Serenity, tranquility, quietude and innocence lace the village life of Liangmai. With the nameless-endless vast green fields, flowing rivers, chirping birds, with the swaying emerald trees, whispering the tale of love and languishment to the clear blue sky, Liangmai villages bewitch, mesmerise and captivates. Natural beauty, hospitable inhabitants, pleasant climate and its rich culture are some of the primary features of Liangmai village life. The villages comprise several clans who have their own tradition, customs and cultural activities.
Food has always been a major part of village life. The cuisine of Liangmai villages is quite different from that of other parts in India and there is a similarity in food culture of other tribes of Naga. The staple food of the Liangmai is rice. It is generally taken with meat or vegetables. The Liangmai is very fond of chillies. Meat could be beef, pork, and chicken. Liangmai also eat mithun, dogs, cats, fish, spiders, birds, and crabs. Even the elephant is eaten and is considered a delicacy. No part of the animal is wasted. Even the skin, bone and intestines are eaten. The skin is spared only if needed for making a shield, decoration and drum. Sometimes the meat is smoke dried and preserved for a long time especially the legs and big bones. Meat and vegetables are usually cooked together. The fat would be stored up and keep little in the curry to increase its taste. Most of the restrictions relate to women, especially animals, which belong to cat family. A woman whose baby is less than 10 months should eat brown deer, wild pig, and ochre deer. They believed that these animals cause skin diseases, stomach pain, and chest pain respectively. Children and women were not allowed to eat owl, and eagle too.
Rice beer is the main drink. It is generally of two kinds, kachijou and jouchang and may be taken at any time. It is nutritive in content and if hygienically prepared is a desirable drink. It is taken by all, including the very young. Based on culture, Liangmai traditional drinks can be categorized as general drinks, festival drinks, harvest drinks, and feast drinks.
The costumes worn by people in the villages of Liangmai are one of the most attractive and distinctive ones. Most of the attractive costumes are part of the rich culture. The traditional dress of women in Liangmai villages is basically a length of cloth that is worn around the waist and worn with a top or shirt. Liangmai women are excellent weavers and the colorful shawls, bags, and shirts woven by them are extremely popular. Each cloth signifies different meaning.
The educational aspect of village life in northeast India is quite impressive. The villagers get educated in both their traditional education and they learn the modern education as well. There are several government primary schools that have been established in the villages to provide primary education. Apart from these, there are also many private organisations that work for providing basic education to the villagers.
Fairs and festivals are one of the major parts of village life. The villagers celebrate a variety of fairs and festivals throughout the year and the festivals are full of colour and lights. The people also perform various forms of folk music and dance during the festivals. The most popular tribal fairs and festivals celebrated in the villages of Liangmai include Chaga Gadi 30th October every year. The simplicity of the villagers is probably the most interesting feature of Liangmai village. The people live in unison and enjoy all kinds of festivals together.
No caste system. Habitually the Liangmai villagers manifest a deep loyalty to their villages. A rustic family who has their roots deeply seated in a particular village does not easily move to another. The uniqueness of the Liangmai village life lies in this deep loyalty which is again marked with a rich culture.
Liangmai Villagers share use of common village facilities--the village pond, grazing grounds, cemeteries, churches, schools, sitting spaces under large shade trees, wells, and wastelands. Perhaps equally important, fellow villagers share knowledge of their common origin in a locale and of each other's secrets, often going back generations. Christianity in village life provides a sense of unity among residents of a village. As such, many observers emphasize village unity. Typically, each village recognizes God as the village protector and creator of the world, and villagers unite in every Sunday to worship Him. They may cooperate in constructing Churches and Church offices. Christian festivals such as Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Father Day, Mother Day, Youth Day and New Year bring villagers together. The celebrations involve village wide singing, dancing, and joking.
