Asangba Tzudir

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I am what i am...The Bright Side - "So Others May Live" And The Not So Bright Side - "Impatience."
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Philosophy of ‘Well-Being’


In ordinary discourse we generally relate ‘well-being,’ with health. Yet, it has a much broader usage and amounts to how well a person’s life or society or a nation at large is going. It has a philosophical connotation and the object is to construct it within a communitarian canopy. The paper thus, sets out primarily, at an attempt to do an analytical discourse on the idea of ‘well-being’ giving due warrant to the state of affairs of our state and its people by trying to locate the various sources through which the very idea of ‘well-being’ can be generated. The idea of ‘well-being’ can also be aptly put as a project towards visualising what can possibly be, termed as the ‘highest good’ for our state and its people. Thus the idea of ‘well-being’ can be seen as a culmination of the ‘highest good.’ Secondly, I would also like to juxtapose alongside, a new form of culture which can come within a universal framework.


With flux of time, the old, constantly keeps on dying down and the new gets established. To avoid any unnecessary structural error it would be best to draw a dichotomous line in the period before and after the coming of Christianity though I’ll be dwelling on the latter. So we have the Chungliyimti civilization with the ‘birth’ of consciousness of organized and structured social life which can also be referred to as ‘Naga enlightenment’ and post Christianity era coupled with whatever cultural facets remained. Consequently, the male and female dormitories which formed the major institution of learning, the ethics and norms, structured work culture, belief system, head hunting and so on which gave impetus to the idea of ‘well-being’ of not just the individual, nor the family or a particular group of people but the well being of the whole, bore the brunt of Christianity. As Christianity slowly took roots, various integral aspects of our culture was wiped off the ground and gradually our eyes were opened to newer forms of consciousness and understanding and also different forms of knowledge. Considering this, we can expect a totally different idea of ‘well-being’ in the post Christianity era. I shy away from the usage of the word ‘modernity’ as it is still by and large, a confused and contested concept borrowed from the west. The question here is how modern are we in our own terms within our own parameters and not how modern are we in the context of the west. If I am to use the term modern in our own terms, we became modern with the ‘birth’ of consciousness of organised and structured social life beginning at Chungliyimti. For instance, Morung as a major institution of learning is a very classic example that highlights our own unique modernity. Needless to say but, we didn’t have huge machines and tools or technologies but we had technically sophisticated brains to think about ways and means to build houses and to exploit the available resources in making a life to live. We had our own mathematics to formulate methods for counting. We had our own value oriented culture to define good and bad and also give moral sanction.


With the coming of Christianity in 1872, things have changed. So, in the contemporary turn, how do we define ‘well-being.’? There can be several possible parameters through which the ‘well-being’ of present day Nagaland can be assessed, but I will confine myself to the three most central tenets based on lived experience - Peace, progress and prosperity. I firmly believe, for ‘well-being’ to emerge, we need all these three tenets working hand in hand in a complimentary manner that will give rise to the highest form of ‘well-being.’


Peace can be commonly referred to an absence of aggression, violence or hostility, a state of absence of any war or conflict and any other possible scenarios that disturbs peace. Though, the concept broadens up when located within the domain of world affairs. Reflection on the nature of peace is also bound up with considerations of the causes for its absence or loss. Among these potential causes are: insecurity, social injustice, economic inequality, political and religious radicalism, and extremist nationalism. At the moment, tension is created from various corners. Peace cannot prevail in our state just through a ceasefire among the various warring factions. We need a far more real peace, which, I firmly believe, can only emerge (among various other factors) through a peaceful co-existence among the various tribes and clans. The dreaded ‘isms’ should be wiped off the face of humanity. Unless there is harmony among the various tribes and clans peace cannot prevail. There has been so much of dirty politics and distorted history. So much of civil unrest has been caused through recent developments related to the politics of ‘truth of knowledge’ claims resulting even in the ‘deconstruction of identity.’ Truths related to history cannot be claimed to be true unless it is substantiated by properly documented historical records and evidences. Our state has a large number of unions. Existence of various unions and organizations can keep a particular group of people or a community united. It also provides a platform to voice out certain concerns for a common cause but sometimes too much of it might act as breeding grounds for unhealthy contestations and hatred hugely impairing peaceful co-existence.


