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www.morungexpress.com
Dimapur VOL. VIII ISSUE 334
The Morung Express “
www.morungexpress.com
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give
High windwave alert for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Zoe Explains Marriage Secrecy
Hornbill Festival 2013 [ PAGE 02]
Making careers out of music
[ PAGE 11]
By Sandemo Ngullie
Sunday, December 8, 2013 12 pages Rs. 4 –Winston Churchill
Johnson torments English batsmen [ PAGE 10]
[ PAGE 05]
[ PAGE 08]
reflections
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50 years down the orange path The Orange patriarch of Phuvkiu
Ashikho Pfuzhe Tuensang | December 7
I don’t know who to serve and obey anymore.
Hornbill pulls nearly 1 lakh visitors so far KIsAMA, DECEMBER 7 (MExN): Nearly one lakh visitors have witnessed the ongoing Hornbill Festival 2013, informed Minister for Tourism, EE Pangteang. He said a total of 93, 649 tourists, (1072 foreign, 9577 domestic, 83,000 local) visited the festival during the first five days, and expressed hope that the number would increase. Parliamentary Secretary for CAWD, R. Tohanba said the main object of Hornbill festival is to protect and revive the age old tradition of forefathers.
One found murdered
DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 7 (MExN): Police today recovered the dead body of a twenty-two year-old man in the outskirts of Dimapur, at a secluded spot near Suhoyi village. The deceased was later identified as Aron Pochury, who worked as an attendant at a guest house in Dimapur. According to the police, the victim bore grievous trauma on the head and face, which is suspected to have been inflicted by blunt objects. Blocks of broken bricks and a broken wooden pole, bearing blood stains were found near the body. Further, two unfired rounds of .22mm shells along with an empty case of the same calibre were recovered from the spot, police said. The deceased did not bear any bullet wound on the body however, police said.
FGN clarifies on Tuensang shooting
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DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 7 (MExN): With regard to the shootout in Tuensang on December 6, the Federal Government of Nagaland has clarified that “in the midst of commotion between the NNC/FGN (Brig Retd S Singnya) and Shillong accordist/Peace Campers, the IR personnel along with SDPO and OC, PS Tuengsang town rushed to the scene and instead of displaying neutrality to initiate peace, shot dead Sgt Maj Changsipong, Naga Army, Eastern Command.” A press note from the Ministry of Rali Wali stated that the bullet which killed the deceased “provides strong evidence which/that belongs to the IR personnels.” As such, it questioned, “Who ordered the hit to IR personnel to carry out such audacious actions? How can the guarders of law become the killers? Did the state government approved to kill national workers who defend Naga sovereignty?”
In the year 1963 while hectic preparations were on in Kohima to celebrate declaration of Nagaland statehood, a man in the eastern frontier of then undivided Tuensang was on his knees busy planting orange saplings in his backyard. As Nagaland State celebrates 50 years of statehood, the ten orange saplings that Turekiu Yimchunger, a GB of Phuvkiu village (formerly Chomi village and now under Kiphire district), planted have witnessed the winds of change and still bear fruit. In 1963, Turekiu, then a Dobashi, undertook a “long, long walk” to Longjang village in Mokokchung district in search of a teacher for his village Lower Primary School. On his way back home, he also took ten orange saplings from Longjang to plant them in his backyard. Once the trees started bearing fruit, his fellow villagers took note of the strange but delicious fruit, which Turekiu said was called ‘Naring’ (from the Ao language for orange). He distributed saplings from the seeds of the ten orange trees to the villagers and over the years as the trees and fruits multiplied, Phuvkiu village became popular for its oranges. Seeing the prospects of orange farming in the village, the State Horticulture Department stepped in and
Turekiu Yimchunger, the man who introduced orange in Phuvkiu village in 1963.
from 2005 onwards, gave the much needed impetus. Former Kiphire assistant horticulture officer, Senka Jamir, in his report ‘Orange in Chomi: An epigrammatic report’ (2011) stated that every household in the village has an average 70 orange trees in their backyards and the department distributed 1,00,000 saplings for 104 hectares of land under orange cultivation. With the Horticulture Department’s intervention, the village council also resolved that every household would plant 2000 saplings and on total implementation of the resolution, Phuvkiu village to be named as ‘Orange Village’ in Kiphire district. Capping off the joint venture, the village organised the first ‘Orange Festival’ in November 2011, which was sponsored by then parliamentary secretary for CAWD, T Torechu.
