Naga Students Studying in WhatsApp University

                               Image Source: Internet


                   WhatsApp University
          Motto: Everything Minus Facts.

  

Often a formal institute of learning demands certain age limit but this University is inclusive. Naga students studying here has acquired certain skills which would be helpful for them as well as for the society. Some  Naga alumni of this University are now famous but humble enough to request the writer not to mentioned their names. Anyway, the current profiles of the students are listed below.

1.Screen Shooter: Whether it is some confidential texts or heartwarming statuses, this shooter wants to shoot either for his already overloaded gallery or for mass circulation or for blackmailing in future. Warzone hero!

2.Exponent of Parallel Government: Turning WhatsApp into one's Instagram account should be a big No. Has Mark Zuckerberg bought both the services? Yes! Okay. Spamming is a virtual harassment, did you know that? Mute option is the saviour though.

3. The Nihilist: 'No Dp, No Status', Turn off the notification but secretly prey on everyone. This shadow user is undergoing a  major break-up phase or having a minor to serious break down in life but still WhatsApp is helpful. Hence, they exist not to exist.

4.Down with Deactivate to Activate Syndrome: This WhatsApp student is undergoing a disorder not a big one though, it is just a 'choice disorder'. One day or say, one week or one month later her deactivated account will be activated but she will deactivate again depending on her mood, circumstances and season. Crisis not Christ is.

6.Additional Expert: These experts are generally the Group admins who adds us in whatever groups they are in without asking for our permission. After adding us, they will only text us in the group chat but never in our individual account. We learn a lot about privacy from this WhatsApp University student. Consent please.

7.Best Forwarder: Not on football ground though. This WhatsApp student might be poor in solving a mathematical equation but when it comes to sharing a text, link, screenshot, snapshot etc, it takes no time for her to do what has to be done but of course without checking whether it is a fake stuffs which doesn't deserve to go viral. Nil in data mining no!

8.The Aggressive Downloader: Only wealthy individuals can collect relics but this 21st Century Torrent loving student is up for something different. He downloads statuses especially videos of his interest, which are often lame just to give it a refugee status. And like any other refugee, he respects them a lot. Not a bad policy though.

N.B. They are not on fee hike strike. Smart!

ESSAY-Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), JNU

* Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), Jawaharlal Nehru University, had started functioning from its present office space since October 2001. This essay won the first prize in M.Phil/Ph.D level Essay Competition conducted by the GSCASH, JNU in 2009*

In India, the layman’s understanding of sexual harassment is, ‘eve teasing, unwelcome sexual gesture or behaviour whether directly or indirectly as sexually colored remarks; physical contact and advances; showing pornography; a demand or request for sexual favors; any other unwelcome physical, verbal/ non-verbal conduct being sexual in nature. The critical factor is the unwelcomeness of the behaviour, thereby making the impact of such actions on the recipient more relevant rather than intent of the perpetrator’.  The definition of sexual harassment can be broader than what we have known. The degree of punishment to accuse varies from country to country. In India, the ‘Vishakha guidelines’ gave an awareness to check sexual harassment in working places. However, the problem of sexual harassment is yet to be plucked out, infact over the years its impact has so much increase that several institutions are coming up with various measures to combat it.

The awareness so far

                         The sole aim of colleges and universities is to bring about a harmonious development between an individual’s intellect and personality. Campuses, whether residential or non residential are meant for providing learning, working and homely environments. All members of academic communities pursue their studies and research work in a liberal way best suited for them. However, the malady of ‘sexual harassment’, in someway has acted like a stumbling block in erecting the pillar of progress.

For sometime the problem of sexual harassment was treated as confidential. However, with the growth of awareness of this issue, the victims came forward with a bold stand against it; this step taken by the victims acted like bacon of light for the other victims who had shelled themselves in the darkness of despair.  By 1980s, onwards the problems of sexual harassment in campuses gained its cheap popularity, so the universities armed up with effective measures and attention were focused on this problem.

Forms of sexual harassment in campuses can be take place in the following way. Unwelcome sexual advances, sexist remark, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, unwanted jokes, sending vulgar emails or text messages. An intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment is created when individual's employment is made on the basis of submission to or rejection of such conduct, and when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance.

Irrespective of gender, both male and female in the academic community can be victims of unwanted sexual behavior; however it was to be noticed that the majority of complainants were from female students, faculty, and staff. Through the complaints, it was brought to notice that whether they where in undergraduate or research programme female students were harassed either by their supervisor, classmates or other male students. Academics are seen as male dominated arena so women are overwhelmingly the targets of sexual harassment; this is believed to be one of the reasons for such indecent behaviour from man. The cause of such activity some believe arises because of power structures and cultural biases within the academy

Role of the student’s community in gender sensitizing and combating sexual harassments in campuses

The power of the student’s unity is not to be underestimated.  For decades changes were brought in our society through their active participation, their strength is undeniable. Through proper awareness the student’s community can voluntarily organize themselves to pluck the evil seed of ‘sexual harassment in the campuses’.

