A Talk presented at the “Naga Consultative Meet with Overseas Nagas,” Kohima, Nagaland, March 5, 2009

By Dr. Paul Pimomo, Professor of English and Co-Director, Africana and Black Studies, CWU, Ellensburg, WA, USA

Introduction:

Honorable Chief Minister, Mr. Neiphiu Rio, council of ministers, political and civil leaders, my dear overseas friends, and ladies and gentlemen:

At this time in Washington State in the U. S., it’s midnight and I would be dreaming. It’s a real joy for me to be here in Kohima, a dream come true. I’m up here at the podium this morning, instead of down there listening, not because I know more about Naga society than the rest of you. I’ve lived in self-exile for twenty-five years in the United States. On the other hand, you live and work here, you run the government, you are the leaders of the Naga society; you know better than I do the needs of our people. But in general, everybody in this room knows as well as the next person what Nagaland needs for a better future: unity and peace, hard work and honest living, and goodwill toward one another. I have no new ideas to share with you today, only a new voice for the same truths in a different context from a different set of experiences. I make a living teaching literature, so I’m going to tell you stories from different parts of the world, including Nagaland, to illustrate the two central goals of human social life throughout history, namely the common good and personal happiness through acceptance and respect in the community. Most of you will recognize the stories, so I ask your indulgence. I shall end my talk with a comment on what I see as the most pressing need of our generation, because without it Nagas have no future as a people. Read the rest of this entry »