Coming back to the man who introduced orange in Phuvkiu village, Turekiu is also popular among his old friends for altogether another reason. Back in the 1950s Turekiu was also an enterprising contractor and he supplied CGI sheets, cement and firewood to Assam Rifles and the latter dropped these supplies by choppers to their far-flung outposts. After seeing the “machine with wings,” Turekiu had a burning desire to buy a helicopter - perhaps the first man in eastern Nagaland or entire state to harbour such a thought those days. Decades later, sitting on his porch on a summer afternoon with his orange trees in the background, the nonagenarian says with a twinkle in his eyes, “I gave up the thought as there was no landing space and it would be hard to find a driver (pilot).” Incredulous as it may sound, Turekiu’s desire to buy a chopper was not just a flight of fancy as back then he had enough money. One of his old friends recounted that on some weekends, Turekiu used to dry his sacks of money in the sun to keep them in crisp condition. In his heydays, he donned a cowboy hat and rode on one of the eight horses he owned to oversee his contract works. Conferred the Governor’s Award on August 15, 1969, Turekiu also took part in Republic Day celebration in 1956 in New Delhi. As Nagaland state grapples with mounting political, economic and social unrest, this patriarch, who outlived two wives and now being looked after by a third, deserves a well-earned rest for his contribution A Naga man in traditional attire holding a musket at the Hornbill Festival 2013 in to the economic growth of his village. Kisama. Photo by Manen Aier
NPCC defers December 9 Kohima bandh Of Ancient Naga Morungs
DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 7 (MExN): The proposed 12 hour Kohima bandh called by the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on December 9 has been deferred. NPCC General Secretary, Medokhul Sophie, while speaking to The Morung Express informed that the bandh has been deferred in view of students undergoing examinations and in view of the various appeals made by various organizations like the Angami Students Union, Angami Youth organization and the Kohima Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He, however, asserted that the bandh will be held at a later date and that NPCC will continue their agitation until the Nagaland State government removes charge sheeted Health and Family Welfare Minister, Imkong L Imchen from
the cabinet of Ministers. The NPCC in a press statement asserted that there “will be no respite from agitations once the festive season is over, if the NPF government fails to remove tainted Minister.” It stated that despite several representations and agitations staged by NPCC, “the defiance of the tainted minister to resign on moral grounds when charge sheeted and the inability of the NPF government to remove the tainted minister goes to prove that the NPF government has lost political wisdom and morality to govern.” “The continued support and reward extended to the tainted minister will embolden other criminal minded people to openly carry out illegal activities which will be detrimental to the interest of the people and the state,” NPCC added.
Benjongmenla Jamir is Miss Nagaland 2013
Miss Nagaland 2013, Benjongmenla Jamir flanked by the first and second runners up.
Keren R Koza Kohima | December 7
Benjongmenla Jamir is the new Miss Nagaland 2013. With vital statistics of 3325½-35½, she aims to be an entrepreneur, feels strongly about social crimes and likes reading. While interacting with the media, she said her mother, who she cites as her inspiration, was the first person that came to her mind, when the results were declared. Jamir was declared winner amongst 18 participants from all the districts in Nagaland state.
Surhozenuo Yano won the Second Runners up title while Apeni Khuvung won the first Runners up title. Benjongmenla Jamir also won the Miss Perfect 10 while Miss Photogenic went to Angap Konyak, Miss Beautiful Skin to Judith and Miss Congeniality to Abeni Khuvung. The glittering programme was organized by the Beauty and Aesthetics Society and co sponsored by NRHM, Nagaland. Parvez Dewan IAS, Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Tourism was the Special Guest and Imlibenla
Jamir, Miss Nagaland 2012 was the Guest of Honor. The show was hosted by Toshizen Longkumer and Tokatoli Sohe (Miss Nagaland 1998), while judges for the event included Imlibenla (Miss Nagaland 2013), Alun Hansing WCS, Temjenyabang IFS, Dr. Vibeituonuo and Sanghamitra. Ethiel Konyak and Esther Jamir graced the occasion as special guests. Flow Clef, Rebecca Ezung, Imtisenla (1st Runners up Naga Orpheus Hunt 2011), Ayim, Mohawk and Jumpstart Collaboration performed during the evening. Miss Nagaland 2013 featured a Preliminary round/ Designers round and Semi final round/Ethnic Fashion. Atu M Jamir, Tokatoli Yepthomi, Amongla Longkumer and Peter Twiss were the featured designers. Miss Nagaland 2013 walked away with a cash prize of one lakh, a Reliance Tablet and various gift hampers from Juvalia NU, Semi Direct and Issa Saloon. All the contestants were given dongles from Reliance and the three finalists were given Reliance Tablets.
