•-Politicians come and go and very often, they make amazing statements that need to be taken not with a pinch of salt, but with a lot of salt! I am surprised at the astounding statement reported in the paper recently that there are “157 Sumi Villages including those Sumi Communities in and around Dimapur Town” (The Morung Express, February 14, 2011).
For all we know, each Naga tribe has its own distinct tribal land to inhabit. The scale at which villages have mushroomed in the area mentioned which have subsequently been recognized is stupendous and beyond credulity. It makes one wonder if the government has any established norms in recognizing villages. For our information, even among the Chakhroma Angamis who are the traditional inhabitants adjoining these areas, there are just about 30 plus odd villages.
What concerns me most, however, in the end is that whereas Nagas show an unhealthy religiosity in using God’s name very generously, a lot of our activities are at best, very questionable.
Sanyü Iralu
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