I was made to go through some unpleasant experiences in Kolkata. After having being assured a room from January 12 to 15 at Nagaland House, the receptionist told me “There is no room”. An IAS officer in the Govt of Nagaland had informed the Joint Resident Commissioner’s office verbally as well and through fax about my arrival. Thereafter, I was asked by the senior officer to check-in at Nagaland House.

Reasons for my disappointment are:
- It is very difficult to get rooms instantly in a metro like Kolkata. If rooms were not available, Nagaland House should have informed me at least 1 day in advance so that I can make alternative arrangements.

- My meetings were planned nearby Nagaland House on Jan 12. I had to take my baggage to those meetings.
I was quietly told by a Nagaland House employee that “People come with chits from ministers, and it is very difficult to refuse them rooms”.

- Some well-known Nagas (Sr. Citizens) from England also got the same treatment. Dear government, please give well known Naga NRIs good treatment, especially when they are senior citizens.

- Lastly, my emails to Nagaland House Kolkata’s official email nhkolkata@gmail.com were unanswered. I had read news report that anyone seeking rooms should email to them.

Thankfully, my local contacts in Kolkata were quick to make alternative arrangements but due to last minute reservation, I could only get a room at a Salt Lake hotel which is 1 and a half hours drive from Nagaland House.

I think Naga travelers deserve better treatment.

Read at Nagaland Post: click
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I had in mind to blog on this topic, but now that it’s in the news, it makes my job easier.

“Mass weddings are a sign of good society” endorsed the Grand Mufti (the highest religious official) of Saudi Arabia while attending the mass wedding of 300 couples sponsored by the Saudi Government earlier this year. Their main motive for mass weddings is to reduce the costs incurred by the couples as well as encourage young people to get married so that crime is reduced. The Saudi Govt. believes that a proper marriage will make young people more disciplined.

Well, my point is – if Muslims, who are considered to be very strict when it comes to religious matters can be flexible when it comes to Mass weddings, can the more liberal Christians follow suit?

I have come across many couples who have started families without proper weddings. In many such cases, couples simply can’t afford to organize a proper ‘Naga wedding’. They don’t want to put financial pressure on their parents…and their folks quietly agree.

No wonder, the concept of ‘Home marriage’ rather than ‘Church marriage’ is becoming quiet acceptable these days.

Now just give this a thought – why should a couple not have church marriage just because they can’t afford it? Can’t our churches make weddings a much simpler and a less costly affair?

In this regard, the Dimapur Ao Baptist Arogo (DABA) should be congratulated for their ‘Mass wedding’ concept. This initiative will give many couples the opportunity to have a proper wedding which they always dreamt of.

“The church programme, decorations and refreshment were all sponsored by DABA” read some news reports. This is impressive but may not be applicable to many churches. If other churches wish to organize mass weddings, may be the couples can contribute and share the expenses.

Many people have pointed out that the gap between ‘the haves’ and ‘the have nots’ is ever increasing in Naga society. This gap refers not only to the difference in wealth but also to the difference in social status attributed to wealth.
Many ‘have nots’ wish to emulate the lifestyle of ‘the haves’ and resort to unlawful means to amass their wealth.
If ‘the haves’ promote the idea of mass wedding, they will set a good example. Mass wedding is a good concept which can help make the gap smaller.

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India has launched the world’s cheapest tablet computer Aakash priced at Rs 1700.

After launching the world’s cheapest car Tata Nano, Indians have one more reason to be proud of – it has created the world’s cheapest tablet computer priced at just Rs 1700.

Named Aakash (meaning sky) the device will be sold to students at a subsidized price of Rs 1700 ($35). Initially, 1,00,000 devices will be given away to students before rolling out to millions of students in the coming months.

The tablet was developed by a small British company Datawind (their website is inaccessible as of today due to high traffic) but will be assembled in India. IIT Rajasthan is also said to be a part of the project in which India’s HRD minister Kipal Sibal has taken keen interest.

