The Fictional Therapist

Of late, if you are following the YouTube news channels then you must be well aware how the once acclaimed therapist from Nagaland fell from the glory, basically through the receipts.

The matter is still under investigation and the judgement is yet to be pronounced. But, the purpose of this post is not to give the therapist, his 'Catch Me If You Can' moment. This post is to reflect on the gullibility of we, Nagas and why we fall prey even if we are, well, not that dumb. 

There can be several factors but to me there are 3 possible reasons why our people fall for such questionable therapist/ health practitioners:

Lack of Health Literacy/Ignorance: Because a lack of understanding about medical science, disease processes, and what constitutes valid medical qualifications can make individuals susceptible to the misleading claims of quacks. They may not be able to differentiate between evidence-based medicine and pseudoscience

Hope and Belief:  Because the human desire for hope is powerful. Quacks often exploit this by making exaggerated claims of miraculous healing and providing a narrative that appeals to belief systems, sometimes even incorporating religious or spiritual elements. The placebo effect also plays a significant role, where a patient's belief in a treatment, even an inert one, can lead to perceived improvement in symptoms.

Aggressive Marketing: Because quacks often engage in aggressive and misleading advertising, making grand claims that prey on vulnerable groups, such as those with chronic illnesses, weight concerns, or mental health issues.

 I know for us one take away from this incident will be, don't trust anyone blindly, specially when it's a matter of our health and overall well-being. Let me end by quoting the famous lines, "Savdhan rahe satark rahe! "

Why I Chose Blogging Over Vlogging

Way back in 2014, one of my friends suggested me to open a YouTube channel. She thought my contents would be engaging and garner a huge audience. But, the thing was, I simply felt/ feel more comfortable expressing themselves in written form rather than speaking on camera. Moreover, I genuinely enjoy the process of writing, crafting sentences, and expressing complex ideas through text.

Blogging provides a pure outlet for this passion. I had to consider my budget too. Vlogging requires a good camera, microphone, and lighting for quality videos/clips. Uploading a blog post requires a smart phone or a computer and internet access.  Blogging has a very low upfront cost. While personality can through in writing, blogging often places a greater emphasis on the quality and depth of the information itself, rather than the on-screen persona of the creator.

At the end of the day, it is all about your preference and your choice to choose the mode in which you want to connect to the world. I chose blogging and will continue to do so. 

 

The Feathered Headgear: Leadership as an Institution

We have been conditioned to think of politicians when the term, ‘leader’ pops up in a speech or a text. However, in its simplest form, it means, ‘someone who leads’. It can be a Union leader, a Religious leader, Military commander or an Institutional head. Throughout the history and some of the fictional literatures inspired by history, leaders have been divided in two categories, a benevolent leader and a despotic leader. The former receives appreciation but the latter receives condemnation, even after they have passed away. But even a despotic leader has his cult of followers. As a teen, growing up with cable television network installed at home, I had the opportunity to watch Spiderman, there was a line, it goes like this, ‘…with great power comes great responsibility.” Time and again, history has proven the mark of true leadership is having a clear vision. This means, a leader should be a visionary. The one who can calculate the moves and the outcome from the means implied even before the battle has began. 

I grew listening to the stories of valour and honour displayed by the men of our land in defending one’s life, property and liberty. It was not about an individual showcasing such feats but as a team as a collective effort least the sacrifice made by one gets subdued in course of time. Thus, it shaped my understanding of leadership, for me, leadership does not mean a person who leads and make his followers win battles under his command, although this adds credit to the ability of the person in charge. A person who acts as the collective conscience of the people has been appreciated as a good leader but such acts require enormous amount of sacrifice. Sometimes, the bargaining chips are not worth the deal and sometimes the deal is better left unsettled and true leadership needs wisdom to choose the best possible option available considering all the consequences which might follow. 

In the context of Nagaland, if the youngsters were asked, who is/was their favourite leader from the state? Then, most of them will either pick up one of the politicians or a nationalist worker, past or present, dead or living. Although the fact remains, leadership does not confine itself only to the political sphere. Sometimes, fixating the role of leadership only to the people in power, leads to a narrower understanding of leadership, which in a way undermines the role of various people who were/are impeccable in their works. 