To Progress means to advance towards higher or better stage or better still, we even need to start for progress to take place. Progress can be in the areas of administration and ‘governmentality’, economy, Socio-cultural, infrastructure, games and sports, environmental, health care systems, various forms of media and education including research. First and foremost, each and every area starting from the most basic unit - family till the highest level of governance should act as responsible agents and not be a liability. The system of administration and ‘governmentality’ should be built on a model of power that works from bottom to the top, that power originates from the subjects and as such the ‘ruler’ or those people in ‘power’ derives power from the ruled or the subjects. The praxis of the former is pragmatics of lived experience while the latter is hypothetical assumption or a sort of philosophical propaganda. Though, both the lines of thought encompass politics of human relationship which revolves around two popular closely related terms – power and control. It should also be based on the belief that the exercise of power is legitimate only if it is determined by reasonable consensus among citizens. In this sense, reasonable consensus among citizens eliminates the autonomy of the exercise of power, provided conditions are ideal. Keeping in mind that freedom can only operate within limits, a Substantive freedom is pertinent for people’s participation in the government. It should also be reminded that the government is of the people, by the people and for the people and not a government for a selected ‘few.’ There is also an urgent necessity to construct new social models that would guarantee equality and justice for all. The law and order too, needs to be water tight and the law enforcing agencies should be vigilant against the temptation of creating ‘exceptional situation’ or ‘exceptions to the norm’ through the ‘extra-legal’ dimension of law itself which can act as easy passage for corruption to creep in.


Now how do we prepare for a booming economy? First and foremost, the economy of our state is crippled by problems of unemployment and poor economic opportunities which is also due to lack of large scale industries. Among various other indicators which can improve economy, I will point out couple of them. Firstly, a good number of our people are engaged in agriculture. Nothing can encourage this than to involve better technology to enhance agriculture and also provide ample avenues and spaces to make the agricultural produce marketable. Secondly, as far as possible, capital outflow from the state needs to be curtailed. We need at least couple of very good civil services coaching institute to check the outflow of capital. Every year a lot of students come to Delhi for taking up coaching which results in huge outflow of money. On the flip side, it is not just the bank rolls or bank savings that defines how healthy the economy is. It also involves being economical and using the resources at our disposal judiciously with a sense to preserve and renew. It is also pertinent to differentiate between needs and wants. It seems like we are still trapped in a moral dilemma over needs and wants. It is not what makes the world ‘rotate’ but what keeps the world going.


To further excel in games and sports, we need better infrastructure. By now we should have the infrastructural capacity to host at least the National games. Adequate Sports equipments should be provided in schools and colleges. Also, conducting coaching camps will go a long way in honing the technical skills and prepare sportspersons to compete in the international arena.
In view of global environmental concerns, preventive measures should not just exist but needs to be enforced to stop deforestation and the killing of wild birds and animals. Fakim wildlife sanctuary is the lone sanctuary of our state. The village councils can play an authorative role by banning killings especially the endangered species. Tourism also needs further promotion not just for commercialization but also to promote peace and harmony and also create opportunities to exchange knowledge of cultures with people from different countries.


On the medical front, fully functioning dispensaries, especially in the villages should be there. Technologically advanced machineries and equipments are required to tackle dreaded disease like AIDS, cancer and other globally alarming epidemics like bird flu and swine flu. On the information and broadcasting front, media houses, especially the print, should try to disseminate news with the objective of providing ‘knowledge for all.’ It is also quite unfortunate that due warrant has not been given to research studies. I fear, but our people still have a long way to go in understanding the value of education, specially, research. I don’t need to tell, how ‘sick’ our only university is, at the moment. It is high time that the state comes up with more encouraging measures to promote research studies. Written materials are vital tools to any historical records and research studies can develop skills to preserve our history and our rich legacy of oral literature and various analytical studies, which can be of historical importance or value oriented, in written form.


We are fortunate enough to have creative minds. It needs to be properly exploited and more sense of beauty should be developed. One should be averse to being affront to aesthetics. We should appreciate and try to inculcate the finer points of creative sense of aesthetics. In the field of music too, we are again fortunate to have talented singers but we also lack good songwriters and musicians who can create a different genre of Naga music which can find space in the music world.


How have we fared in terms of culture? The coming of Christianity eliminated the integral facets of our culture and also our rich legacy of oral tradition is fast disappearing as the raconteurs of oral literature are fast dying out. So, what is our present culture? How do we identify ourselves as a cultural group? How much do we garner values, ethics and morality through our culture? Our culture is slowly getting reduced to cultural costumes, folk songs and dances which is also mostly presented to satisfy commercial ends. Our prevailing culture has become so dislocated mainly due to hybridization. There is an urgent necessity to redefine our culture – our way of life within a universal framework, which the whole world can accept.
The Church too, has a large role to play in contributing to progress towards the ‘well-being.’ It should keep doing the good work of reviving the Christian teachings, rather than involve in politics. Our people need to inculcate civic sensibility, sense of belonging and should care for not just private properties but public properties as well. This begins with a small step towards caring for the ‘other.’ Nonetheless, all progress begins with a progressive mind.