Liangmai has basically an agricultural economy. Over 85% of the population is dependent on agriculture and it becomes the most importance aspect of village life. The villagers are expert in cultivating a variety of agricultural and horticultural crops. They cultivate the crops round the year. Laingmai villages are found both in Nagaland and Manipur. The villages in different states are famous for producing different types of crops. The main crops are rice, millet, maize and pulses. Cash crops like sugarcane and potato are also becoming popular. Coffee, cardamom and tea are grown as plantation crops in Liangmai areas. Oil seed is also an important crop. Coffee and tea are grown as plantation crops in Liangmai areas. Principal crops are yams, millet, maize, potatoes and sugarcane. Vegetable crops are melon, cucumbers, spinach leaf, mustard, onion, chillies, carrots, tomatoes, brinjal etc. To suit their economy, Liangmai practices two methods of cultivation--jhuming and terrace cultivation. In jhuming, the individual parcels out his field into a number of plots and cultivates a particular plot for one or two years. In the following year, he shifts to the next plot and that also is cultivated for the same period. In this way, after the rotation is completed, the first plot is taken up again. The jungle is felled and burnt and the crops are sown on the ground fertilized by ashes. The complete rotation of plots may take between six to ten years depending upon the acreage of the field. The longer this duration is, the more fertile the soil becomes and better the crops are. A large area of land is required for cultivation. Besides, the crops are dependent on rainfall. A more modern method is that of preparing terraced fields. The Liangmais are experts in this art. The complete hillside is cut, beautiful terraces whose width would depend up on the gradient of the feature, are made. The fields are irrigated by a net work of water channels. Normally the terraces are so graduated that water flows down conveniently from one terrace to the other below it, and so on. Bamboo pipes are used to regulate the flow of water. The excavating of the terraces requires a colossal effort, and one marvels at the amount of human energy expended in cutting them into shape, but these terraced fields, once prepared, are much easier to maintain than the jhum plots. They have also the advantage of being closer to the village site.
To conclude, Liangmai village life is innocent, very friendly with the naturally world. The food and traditional attires are still maintained to preserve our attractive and rich culture. Social institutions like schools and Churches play a major role in maintaining our culture such as unity, cooperation, love and care for one another. As such, Liangmai villages, celebrate its traditional and Christian festivals together full of joy. Therefore, village life of Liangmai is blessed with its purity, innocence and uncomplicated saga makes the villages as the quaint, archaic, mystic yet charming places to rediscover nature.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
LIANGMAI IN 21st CENTURY--OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Small family is a happy family. Liangmai is a small community living in three states--Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. As per the Asia Harvest survey, in 2001 our population is just only 22,800. We are living in the border of Manipur and Nagaland; again in the border of Assam and Manipur. Based on our location, we are a borderland people, which isolate us from the main stream of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. However, we have rich natural resources. In olden day, our forefathers considered mithun was their first wealth, and forest as the second most important one. Today, natural resources place on the top of every wealth; as it is non-renewable.
The most important opportunity for Liangmai in the 21st century is to preserve our rich natural resources. As the Lok Sabha, on 18th December 2006, passed the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005, seeking to recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest-dwellers. The Act grants four types of rights—title rights i.e. ownership to land that is being framed by tribals or forest dwellers; use rights i.e. to minor forest produce, to graze areas, to pastoralist routes, etc.; relief and development rights i.e. to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection; and forest management rights i.e. to protect forests and wildlife. The best way to preserve our natural resources is to declare ‘community reserved forest’, which will be funded by the government, but jointly managed by the government and local representatives. The advantage of having reserved forests is, it provides employment to local people and funds are sanctioned by the government each year. On top of that, in reserved forests, rights to activities like hunting and grazing are sometimes given to communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or products. Once we declared such forests, the government will link us through modern means of transportation and communication, which will be better than what we are doing today. If we choose this path of development, then the people of Liangmai will be better educated, healthier and prosperous than at any time in our long history.
The most prominent challenge for us at present is deforestation. There are different factors for different regions that lead to deforestation. In Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia, the chief cause of deforestation is due cattle ranching, over-heavy logging and slash-and-burn farming. The growing population and subsequent higher demand for agriculture, livestock production and fuel wood are the main causes of deforestation in Ethiopia. Urbanization and development is the main causes of deforestation in the United States. Unlike in United States and Ethiopia, the chief cause of deforestation our area is over-heavy logging. Today, we don’t have virgin forest. The temporary construction of roads, their equipments destroyed our flora and fauna; polluted the water and air; and increased soil erosion and landslide.
Deforestation is a substantial contributor to global warming. It increases soil erosion, flood and landslide. The water cycle is also affected by deforestation. As a result, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change argued that deforestation account for up to one-third of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. When these happen, we are sure to face famine, severe diseases, which will further slow down the educational, political, economic, cultural, religious and social progress of our community.
