Zhalie Nienu lends Mi Preciosa’s tune to a set of beautiful pictures of Nagaland

Every time I try to make a sense of our Naga culture, an inexplicable sense of procrastination somehow takes the better of me. Until now, I have kept myself from plunging into it. There appears to be some kind of ‘no trespass’ signboard attached to it, some kind of uncertainty or uneasiness about it, the kind that is perhaps normally associated with unpleasant discovery or realization. Some truths are not always a delightful thing to discover after all. Often certain truths are found to be covered with layers and layers of narratives, narratives involving lies and deceptions as well.

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A Caux Lecture on the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous People in Caux by Dr Visier Sanyü.

Dr. Visier Sanyü gave a Caux Lecture on the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous People in Caux (Switzerland)

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Thechano Kithan’s Whispering Rocks.  Unistar Books, Chandigarh, India, 2006, pp. 62.

Perhaps the title of this collection of poems, “Whispering Rocks,” is best explained by the author herself in the opening paragraph of her introduction to the book.  It refers to the “unshakable strength” of mute rocks that break their native silence in a language all their own because they can no longer bear their secret longings.  If this explanation does not fully satisfy, the reader who becomes privy to the whispering rocks will soon discover the aptness of the image as a metaphor for the poet’s (or poetic persona’s) own lived experiences out of which these poems emerged.  Read the rest of this entry »

A Review of Abraham Lotha’s History of Naga Anthropology (1832-1947).

Chumpo Museum Publication, Dimapur, Nagaland, 2007. Rs. 250.

 History of Naga Anthropology (1832-1947) is a short monograph on writings about Nagas by British colonial administrators and ethnographers from 1832, the year Nagas first came in contact with the British, to 1947, the year the Raj dissolved and the British officially left the Naga Hills.  The book is based on research Abraham Lotha did for the master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology at Columbia University in New York.  He is currently working on his PhD dissertation at CUNY’s Graduate Center. Read the rest of this entry »

 Easterine K. Iralu, A Terrible Matriarchy, Zubaan, India, 2007. 314 pages. Rs. 295.

“My Grandmother didn’t like me. I knew this when I was about four and a half.” These are the opening words of Easterine Iralu’s A Terrible Matriarchy spoken by Lieno, the narrator. 313 pages and 19 years later, Lieno has an offer of marriage: “Mother and I found out that this was not the first offer I had had. There had been three others but the boys’ families had gone to speak to my Aunt Bino as was our custom. Each time, she had rebuffed them saying that I was probably too outspoken to be considered as good wife material.” Read the rest of this entry »

By Aiyushman Dutta

I take great pride in being a northeasterner and though I like to proclaim that all the states are equally beautiful in its unity and diversity, two states have always held a cherished position in my heart. One is Assam, my home state and the other being, Nagaland - a state which has continued to fascinate me throughout my growing up days and which continues to do so even now. Read the rest of this entry »

These days, Indians are defying gravity - be it the white cricket balls launched from the wooden bats of cricketers at the Indian Premier League or the historic launch of the PSLV rocket recently which sent 10 satellites into orbit. The former has become quiet common these days with T20 cricket gaining popularity but the later is something which does not happen often. Only Russia, which managed to launch 13 satellites into space comes close to the feat. Rockets remind me of our former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He was among the pioneering scientists in this field. I’m sure he must be very proud and delighted to hear the news… Read the rest of this entry »

Many people have had the opportunity to meet Dr SC Jamir after he became the Governor of Goa. I think it’s mainly because he’s holding a constitutional position which is less taxing as compared to his previous responibilities.  I think he’s also kind enough to meet delegations and individuals espcially from Nagaland and gives them importance. So, last winter, while on a holiday in Goa, one sunny day I decided to head for the Raj Bhavan in Panjim. Read the rest of this entry »