Prosperity can be said to be a state of health, happiness, being successful, absence of poverty, insecurity etc. Most of us think that being prosperous means having plenty of money. It is not just material possessions, but rather a fulfilled heart and soul. We must go beyond the idea of ‘wealth’ and seek the values that will surmount to the general happiness. Most, regardless of the wealth, feel a serious lacking in our overall sense of well-being. On the individual level, we need a fresh approach and examine honestly what we really long for by separating from false desires or addictions. We need to create true prosperity in satisfying relationships and the kind of happiness not dependent ‘solely’ on possessions or circumstances. Such an attitude is paramount to live a happy contented life.


Coming to our culture, we have so far been quietly nestled comfortably in the idea that we have a unique culture not knowing exactly what makes our culture unique even in the face of changes, in time and cultural shifts. Of late we have been witnessing the emergence of totally different forms of culture. It seems to have taken a totally different direction - a faulty transition and sad to say, we have already lived out of our culture and identity. Lately there has been a huge infiltration of Korean culture into our society through Korean movies. One immediate effect is replicating their fashion and also whole new ideas on love and romance. I am just scared. We never know it might become our reference point, rather than our culture, of even defining what is good and bad. Here I introduce my idea of culture which can come within a universal framework. I feel that our culture–the Naga way of life, should be built on love, peace and most importantly truth. My romanticism of Naga culture being ‘love, peace and truth personified’ emerges out of this, that, in contemporary times, it may be more relevant and sensible to locate the uniqueness of our culture on love, peace and truth. It neither consists in unhealthy cultural contestations nor hybridization but rather a point of merger and unified emergence. This is where the Nagas can come together and not as fragments of a larger whole. I don’t want to commit a serious blunder by claiming ‘truth’ and objectifying my idea of uniqueness. There can also be looming Skepticism and skeptics might dismiss this thesis, seeing it as a possibility only in the noumenal world (The intellectual conception of a thing as it is in itself) or an impossible utopia.


Nagaland is ‘famine stricken’ and starving for Peace, progress and prosperity for long. At the moment, we are sailing in troubled water of crisis, social unrest, problems of unemployment, and the infiltration of anti-social elements into our society. Worst of all, the practice of corruption has reached a level, unimaginable even in the wildest dreams, the shameful culture of ‘palm greasing’ and the ‘juice is worth the squeeze’ attitude. The care for the ‘other’ no longer seems to exist as if everyone is engaged in their own race to beat the rest in the race for the survival of the fittest. We are not being-in-itself but being-for-others. But we also know that the process of nation building is not the absence of crisis, but the willingness to push on in the face of it, which calls for a very sincere and honest approach from each and every individual. A new generation of leaders will very soon take the mantle of leadership and we shall live as dignified people, as equals, where everyone shall be free to exploit their full potential. Let us also awaken from our dogmatic slumber and develop a sense of belonging and be proud of who we are and feel and act as responsible citizens, revive our work ethics and shed the attitudinal trend of ostentatiously ‘riding off into the sunset wearing ten-gallon hats’ towards an urgent resurgence of our sense and sensibilities.


In sum, this paper was not an (empirical) attempt to give an ultimate ‘truth,’ but a framework through which one can think and envisage various possibilities through which our people and our land will become more and more peaceful, progress more and become more and more prosperous that, we will always travel along the road towards becoming more and more well - The ‘well-being’ of our state and our people which can be said to be the ‘highest good.’

Asangba Tzudir
JNU, New Delhi

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Naga Idol: Revisiting 'mistaken modernity.'