A student as an individual must set an example in eliminating gender inequities among all segments of the academic community and respect each others choice and preferences. The students’ community in whole should promote mutual cooperation, equity, and care among students of different class, caste, race, sex and religion.

The mind set that breeds the superiority complex over the other, looking down towards a particular gender as inferior, creates problem in controlling sexual harassment in campuses. Women are generally looked upon as a prey to satisfy the sexual appetite; some of the maniacs cannot take no for an answer, they keep on pestering and pursuing until they achieve their desired goal. Here, what the student’s community can do is of crucial importance. If only they can pick out the anti-social agent, if only they can hand him over to the respective legal authority, or put him for therapy; then the problem will cease like butter in a hot surface, however it is easy said than done.

Student’s community can highlight the issues through the public talks, distribution of pamphlets, posters, write ups in college magazines. Student’s community can bring up policies, procedures, extensive training programs, and materials that seek to identify and prevent sexual harassment and promoted conferences and seminars addressing the problem. They can stage the issues of sexual harassment, and for effective participation they can organize literary competitions under this theme. 

Students who are sexually harassed are often so confused, worried, or angry that they do not know what to do. Therefore a professional counselor should be employed in the campus; the student’s community should support the victim in best possible way whether in giving legal help or emotional courage.

Prevention is better than cure; therefore the student’s community should come up with a solid proposal and draft rules and regulations to punish the offender. Sexual harassment cells should come up in the campus where the victims can place their complaints; so, that such anti-social acts will be controlled to some extent.  

Some universities in India like Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University had been strong in avenging sexual harassment, and they have been successful in grabbing the problem. The credited however is equally shared between the students and the faculty members who vigorously voiced out when support was needed.

A joint endeavour

                         Much is done but much has to be done. In spreading awareness of the sexual harassment in the campuses people often expect a lot from the students’ community however it is a combined endeavor. The society at large should come forward in combating the problem of sexual harassment for a better tomorrow.

CORRUPTION in NAGALAND: A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

           Why the engagement happened?

With the Naga Peace process more or last settled, the issue which needs our attention is 'corruption' in the state.  Indeed, corruption is the most evergreen topic in this state of ours. 

We all have been benefitted through corruption more or less, directly or indirectly.

THE REAL DEFINITION OF CORRUPTION

The real definition of corruption has always been vague to the people in Nagaland. The lessons and lectures on 'corruption' has never reached the Naga masses, to be precise. The concept and the approach towards it has always been in the form of a patch work. The words like favour, corruption, blessing, barter system, nepotism etc needs to be redefined. Corruption as a subject of concern pops up only during literary competitions, election manifesto or say NPSC aspirants working on their essay paper. Churches too have delivered sermons but the combined effort of Sociology and Public Administration holds its own relevance in a secular world. However, the above cited courses are not read by everyone.

Defining corruption in Naga lingo. Misnomer alert!

 (a) Wealth Accumulation- Accumulation of wealth through unethical means has often become the subject of gossip. In Nagaland, rag to riches is a wonderful success story. Acquiring wealth through one's talent, not artistic, the talent to hoard public resources. Socialism cannot always eradicate uneven wealth  distribution. 

 (b) Misuse of Office- Money is not the only indicator of corruption, misuse of one's office is also  one of the tenets of corruption. In the literal sense, misuse of one's office might mean turning the office into a spa corner or alcoholic stall. Anyway, conventionally it means, using one's position to achieve an outcome which could  not have been achieved without using the power of that 'seat'.  When was the last time we heard about it?

THE FIGHT BETWEEN NEED AND GREED  

Less is more, says the fashion trend but when more is less becomes the system's fuel, the birth of corruption seems to be inevitable. It is not surprising, the rich people who became rich from corruption tend to become even richer. They have the right contacts and the right ways to add digits to their bank balance. The irony is, 'wrong' should be the prefix.

For some, even too much is never enough. Indeed, the world is enough for man's need not for man's greed. To know the difference between need and greed is the job of an idealist, that's what it looks like. If someone wants to be rich, we see no wrong in that. However, the means adopted to become rich? Often comes under scanner only if some one is a top brass bureaucrat or else low level players are ignored. A virus is a virus irrespective of size. 

PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS

If corruption is a crime then the person  who engages in it is a criminal and like every criminal there is a story behind the crime. Maybe that Naga government official must have had a deprived childhood, wanting lots of toys but end up with nothing, not even the used ones.