and 3G Mobile Technology
Abokali Jimomi Kohima | December 7
Like something out of a plot visualized by HG Wells, traveling back in time to 1820 or perhaps forward to the year 802,701; the Hornbill Festival is a time warp experience of pleasure, patriotic emotions, fantasy and contradictions. First, you enter the time warp zone with your machine classed into 1, 2, or 3; further super-classified into A, B or C. That decides your fate on how to approach the arena - walking or car-borne, below or above, ‘entry’ or ‘no-entry;’ depending on the type of identification code your life possesses. As a first-timer time-traveling to this famed festival, despite being a local, it is perplexing to try and make sense of what exactly is going on. A medley of sounds greet you: thunderous, eerie log drums summoning a place somewhere hidden deep in our collective memory; images of heads of slain enemies bleeding inside log-drums; jingling of bangles, bells and shells on women’s skirts, breasts and necks; distinct Naga melodies for sowing, weeding, harvesting. In the midst of it all are cell phones emanating songs from Adele, One Direction and John Mayer. Victory chants, horns and ferocious battle calls from warriors are mixed with singers on the 50th Anniversary Stage singing Michael Jackson and Spice Girls.
and songs… nothing out of normal about that. Performers play their part and spectators are satisfied. A theatre! A win-win deal! We’ve come a long way from 1G. While our ancient counterparts did it because it was their way of life, we hope we do it now to not let go of our roots and our identity, that somehow seems to be stomped over by ideas and invasion of mass-manufactured things. Our sensitivities have evolved over the passage of time, our dancing floor of dust and stones now needs watering and polish; our once barefooted dancers now need Chapals. At the festival, dancers and warriors go back to their respective “Aki” presenting their best display of ancient culture and traditions to the visitors, dancing and posing for visitors, and as modern people do: take a quick break for ‘Jumpin’ Mango.’ On the 50th year of statehood and standing between nostalgic images and sounds of what we probably were mashed with the stamps and signs of modernity, the Hornbill Festival seems like an amphitheatre where ‘sense-making of who we are’ is the Act being staged, more so for the performers than the visitors. Cruising between the traditional and the new and in search of the lever to balance our moving, evolving cultural conscience on a Time-Machine… we are on an adventure invoking the past and embracing the present flowing with the rhythm of the current world. But we hope we are equipped with the deep-rooted knowledge of what makes us the people we are – the consciousness of the true value we contribute, as a people with our unique way of life, our experiences, stories, thoughts and ideas in this specific, geographic settlement, to the diversity of cultures and ideas of the world; the diversity that fuels the vibrancy of human existence.
Poetry and songs in more than 20 Naga languages simultaneously soar with deafening gunshots. Your default reflex is to run for cover, like Pavlov’s dog, but then you remember it’s an enactment by warriors with gunpowder from the Phom and Konyak Morungs! You smile and jump a little in festive joy and relief. A realization befalls that the sounds of the old and new are searching for a meeting point of harmony. Zombie-like, wandering around old Naga village scenes – a house for every tribe welcomes you with images and sounds of forefathers and foremothers, recreating experiences of a bygone era --like a journey to the forgotten. But then, you wake up to the stark, undeniable reality of confusion around you. The festival at Kisama offers a visual panorama of thought-provoking contradictions; the mind detects something out of place and time; anachronistic arrangement of objects and ideas. A Morung with people in traditional ceremonial costumes, almost naked and as original as it gets, chanting in archaic tongues alongside the newly introduced and aggressively promoted Airtel 3G, its branded umbrellas waiting for people to log on to their latest gadgets. You think hard, look closely and make peace with your inner conflicts This piece is the third in a series of ar… third generation literates and third ticles on the discourse around and on the generation mobile telephony, recon- Hornbill Festival, with the view to initiate structed houses and enacted dances reflection and dialogue.
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