The tagline reads, ‘The ‘winner’ walks away with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a brand new car.’ The curtains have raised again for the 3rd edition of the much hyped Naga Idol competition. The organizers - Mokokchung District Art and Culture Council (MDACC) firmly believes that the previous two shows have proved helpful in the pursuit of its motto, ‘Nurturing Talent’ and have helped many Naga youngsters in realising their individual potentials in various ways, musical talent being the primary objective. They also claim that their decision to conduct the show was also preceded by ‘enormous public demand and pressure’ and with the understanding to provide healthy family entertainment to the people. The competition will engulf the whole of Nagaland for at least three months. Everyone one will be kept actively involved through their constant persuasion to unabashedly indulge in voting which is just another propaganda model to generate money as well as to create a factory of manufacturing consent. Perhaps, this competition will shift the focus of the town, from ‘guns and killings’ to serious engagement in manipulative voting which will ultimately decide the winner based on who gets the maximum number of votes and not the best singer.
This year too, each contestant will be singing from a genre of their liking. So their main stress is on how a contestant can sing someone else’s song and not how one can sing his own song. This is ‘nurturing talent’ in the eyes of the organizers. It creates a temporary platform but beyond that I doubt whether such a platform can nurture talent as the organizers claim to be. It showcases ones singing ability but nurturing talent is of serious matter. Just possessing the ability to sing won’t help a person in achieving greater heights. Music is an art and a proper knowledge about music is very crucial. A good music institute will be an ideal step in the tryst for nurturing talent towards professionalism. If we can also have some quality seminars on music, it will do a world of good for the budding musicians and singers. Again, we lack good songwriters. Naga Idol competition can play a very big role here. Instead of making the contestants sing different genres of song, it will be a plus point if they are asked to sing their own composed songs.
I still can’t see the ‘logic’ behind the judge’s presence when the whole of the competition is defined by votes. To make mechanised comments, I guess, like…“You packaged well...That was a great delivery... you delivered well...wow, wow, wow, you always deliver…I give you standing ovation...this is why you are here…you have done a great job…I give you terrific marks...” Jokes apart, they have the biggest role to play in making the contestants learn as well as unlearn. Biased comments from the judges will land them in deep confusion. Say, A judge giving a standing ovation for a song whereas another gives all the negative comments for the same song. Constructive comments (rather than ‘blatant lies’ triggered by favoritism) can be more effective to make one learn their weaknesses and at the same time instill confidence in the minds of the contestants.
These leftist credentials of mine might come as indigestion pills for all the hardcore fanatics of the so called manufactured NAGA IDOL competition. Personally, I am totally against the concept, ‘IDOL.’ An idol can be defined as a material effigy that is worshipped or someone who is adored blindly and excessively. Put it holistically, an idol is someone whom you can idolise or look at with great awe and admiration. So it narrows down to the question of whether we can brand someone as Naga Idol who wins by virtue of getting the highest number of votes. ‘NAGA IDIOT’ can be the most fitting title for such a competition which is pure copycat and does not find even a trace of originality. This is the third edition and the only change I have noticed so far is the dramatic increase in prize money. Sad but true, it’s just a money game where the contestants are used as mere ‘commodified objects’ (with due respects to the contestants) for generating money and also to provide unhealthy ‘X-Tratainment Unlimited’, a term used by the organisers. In this regard, I would also like to question the contestants as to why they are participating. This is not to discourage them, rather to create awareness. I feel that each one of them should question themselves and also have a clear reason for participating in the competition. Ones participation should be seen from ones own perspective, rather than from others perspective about the competition and reason out whether it is a worthy platform or a platform where they are to be used as a means to money and entertainment, whether it will really nurture ones talent towards professionalism or just a temporary platform of popularity ending in despair and disappointment.
The organisers has said that the whole Idol concept would be managed by a group of youngsters, experienced in various fields known as X-Tratainment Unlimited (XU). I would like to question what the organizers mean by X-Tratainment Unlimited? Why not the organizers (Mokokchung District Art and Culture Council) proudly call themselves - Mokokchung District X-Tratainment Unlimited council. The organizers should know that such hyper, out of nowhere concepts only enhances erosion of our rich cultural legacy. I really don’t understand people trying to legitimise popular culture when it has already hijacked our unique culture. We are currently faced with a kind of identity crisis where we are trapped by westernisation. Trapped because we can’t even copy others properly and our own unique culture is discarded into the ash heap of history. Sadly our people are cajoled up in the whirlpool of popular culture. The onset of popular culture has resulted in cultural violence. We don’t know who we are and where we belong; we don’t have a firm cultural footing of our own. This has happened because of a faulty transition into the so called modern – a mistaken modernity marked by Identity crisis and moral erosion.
Sadly, we tend to stray away from what we are and live out of our identity by trying to be ‘someone’ else. It’s high time we return to our roots and redefine who we really are. Let us culturally contest instead of imitating others and show that we have a unique culture, (my idea of culture is a lot more than folk songs and dances), that we have a unique identity – Love, Truth and Peace personified. Let us return to our cultural roots and develop a sense of belonging and be proud of who we are and shed the attitudinal trend of ‘riding’ off into the sunset wearing ten-gallon hats towards an urgent resurgence of our sensibility.

Asangba Tzudir
JNU, New Delhi