Leadership as an institution

In this section, I would like to argue about leadership as an institution and not an acquired skill or behaviour of a person. Institution is a set of rules, norms or laws that has been established over time and which draws its legitimacy from the people who obey and pay reverence to it. When we consider leadership as an institution, we are acknowledging the importance of the institution and negating from shifting the blame of failed governance from an individual to an institution. It makes sense, as by the end of the day, leadership is a collective effort springing from either a linear or a non linear power structure. 

Leadership as an institution recognises a systematic nature; it is not just about a charismatic individual, but a collective capacity and set of practices that are deeply integrated into the fabric of an organization. Institutional leadership is fundamentally about establishing, protecting, and promoting the core values, character, and mission of the institution. It defines, ‘who we are’ and ‘what we stand for’. 

How Leadership Becomes an Institution 

Cultural reinforcement is one of the reasons, as culture evolves to reinforce and sustain the desired leadership behaviours and norms. Also the role of visionary leaders cannot be ignored, for they articulate a clear purpose and set the foundation and actively create and infuse core values into the organization’s structure. Thus, “leadership as an institution” signifies that leadership is not just an individual attribute but a fundamental and enduring aspect of an organization’s design, culture, and operation, ensuring its sustained effectiveness and purpose. 

Through storytelling and shared experiences, a collective narrative and identity are developed, reinforcing the institution’s purpose and values. Additionally, behaviours and practices shape the expected behaviours, norms, and practices within the organization, fostering a culture that supports effective leadership at all levels. The institution becomes a social learning system where the knowledge, wisdom, and leadership approaches are passed down and evolved.

Sunep the Rock Hunter

My uncle, bless his heart, is probably the last person you'd expect to see on YouTube. He lives a simple life in our village, Mopungchuket, deeply connected to the forest that surrounds us. For years, his days have been filled with the rhythms of nature – foraging, observing wildlife, and just quietly existing amidst the trees. But recently, something shifted. He started filming his forest expeditions.

Now, my uncle isn't a tech whiz. He uses an old phone, and his editing skills are, shall we say, non-existent. But the real charm, the absolute magic of his videos, comes from his commentary. My uncle speaks what some might call "broken English" with a strong Ao Naga accent. It's a beautiful, earnest mix of mother tongue influence and English words strung together in ways that defy traditional grammar.

And honestly? It's captivating.

He says, 'Bright!' for Bread. His descriptions are raw, immediate, and utterly without pretense. There are no fancy camera angles, no polished scripts, just the genuine wonder of a man deeply connected to his environment, trying his best to share it with the world.

My uncle isn't trying to be a viral sensation. He's not chasing fame or fortune. He's just sharing his love for the forest, one heartfelt, grammatically unconventional video at a time. And in doing so, he's reminded me, and countless others, that true connection transcends language barriers. It's about passion, sincerity, and the willingness to simply be yourself, "broken English" with an Ao Naga accent and all.

Below is the link to his YouTube Channel. Kindly check it out: https://youtu.be/16HhvcfQ4kc?si=VGVmsJB-cd-e7VKe

Building a Culture of Road Safety in Nagaland

*Wrote this long article, like too long, during my college days, but got lost in some pages of my note book. Didn't want it to go wasted, hence, added some relevant data and uploaded it on my blog. Here we go... 

Introduction

Roads are of immense importance to us. They can help us to reach our required destination and also the cost of loading and unloading goods transported from roadways are cheaper compared to railways, waterways and airways. In fact, road transport gives a connection between all the other means of transport. It determines the progress of the state’s agriculture, mining, industry and commerce. When a state is a plagued by bad roads, it calls for attention as good roads are a sign of development. However, what goes alongside good roads or roads in general is the safety attached to it. Indeed, ‘road safety’ has been an issue which is often ignored by many until one faces the consequence of not adhering to it. 

