the habit of roaming around without any definite assignment; and use their strength and talents to build our society in such a way that all of us can be proud of what we do and let us enjoy the fruits of “dignity of labour”. If we complete a work and achieve something; it becomes a satisfaction, a pride and a feeling of performance. How exhilarating and refreshing it would be to do so.Why not we give a try and get that satisfaction? And added to that satisfaction we also do away with the immigrants. What great achievements would these be for it would truly be two birds with a stone.
- Er. Mhondamo Ovung