Maybe that person is blessed with a spendthrift spouse and rotten kids, maybe his/her standard of living is way beyond her/his earning and ultra extra under the table money is the most ancient and effective ways of meeting the budget? It does not mean only people who comes from economically modest background engages is corruption, refer to theme two.

Assumptions, maybe as a teen, he/she was looked down by his/her peer group and as a revenge, he/she was to be powerful and rich to show, who is the boss! However, anything in this world can be justified but all justifications are not worth justifying. 

CHRISTIAN WITHOUT ETHICAL VALUES

Ethics is a value system which helps one to live as a rational human being in a society and as a contributor of virtues, which distinguishes one from a beast.  Christianity  do have it's own set of values which contributes to the ethical code like, refraining from lying, stealing, cheating, bearing false witness, greed, killing, sexual immorality etc. We might not be in a position to make good judgment of our deeds but as a Christian we know, redemption is through confession of our sins which reflects self-correction. One might not be so bold to publicly come up with editorials confessing one's deed, however, keeping a check by being aware of one's past actions is not a bad start.

Conclusion

This post will be just another post on 'corruption'. It might catch the eyes of some local newspaper, but like any other piece, it will be forgotten in time without making significant impact, because, as we have read in the preface of this post, everyone has been benefitted from the corruption in this state, directly or indirectly.

The discussions made in this post is just a personal view. It is not sponsored by a particular individual or group, basically, it is not an advertisement. It is an attempt to question not only what we already know but also how far have we known it.

-The End-

Feasting of an Unsound Mind

The ponder...

I am seriously curious to know how this planet will look like in 3019AD. Would there be a traffic jam in the sky? The denizens of this planet might live in floating houses, there might be electronic pets and might be no rainbows in the sky, but will the people have the time to allow themselves to engage in small leisure like reading under a tree, which I enjoyed in 2019? Will there be poets to write the eulogy for the soul departed? Will there be painters to appreciate the nature’s hues? Will there be musicians to bring melody when lives get stuck? Will there be sportspersons, movie stars, and beggars walking on the street? I am just curious. 

We might call technology today, but, in 3017 will it be known by another name, maybe something synonymous to ‘life, survival, and existence.’ I wonder what kind of emotions the inhabitants will feel. Will gratitude still exist? Will they make passionate love? Will jealousy be completely wiped out? Will words like ‘lullaby’ and ‘serenade’ make sense? Will there be love  and will the love have compassion and will the compassion have beauty and will the beauty have magic? It is a matter of thousand years, and thousand years is just a mathematical spin with no answer.

The happy union of Space and Time

May be the Romeo and Juliet of 3017 will be Space and Time. The people might discuss of how pathetic lovers they are, possessive to the core, cannot even survive without each other, ignorant of who dominates over whom.  But, the world does not know that it is a love triangle, some guess the third lover is the Speed, some guess the third lover is the Distance, only those who knows about the depth of this union knows it is neither the two because they are the children of space and time and incest is a crime. Bets were on Energy? But, Energy is the servant of all; it works on the mercy of the lovers and their children. So who is the third lover? How are we supposed to know! For the day people come to know about it, it will be the day when time machines will literally work, like it did/does in movies. And some adventurous person will ride back to 2019 AD from the century where he/ she belong to have a chat with me.

Then comes the ultimate Curtain Raiser,

An artist world is big within her, but in reality consists of her and her imagination,

Some live with an image of glittering glory, some with broken dreams and bad memories,

She have lived a quarter of her life in quest of appreciation and recognition, both far to reach,

Wishing on a shooting star, night after night, only to learn it has fallen in the pond of the fools.

Wanting so badly to be out from the zig-zag road,

Like an artist, she tried to earn a living with the talent she thought she had,

Not a muddy shoe or a discounted dress could be bought, yet the debt clapped the sky,

And the sad song of lamentation went for long.

Some say there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it was long,

Waited and waited still,

With hopes, inferior words and unskilled hands,

But the story of her life must go on, the curtain raises and the game begins.

TEACH THESE MATURE FINGERS

My very first recital:
 Played a piece from my Grade One book.

Learning does not have a period.

Life is all about Learning and Growing.

Nagaland is the first state in India to have introduced music as an industry. But in the process, it has produced some trashy music too. No offence!

My zeal to learn piano and the number of hurdles, which I faced is relative, if measured. Learning to play piano in one's early 30s is not so easy. Matured fingers, not little fingers anymore. However, I decided to give it a try again for the fourth time. Yes, 4th time! First, when I was in 5th standard, then, when I passed my +2 standard, then, when I was in my first year of PhD, and now. 

Why I am desperate not to give up? Learning has no age limit, I don't desire to be a concert pianist, I am a nervous freak or a YouTube singer, I am not blessed with good vocals.

Motivation? I am the third generation of literate Christians of our family who might end up not knowing even basics of piano. At least, I want to make my mom happy by playing the hymnals with simple notes.