Therefore, to begin with, let us define, what is ‘road safety’? Road safety is the prevention of road accidents by obeying the road safety rules and regulations. The most significant factor of road safety is the need for skilful and careful driving in order for the drivers, passengers, and pedestrians (a person walking rather than travelling in a vehicle) stay safe. Thus, road safety refers to the safety of people while using the roads. To ensure road safety there are certain set of regulations and guidelines to follow when using the streets and it becomes a prerequisite for all road users to follow them in order to ensure a safe and secured journey. These rules of ‘Road Safety’ have been formulated by the governments of the respective countries to protect everyone who travels on the roads. Some of the instruments through which road safety is ensured are sign boards, traffic signals, dividers on the pedestrian paths and security cameras. 

Why is there a need for ‘Road Safety’ Measures?

World Health Organisation reports, road traffic injuries as one of the leading causes of death for children and young adults aged 5-29. In a worldwide scale, road traffic accidents result in the deaths of approximately 1.19 million people each year and also leave between 20 and 5- million people with non-fatal injuries. More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Apart from the human suffering caused by road traffic injuries, they also lead to heavy economic burden on victims and their families, both through medical treatment costs for the injured and through loss of productivity of those killed or disabled resulting in financial void. The broader picture is, road traffic injuries have a grave impact on national economies, costing countries 3% of their annual Gross Domestic Product. It is to be noted, measures proven to reduce the risk of road traffic injuries and deaths are being constantly addressed and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has set an ambitious target of reducing traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030. 

In India, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, there are around 1.5 lakhs deaths on India’s roads every year, of which 1/3 are accounted for by National Highways. Interestingly, though India accounts for about 1% of motor vehicles globally, it records more than 11 % of road traffic deaths. In fact, India accounts for almost 10% of all crash related deaths while accounting for only 1% of the world’s vehicles. This is a pertaining issue which the State has been trying to deal with through various rules and regulations. 

Apart from the loss of lives, road accidents have various other impacts. It leads to loss of productivity of the victims depending on the severity of the physical harm caused due to the accident; it affects the quality of life too, meeting the cost of the legal system and burdening the health sector. From a gender angle, road accidents is a burden on women, it seems about 40% of women reported a change in their working patterns post-accidents, most women in our country depend on their spouses’ earnings, if the spouse becomes a victim of road accident then ultimately the responsibility to look after their livelihood falls on the wife, hence, women are met with more responsibilities and burden. As per the United Nations Report, reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries could result in substantial long-term income gains as fair movements of goods and better logistics will be possible. It has been reported that India loses 3% of its GDP due to road accidents, which shows the impact of such on the economy of the country. 

Various laws and initiatives have been put forward both globally and in India to tackle the issue of road safety. Under global initiatives, India is a signatory to Convention on International Road Traffic of 1949, Geneva Convention, the Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety (2015) which was adopted at the second global high-level conference on road safety held in Brazil, India too is a signatory to this. Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 proclaimed in UN Resolution sets an ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. International Road Assessment programme (iRAP) which is a registered charity which works in partnership with government and non-government organisation is dedicated to saving lives through safer roads. With regard to road safety measures India, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 was brought in to improve road safety in India by amending Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The (Amendment) Act also introduced heavy fines for various offences relating with road safety issues. Even the 3-Year Action Agenda of NITI Aayog emphasizes standardizing the reporting of accidents and action map following after. 

Some of the major causes which are often highlighted for road accidents are as follows, 

Over speeding and rash driving: it is estimated, approximately fifty thousand accidents in India is a result of over speeding. 

Road designs: developing better roads is important for road safety but at the same time, faulty road designs which include absence of warning/caution signs, large pothole and unauthorised speed breakers cause road accidents. 

Encroachment of road: Unregulated road congestion due to street hawkers interrupts the normal movements of vehicles. 

Driving license regulations: negligence in the procedures and acquiring the driving license.

Motorization and Urbanisation: are also recorded as one of the main causes for road crash fatalities.

