Editorial

Mayhem of the mindless development is crippling Nagaland by way of reducing green cover, thereby taking a heavy toll on the sponge character of the state and its fragile ecology. Today there are reports of landslides due to heavy rains across the state cutting off most roads and throwing life out of gear. Two reasons behind the worsening conditions are encroachments and violations. People encroach or illegally occupy any kind of available government land, forest land, nullahs and other water bodies, public roads, open spaces and social/community spaces, etc. Such...

In March this year, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was reported as saying that Nagaland needs a system to regulate the "mad rush for urbanisation". He then cited that the decadal growth rate of urban population in the State is 67.38%. In comparison, the national average is 31.80% ~ less than half of Nagaland's mean. On Tuesday also, the Chief Minister used the same words ~ mad rush for urbanisation (according to a DIPR bulletin) ~ while speaking at an event in Kohima. It stated that the Chief Minister lamented that...

In Nagaland government job is the first priority for a majority of educated youth but unfortunately, these jobs are scarce. The private sector lacks big investments. It leaves youngsters often in a quandary about what to do, how to earn their livelihood, plan their future, etc. This is a huge crisis facing us today. Over the years, politicians have been telling us that a reassuring political consensus is emerging for the state's viable economic-roadmap. But little has changed and our state has not gone beyond its excessive reliance for its...

Today marks a significant occasion in the global calendar: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking or World Drug Day. Every year, the United Nations assign a distinct theme and for 2022, it is: Addressing drug challenges in health and humanitarian crises. The message is as literal as it sounds ~ the problems of drug abuse are indeed part of our health as well as humanitarian challenges. Drug and substance abuse should not be seen or considered in isolation. As is the case every year, the occasion was observed...

Our state has had its good and bad times. Its deep entrenched and intrinsic wisdom gave her pride of being an enriched people. But lately scientific knowledge and technological strides have re-fashioned citizens' lifestyle that has undergone sea change. New political thought process and birth of capitalism-soaked economy have together thrown up new challenges. Economic polarization and wanton precipitation of wealth and assets has followed. Ill-addressed transition from agro-based society to a high end capitalistic social order has left indelible marks, by way of concentration of wealth into the hands...

Almost two years of staggered lockdown period compelled us to go for the less-explored opportunity of remote working and virtual classes. As the virus forced us indoors for months together, being confined to the four walls of our houses and sharing space with other household members to work and learn wasn’t pleasant to begin with. But like all things, with time, we gradually brought into the idea of remote working and learning. At the same time, the upending of our habitual pre-pandemic behaviour has had far-reaching effects on areas that...

Healthcare doesn't begin with the facilities we are offered at different hospitals. This is actually disease-care. Unfortunately ours is a society that is disease conscious but not health conscious. Health consciousness begins with what we eat and how we live. The source of most of the diseases is our life style, and what contributes most to our health problems is the quality, and kind of food we consume. In our part of the world the way we find the quality of food available in our markets deteriorating, it is bound...

For many decades, the vast (but now dwindling) green cover of forest in Peren district has played generous host to hunters and timber traders alike. It wasn't even an open secret and everybody was in the know. Aside from the wide expanse of fertile plains that earned the district its 'Rice bowl of Nagaland' sobriquet, Peren has always been known for the timber trading and the hunting activities carried out by those living in as well as outside the district. In fact, many of our politicians, armed group leaders and...

We know that education is the foundation on which the structure of a country is laid and it plays a pivotal role in building a nation and in training the youth to take an effective part in social reconstruction and economic development of a society. Unfortunately an idea is gaining ground, particularly in our society, that education is not meant to build better human beings, thus a healthier society, but only to get better jobs. Consequently, student's minds are obsessed with better jobs and dreams for higher social status. The...

The past week has provided us with some sobering doses of reality. Three distinct events have conspired to highlight our bleak state of affairs and how our Government ~ one after the other ~ appears loath to learn from history and past mistakes. Only a few days ago, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had inaugurated a DUDA Guest House at Sovima, Chumüokedima. There he had made the announcement that Nagaland Government would soon be providing interest-free loans to micro-farmers and entrepreneurs. The Chief Minister explained that even though the Government would...