One of the Days: Returning from my Piano class

Not a big deal even if one doesn't know how to play piano because music has no scope in Nagaland? Say it to the Naga parents in Nagaland. It looks like every household has a child undergoing engineering studies these days. Time to observe the National Engineer's Day. In days to come, the number of unemployed science graduates might supersede the unemployed musicians. 

Am I happy with the progress? My piano teacher who is like 7 years younger than me says, I am a fast learner. I am in Grade 2 now. Initial went smooth, Grade 1 has its own challenges to be met and yes, Grade 2 too demands immense hard work. I am confident that I can do it.

Before I took up the piano classes, some of my close ones were like- As a working professional, how are you going to manage your time? Are you suffering from mid-life crisis? Your finger dexterity will be a big  challenge, etc. But I went on. 

I am determined to get my Grade 8 certificate within 3-4 years. I can, I will, end of the story.

Now, wish me luck.

Thank you!

IF YOU: Songs of Love

IF YOU

If you were my classmate,

my eyes could have searched for you after every boring lecture,

in the library, in the cafeteria, in the playground.

People would have said, there goes the arrogant girl,

but my eyes would have smiled at you, always.

If you were my neighbour,

I would have been the first one to wish you on Christmas,

would have played your favourite song on full volume.

People would have said, the crazy girl does it again,

but my heart would have stayed the warmest even in cold January nights.

If you were my colleague,

I would have fixed my table next to you,

would have bought coffee every morning even if I were tight on budget.

People would have said, she is being unprofessional,

but my mind would be clearer when you are nearer.

If you are mine,

I will be the hero of this town,

will thank God every day for the rest of my life.

People will say?!

It doesn't matter what they say,

for in your eyes, I find my soul.

Ayangti Longkumer: Summary of 'To The Leader '

Dear Readers,

Due to the high demand for the summary of, To The Leader. Thanks to the SCERT, Nagaland. I, as the 'concerned' poet has decided to present to you the much awaited summary. Please have a look and if you like my work then kindly subscribe to my blog, it keeps me going. Thank you!

Summary

To The Leader, is one of the poems from the Magic Quill, an anthology of hundred poems written by Ayangti Longkumer in 2014. To The Leader, was written in the backdrop of the political scenario when the morals and the administrative abilities of the leaders were questioned by the people, although it was not spoken out loud.

This poem is not a moral preaching opined by the author, rather it represents the inner consciousness of the common people. It is more like a request made to the leader who has been elected but is yet to occupy his/her office. Hence, it is a preface of the duties expected from the leader.  No doubt they expect the leader to lead them but at the same time, they want their leader to be teachable, someone who will have the positive disposition against all odds. However, the common people expect the leader to understand their needs and aspirations not in a Messiahic fashion as they too are aware of the limitations.

This poem is also like an instruction to the leader who warmly reciprocates the advice given by the people. A humble, wise, patient and understanding leader who does not have an inflated ego is considered best for governing the people. Thus, they expect their leader to inculcate these virtues. Braveness and integrity is the sword and shield with which the people want their leader to be armoured with because the leader is the collective image of the people. And as long as she/he is standing tall nothing can befall upon them.

The Lyrics for Present Nagaland

the lyrics for Nagaland at the moment, 

corrupted is the state, high unemployment rate,so hard to fade.

then there are lives of people who dare to err. 

the lonely girl who listens to 100 sad songs, using cheap headphones, no affection, just ear infection.

the closet gay who has the largest crush on that hot youth pastor the lover of his sister.

 the cheap hipster trying to stay relevant but no texts, spinning around its own axis.

parents hate you, siblings mistreat you, everyone is dead, you read. 

a widow in 2 months, an ex-lover tomorrow, losing two jobs in a row. 

the carriage of your womb might have led to miscarriage, you might never have tiny ones to share your last name and blame. 

might be a loser in all the fields, and it feels like nothing left to be filled. 

might be depressed nothing left to impress.

life might be one tiny illusion with no solution.

but the Book says, God lives in you, the strength lies you.

happy days are gone, but good-byes are pre-hellos.

x

these days

these days, 

i don't write like I should.

my urgency to smoke is hitting me back.

 only my true friends keep in touch.

i am loving the story of Job even more.

these days,

corruption in Nagaland is becoming mighty apparent.

when you are too good for a partner or a job, they leave you.

 a cry for help is mocked as ' a cry for attention'. 

everything can be bought, we just have to know the price.

these days, 

it is easy to misunderstand than to understand.

 we use people and treasure condom.

 cheap publicity is the substitute for talent.

 it is easy to correct than to solve. 

these days,

we forget and forgive as per our gain.

we are becoming jealous perverts. 

we love obscenity and condemn the pure art.

it's all about I, me, myself.