Features

Monalisa Changkija It’s ostensibly ‘all quiet’ in parts of Nagaland’s political firmament. September 11 saw the commencement of the 4-day 2nd session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) at Kohima. Notable among them were: (1) Forest Conservation (Amendment Act, 2023: on which the NLA passed a resolution to apply the FCA Act 2023 in the State subject to the constitutional guarantees provided in Article 371(A) of the Constitution. (2) Uniform Civil Code: Interestingly, NLA Members actually called for passing a firm resolution rejecting it however Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio suggested...

The word "SUICIDE" evokes feelings of fear, shame, and sadness. It's one of the most dreaded words in the English dictionary. It's also an extremely sensitive, if not taboo, word that we often shy away from talking about in our society, especially in the church. But, no matter how uncomfortable it may be to discuss or how ill-equipped we may feel to help those who are wrestling with suicidal thoughts, suicide is an issue the church cannot afford to ignore. Individuals battling feelings of suicide and their loved ones are...

Dr. Rakesh Kumar Chaurasia, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Zunheboto, Nagaland University Introduction: Nagaland, having a total land area of 16,579 sq km, is one of the hill States located in the extreme North- Eastern part of India with mountainous terrain richly endowed with natural resources. Nagaland is predominantly an agrarian State with 70% of its population engaged and dependent on Agriculture. The State is mostly mountainous, and has all the agro climatic condition i.e., temperate, sub-temperate and Sub tropical, which enables production of different types of crops. Traditional Jhum/shifting cultivation is...

Monalisa Changkija The nation is shell-shocked at the grossest brutality perpetuated on two Kuki women at Manipur, as was revealed in a video that went viral a few days ago and everybody has spoken in one voice condemning such inhumanity heaped on them. It is hoped that the nation would remain shell-shocked because only then can justice be meted to the unfortunate women and so many others like them, who have suffered the worst crimes against women and human rights violations. Only then the perpetrators would be brought to justice;...

Monalisa Changkija The Manipur crisis ~ nay, the Manipur tragedy ~ continues and normalization is yet out of sight. It is too early to talk of peace in that beleaguered State, not just because the blame game is at its height, historical rights and wrongs recalled and reiterated and political agenda prioritized, but because of an expensive silence that is shattering hopes of its citizens ~ including those who are taking shelter in neighbouring States of Assam, Mizoram and Nagaland, possibly other Northeastern States too. Baffling, the Prime Minister’s silence....

Dr. Asangba Tzudir* Sarimaya Awunga, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur’s Ukhrul village had to sleep alongside human skulls of enemies killed during ‘wars’ fought between rival Naga villages or between Naga and non-Naga villages to serve the purpose of preserving history of his tribe. Considered as a pride of the village for the story each of it holds, the State Government was approached on several occasions seeking help to preserve the skulls but they were instead requested to hand over to the Government which they refused saying that it was...

Y Mhonchumo Humtsoe, Post Graduate Programme, (International Relations), North East Christian University, Dimapur Soon after India got liberated from British domination, the newly independent India paid no attention to the North Eastern part of India. Not only did it neglect the North Eastern part of its territory but it also paid no heed to South East Asian countries. Therefore, it was during the time Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in the year 1991, mooted the "Look East Policy" to build a better relationship with South East Asia countries. Thus, the...

Dr S C Jamir, Former CM & Governor Hopes and aspiration flew thick and fast for the Nagas when it was evident that the British were preparing to leave Indian shores and hand over the rein of governance to the Indians. The Nagas were fiercely fighting for their freedom along with India’s dedicated struggle for independence. History is witness to the fact that the Naga struggle had already gained momentum much before India became free from the British yoke. The Naga National Council (NNC) FORMED AT Wokha in 1946 became...

The year was 2007. A naïve, starry-eyed young woman in her mid-20s bursting with hope and optimism, was invited to be photographed and quoted for a calendar. That was me and I said something akin to: "I feel the history of Nagaland is still unfolding. We haven't experienced movements like the Renaissance or the Reformation. The present situation may look bleak, but I am very optimistic. I believe our young people are very capable; they will bring about changes in the present situation, maybe even create a movement". It was...

Dr. SalomeZhimomi (Social Anthropologist) I was very intrigued when I read the overview of the lecture on the Journey from the Heart: Naga Repatriation and Healing of the Land published in a section of the media (August 2022). It raised some questions for me and took me back in time to my lived experiences, anthropological research in Lazami Village in the mid-90s and connection to my own cultural roots in Nagaland. To be clear, I am grateful that the Pitts River Museum has initiated a process in returning the human...