The Government hopes the device will improve the quality of learning of children in schools. India lags behind China and Brazil when it comes to using internet. The Govt hopes the device will help to ‘connect’ the nation.

Specifications:
- Runs on Google’s Android.
- It has a virtual keyboard.
- Camera.
- Full video capability.
- Wi-Fi.
- e-reader.
- 2GB RAM.

Pros: Cheap.
Cons: May be slow. Touch screen quality may be poor.

I grew up looking at the beautiful mount Tiyi. During my childhood, it was a usual sight to see youths go up the mountain and come back with a bunch of Rhododendron flowers. I think most inhabitants of Wokha have heard enchanting stories related to the mountain. It is sad that Mt. Tiyi and its legacy is not being preserved although I have heard of some people initiating efforts.

Nagaland’s Mount Tiyi is a key environmental and cultural feature for the local Lotha people.

The mount, more clearly defined as a large hill, stands at 1969.91 meters above sea level. At one point, Mount Tiyi was well known for its fabulous lushness. Local Lothas recall the colorful Rhododendron flowers that once dotted the hill and the robust variety of bird and plant species that once thrived there.

The mountain’s beauty inspired both songs and spiritual beliefs. Over time, the Lotha developed a register of songs specifically relating to Mount Tiyi. Local tribal people’s fascination with the mount resulted in a growing number of legends. According to local folklore, there is a concealed orchard on the mount, which can only be found by the most fortunate of souls. The hill has also been referred to as, “the mountain of life, “ a name given in reference to the life-giving water streaming from Tiyi’s summit. Perhaps the most compelling association—and one that runs through much of Nagaland—is that Mount Tiyi is the abode of departed souls. This haunting image has fueled the sanctity surrounding the mount for as long as living memory allows.

However, in recent times, carelessness by both locals and outsiders has contributed to the degradation of Mount Tiyi. Mismanagement in cultivating the local jhum crop has worn down the hillside. External contractors fell trees at reckless rates. Locals have pushed housing up the hillside. All of these factors and more have contributed to a noticeable loss of biodiversity.

This physical loss has been accompanied by a loss of the cultural practices bound to Mount Tiyi. As Mount Tiyi’s flowers fade and die, so too have the bright songs once sung to celebrate it. Many fear these cultural traditions are in danger of extinction. In this video, Renchano reports on how Mount Tiyi has changed over the years: from its important historic significance to its present status.

Little brother has grown up! Sometimes I envy him for living a rather ‘relaxed and content life’.
In America where the ‘Debt Crisis’ is reportedly affecting everyone, he takes time off to shoot such a peaceful, soothing video :-)

This is Atsen’s first music video. All thanks to his good friend Daniel Crowe, without whom he could not have pulled it off considering the shoestring budget.

Last month, I attended the 6th North East business summit in Mumbai…just to know what it was all about. Five minutes into the summit, I came to know what it’s all about – attracting investments!

Each NE state had the opportunity to ‘show off’ what they had and present themselves as an investment attractive state. So, a lot of brochures and reading material were being distributed.

Mr. Neiphiu Rio was the only C.M from the entire NE. We have to appreciate Mr. Rio for that. It shows he does not miss opportunities. The rest of the NE CM’s must have thought it is a ‘time wasting’ exercise. (I heard not much investments had resulted from previous summits).

Well, time came for the VIPs to give speeches. But I was eager to listen to Mr. Rio. In fact, that was the only reason I went to the summit.

Before Mr. Rio, the Deputy CM of Meghalaya Mr. Bindo Lanong boasted about Shillong, Cherrapunji, how much rainfall the town received recently and so on. Then out of nowhere the Deputy CM started talking about The Shillong Chamber Choir. I was thinking how is that related to attracting investment in Meghalaya. The Choir had recently won the 1st prize in India’s Got Talent show. After a few more minutes, he sat down.

