The Splendor and the Struggle: Nagaland's Hornbill Festival

Hornbill festival is one of the largest cultural festivals in the world. This year marks the 25th year anniversary. Our state, Nagaland, is already faced with a budget deficit of some thousand crores, but to keep the tag of 'Festival of Festivals' intact, money has been pumped in for the success of this event. After all, bill is a crucial word to complete Hornbill. 

For the time being, the amusement brought about by the Hornbill festival might help us to divert ourselves from the pertaining questions like unemployment, poor infrastructural facilities, corruption etc. On social media, some of users have ranted about it. 

True, tourism is also a way to generate state revenue, and Hornbill festival provides the best opportunity for promoting tourism by attracting domestic and international tourists, no doubt about it. However, when a state aims to be a tourist destination, it has to be backed by a strong Destination Development Plan or else investment will turn into expenditure, the loss of which cannot be recovered even in the coming years. 

Right from its inception, Hornbill festival has received its fair share of criticism, mainly from two groups: one that questions about its economic feasibility and the other, who are more concerned about its impact on our spirituality. However, both the groups might agree on keeping our rich Naga culture alive. History has it, one of the ways by which culture is kept alive is through commercialisation of it. Wine is an integral part of French culture and this culture of theirs has been kept intact through its sheer accessibility and promotion. Hence, it's wise not to push our culture to a frozen peak just because a middle ground cannot be achieved due to overlapping of opinions and ideologies. 

Lastly, in my opinion, the venues where major events are supposed to held should be strictly supervised. Till now, no catastrophe has happened, thankfully never a stampede. However, what if a short circuit ignites a fire and engulfs the arena, but yes, to its credit the festival is celebrated in open air, I am just getting paranoid. 

A Mispronounced Melody: A Tale of Human Nature

A band consisting of six members was practicing for their upcoming gospel concert. One of the mates sang, 

"I will workshop the Lord in Spring. I will workshop the Lord in Summer. I will workshop the Lord in Fall. I will workshop the Lord in Winter. "

The singer pronounced the word 'worship' as 'workshop'. 

Being ignorant of the error, Singer B repeated the same. 

Amused by it, Singer C laughed so hard. 

Singer D whispered to Singer A, "It's pronounced as vuh-shuhp. " But quickly texted to her gossip gang, "My team mates are giving me a tough time. Singer A's pronunciation sucks, she can't even get the pronunciation of worship right and Singer B is worse. "

Singer E didn't even notice the error. 

Singer F just kept to herself as it was of no good to her. 

In life, we meet people who are ignorant, who are emotional, who are narcissist, who are indifferent, who value only their self-interest. Hence, it's okay to make mistakes, we can't control others' expressions and reactions, they are who they are. 

That Church Pastor and His Scandal

Let me begin by citing you a story, a true story. Ted Haggard was a well known Christian pastor of a Mega Church and also the President of the National Evangelical Association, TIME magazine voted him as one of the influential religious leaders of America. He was also known to have preached plenty of anti-gay rhetoric. Long story short, but he fell from the grace when he found entwined in a sex scandal involving a male prostitute. Soon enough, after lots of pressure, he stepped down from the post of the preacher of the church he founded and also resigned from the National Evangelical Association. Then on, he started a new church, but there too, he faced allegations of inappropriate sexual misconduct on young men.  After which he started a new church again, this time literally in his own house. Crazy life!

There are numerous stories around the globe about Christian priests, pastors, evangelists and apologists who found themselves exposed to the sexual scandals they had committed. But, this year’s news of a Naga pastor shocked the state. If our records are right then this is the first time in our state where a person working in a church ministry was involved. He was quickly labelled as ‘P3DO’, not by the law makers though. On a side note, pedophilia means primarily or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children, whereas, ephebophilia is for sexual interest in later adolescents, typically ages 15-18. It’s a legal thing that the names and details of the victims were not made public. 

After this news broke out, the public reaction was apparent, people stormed out on social media, some wrote about what has to be done citing POCSO ACT, some wrote about the evils prevailing in our society, some were more concerned about, ‘why Naga celebrities were not vocal about it?’, some intellectuals wrote about the power dynamics associated with such crimes, some wrongly blamed the church he was working in and some illogical people questioned in general, the morality of people who serves in the church ministry.  

Anyway, what matters is not the reaction but the response. The response results in the execution of the culprit, based on concrete evidence, by the jury, judge and executioner. The last news I have of this incident was from one of the Nagamese YouTube news channels, which stated that the concerned individual is absconding. He is not Osama Bin Laden, hence, I do not know, how rigorous the manhunt will be. But, I hope, sooner or later, he will be brought to Nagaland and he will be tried for the offences he has committed. The sensation which this news once created in our small state seems to have cooled off after news of various financial scams were brought to light. Indeed, we live in a fast paced world. 

Love and the Mismatch

A bird and a fish fell in love. The fish could try to express its love with its majestic swim moves; the bird could chirp the sweetest of melody for the fish. But at night, the bird returned to its nest on the tall tree and the fish returned to its secured coral. They love each other, no doubt about it, but where would they live? No matter how great their magnitude of love was for each other, they could never built a home together.

Sometimes, in our lives we meet people; we fell for them, the feeling can be mutual. However, it becomes impossible for some to build a home together. There could be various reasons for such impossibility but the greatest of all, we are a big mismatch. No matter how many sacrifices we might make and be ready to fight the world but if we are not meant to build a home together then we can’t. Accepting when a relationship just can’t work, a fish and a bird can stay as friends, we can stay as friends.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE GARDEN CANTEEN

Often we see pictures of restaurants, cafeterias, bakeries or even college/school canteens uploaded by youngsters, social media influencers or customers who had a great time out there. But what about the hospital canteens? Of course, hospital is not a pleasant place, it's an honest place.  

Let me share about one of the hospital canteens in Dimapur, which left a lasting impression on me. Nested away on the ground floor of CIHSR (Referral Hospital), The Garden canteen was a haven of tranquility amidst the bustling chaos of the medical facility. Unlike the brewing tensions in the wards, cabins and ICU, the canteen offered a serene ambiance. The menu at The Garden canteen catered to a variety of tastes, from hearty home-made kind of comfort food to light and healthy meals. If not the patients then at least their attendants could enjoy meals which aligned with their Naga taste buds.  The canteen's staff was known for their friendly and attentive service. They were always happy to accommodate the customers' needs and demands. The Garden canteen also offered a selection of beverages, cookies, basic toiletries and stationery etc.  

Beyond its delicious food and welcoming atmosphere, The Garden served as a place for patients and their attendants to connect and relax over a plate of meal. It was a space where they could take a break from the stress of illness and enjoy a meal together. For many including me, the canteen became a cherished memory of my/ their time at the hospital.