Inefficient public transport: public transport system are often regulated for safety issues but due to the lack of proper public transport services, people ends up opting for private vehicles.

Apart from all the cited causes, some cars are designed with speed in mind, and statistics show that faster vehicles are more prone to accident than the slower one and the severity of accident also tend to be more in case of faster vehicles, higher the speed, greater the risk. Therefore, careful driving is very essential. Additionally, vehicle design and road infrastructure need to be as per the safety standards. Besides these, proper training and capacity building in achieving road safety is the need of the hour.

Addressing Road Safety in Nagaland 

When it comes to road related accidents in Nagaland, one of the dark incidents is the fatality of a college student who was run down by a car; it was a case of rash driving. Many condemned the incident but unfortunately, even after that incident, the cases of rash driving did not stop in the state rather it seems to be erupting. To say the least, it is alarming. 

One of the local newspapers reports, the number of casualties in road accidents has increased in Nagaland. The data which the newspaper had acquired through the First Report on Nagaland Disaster Statistics 2023 published by Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Nagaland reports a total of 201 persons were killed and 1420 injured in 2249 road accident from 2018 to 2022 in Nagaland. In 2018-19, there were 435 road accidents in Nagaland which increased to 894 in 2021-22. The report further revealed the severity of road accident is measured by calculating the number of persons killed per 100 accidents, which was found to be 6.8% for the year 2021-22. Referencing from the Director General of Police, Nagaland office, the report stated, “44 persons were killed and 348 injured in 435 road accidents during 2018-19 in Nagaland. A total of 47 persons were killed and 275 injured in 382 road accidents during 2019-20. During 2020-21, 49 persons were killed and 356 injured in 538 road accidents. During 2021-22, 61 persons were killed and 441 injured in 894 road accidents... These statistics underscore the urgency of implementing effective road safety measures and promoting responsible driving habits to curb the escalating toll of road accidents and protect lives on the roads.” (Source: The Morung Express).  It was further reported the reasons for increase in fatal road accidents in Nagaland are attributed to high speeds, rash driving and drunken driving. 

It has often been cited, the major causes of road accidents in the state are, over speeding and undisciplined driving. Nevertheless, to bring about road safety measures and control the road related accidents, the state along with the concerned department have been unceasingly working on checking the vehicle speed on roads in Nagaland as it is one of the ways to ensure road safety. Steps are being taken on focusing on various risk factors like drunken driving, non-use of helmets in two wheelers and wearing seatbelts while driving. Accident prone areas are also marked and maintenance of proper surveillance is administered. It is also taking measures to check illegal encroachment of lands for the smooth running of the traffic. Besides, some of ways through which road safety can be addressed in Nagaland are through education and awareness about road safety measures, strict regulation and enforcement of law and also the use of latest technology like Radio Frequency speed detection. 

Nonetheless, promoting road safety is a collective approach and the state or the concerned department cannot solely execute all the measures. When it comes to road safety, we should consider it as a ‘common good’ rather than ‘zero sum game’. The people of the state should also adhere to the safety rules in ensuring a productive outcome in preventing road related accidents. At the end of the day, it is a shared responsibility and one should not consider it as a duty of someone to look into road safety measures while ignoring or being indifferent to one’s own responsibility. 

Conclusion

At present, road safety is one of the greatest public health concerns across the globe. It is a huge challenge which countries have to deal with as many people lose their lives a result of accidents on the road. As cited in the preceding paragraphs, there are numerous reasons responsible for road accidents which stand as a challenge in the way of road safety measures. Though road safety is an important contributing factor in a nation’s growth but the measures adopted for its promotion has often been neglected by the people. Hence, making the issue affect all kinds of road users whether it is vehicle drivers or motorcyclists or the pedestrians and also the illegal roadside vendors and people who encroach the road. Driving by road is one of the standard ways of transportation in today’s world but ensuring everyone is safe on the road and keeping people’s lives safe from road accident is more important. Not adhering to road safety measures result in someone injuring oneself in a road accident. Therefore, it is becomes imperative to follow road safety rules and drive safely.