Well, next, it was the turn of our honorable CM to take center stage. To our surprise, Mr Rio asked all of us to Stand! And then he asked us to sit. Clearly, it was a ploy to ‘refresh’ the audience. We had been listening to 1 and 1/2 hour of speeches.

Then, some fellow-Nagas distributed Mr Rio’s well written speech to all of us. That was a good idea I thought because I could not make out much of what the last speaker has said. So, Mr. Rio started his speech and we started reading his speech. It was a well written and well prepared one.

In the middle of his speech, to my surprise, Mr. Rio spoke about Divine Connection. I thought, well, this is a counter-attack to Meghalaya’s Deputy CM! (smile). Mr. Rio spoke about how Divine Connection won MTV’s desi beats rock contest. That showed how competitive our CM can be!

Mr Rio ended his speech by inviting everyone to the popular Hornbill Festival. He winded off by saying “I look forward to meeting you in Nagaland”.

Divine Connection is giving Indian bands a tough time @ MTV’s ‘Desi Beats Rock on’. They have managed to learn some Hindi…rest, their guitars are doing all the talking. Great going guys!

History is full of examples of how people who followed their dreams have ended up discovering new countries, inventing new things…and at times ended up ending nowhere. Many a times, these people have been termed ‘crazy’. The bottom line is, these people have tried, notwithstanding what may come.

Today, when I painfully scanned the 50 odd pages of the Mumbai edition of the Times of India, I came across something familiar. I saw a picture of a jolly Sema guy in a yellow shirt in an article titled ‘ordinary heroes’.

Looking at him instantly brought a wide smile on my face. I thought to myself “this will be interesting”. So, I read…going deeper into the article I found out, the young Naga man is a 26 year old Sema guy named Agatho Sumi, a political science professor-turned-networking professional, who, despite opposition from his family members, came to Mumbai to pursue acting.

Now, that’s some story. I thought to myself. In a state “infatuated” with safe jobs (eg:Govt jobs), a professor in political science would be a very precious job to lose.

Reading on, I found Agatho could not speak a word of Hindi when he first came to Mumbai, but he persisted and learned the language.

The Times of India went on to say “Sumi, who can now spout entire lines of Amitabh Bachchan in class, provided they are written in English, wants to do “serials like CID” and reality shows.

Agatho has already auditioned for the role of a waiter in Vishal Bharadwaj’s next and for a place in the second edition of Entertaintment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega.

“Who knows, I just might be the first Naga superhero of Bollywood”, Agatho smiles optimistically.

Many people have talent but they do not try. Here, we have a young Naga guy following his dreams and most importantly he is optimistic and he is trying. Unless we try, we will never know.

I wish, in the years to come, Agatho would become the next Danny Denzongpa of Bollywood (Danny is a popular Bollywood actor from Sikkim). I wish he would excel and encourage more Naga youths to come out and explore their dreams. All the best!

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A Naga warrior being shown on the giant helium balloon at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi. Naga dancers had participated at the ceremony. They received a big cheer from the 70,000 odd crowd.

“Are you from Shillong?” asked a shopkeeper as I was purchasing some things in a shop in Andheri, Mumbai. Taken aback by the unusual question I gave him a ‘surprised glance’. Before I could say a word he shot back “I like how the Shillong people sing”. I realized that he was referring to the Shillong chamber choir who won India’s #1 talent show “India’s got talent”.

The Shillong chamber choir may have just won a talent show but the ‘effect’ it has created is good for the Northeast people.

Most Indian people will not know that Shillong is in Meghalaya. For them Shillong is just a city in Northeast India.

I did some of my schooling in Shillong and have very fond memories of the city. I felt very happy when the choir won the talent show.

What was touching was that after the final performance the leader of the choir dedicated their successful journey to God.

Their victory will do a lot of good to the tourism industry of Shillong and the Northeast as many people now know about the region.

Hats off to the Shillong chamber choir.