To conclude, now is the time to raise the issue. Let’s educate and encourage our community to preserve our natural resources. We are their future. The future development of our community depends on how much we preserve our natural resources today. Therefore, to take Liangmai in 21st century--opportunity and challenge, preservation of our natural resources is a must.
The most important opportunity for Liangmai in the 21st century is to preserve our rich natural resources. As the Lok Sabha, on 18th December 2006, passed the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005, seeking to recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest-dwellers. The Act grants four types of rights—title rights i.e. ownership to land that is being framed by tribals or forest dwellers; use rights i.e. to minor forest produce, to graze areas, to pastoralist routes, etc.; relief and development rights i.e. to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection; and forest management rights i.e. to protect forests and wildlife. The best way to preserve our natural resources is to declare ‘community reserved forest’, which will be funded by the government, but jointly managed by the government and local representatives. The advantage of having reserved forests is, it provides employment to local people and funds are sanctioned by the government each year. On top of that, in reserved forests, rights to activities like hunting and grazing are sometimes given to communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or products. Once we declared such forests, the government will link us through modern means of transportation and communication, which will be better than what we are doing today. If we choose this path of development, then the people of Liangmai will be better educated, healthier and prosperous than at any time in our long history.
The most prominent challenge for us at present is deforestation. There are different factors for different regions that lead to deforestation. In Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia, the chief cause of deforestation is due cattle ranching, over-heavy logging and slash-and-burn farming. The growing population and subsequent higher demand for agriculture, livestock production and fuel wood are the main causes of deforestation in Ethiopia. Urbanization and development is the main causes of deforestation in the United States. Unlike in United States and Ethiopia, the chief cause of deforestation our area is over-heavy logging. Today, we don’t have virgin forest. The temporary construction of roads, their equipments destroyed our flora and fauna; polluted the water and air; and increased soil erosion and landslide.
Deforestation is a substantial contributor to global warming. It increases soil erosion, flood and landslide. The water cycle is also affected by deforestation. As a result, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change argued that deforestation account for up to one-third of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. When these happen, we are sure to face famine, severe diseases, which will further slow down the educational, political, economic, cultural, religious and social progress of our community.
To conclude, now is the time to raise the issue. Let’s educate and encourage our community to preserve our natural resources. We are their future. The future development of our community depends on how much we preserve our natural resources today. Therefore, to take Liangmai in 21st century--opportunity and challenge, preservation of our natural resources is a must.
HARD EARNED SMILE
M. L. Kaisungbou
As I zoomed out from the Old railway station in that half-boiled Brahmaputra Mail, my excitement of meeting back home was kidnapped by a feeling-rather doubt, as to what may be the ultimate result of my three years stay in Delhi.
It was late May of 2001, I had just taken my third year Bachelor degree exam and I was going home for vacation. “Only God knows how long my vacation will be” I thought. I fully realized there was a great chance that I might not be coming back to Delhi courtesy a very poor man’s son. I remembered Arnold (the Hollywood actor) well known saying “I’ll be back”. For me, coming back to Delhi or staying at home forever depended only on one thing-my result.
So, with this unconfirmed status, I got settled in my reserved seat (lucky me). As always, some of my friends started with jokes etc. However, as for me, my ‘consciouspace’ was packed with all what I had been doing during my three years stay. My first was about exploring Delhi. I tried my best to know every nook and corner of Delhi. My ‘carefree’ lifestyle almost hooked me in first year for second term. Luckily, I was bailed out at the last minute. Notwithstanding this “narrow escape” my second year life was drawn in the “world of complacency”. “Last year I didn’t study very hard still I got through, so I’ll study at the last minute” I thought. Last minute study did help pass my exams however I didn’t remember what I had learned. My third year started with the question “after graduation what next”. Still this question kept honking me as I moved out from this dusty Old Delhi station. Reaching home all my near and dear ones received me with joyous faces. “The traveller’s return” did I remember that poem? Ooh! I felt like a prince who returned home after winning a war! I am flooded with questions…nde dou niu wangjiulo?...sou sou wangjiulo?...Delhi ndekum bamlo?...liangmai dejiu bamlo etc..etc. And here I am with a tag “new comer from Delhi” proclaiming and answering all those queries whenever I went, young and old, everyone greeted me with happy faces. I thought my cheek will burst because I was so delighted. I was in another world!! In drastic contrast to our Delhi where nobody seemed to care, my home, my village was too sweet. “How on earth my parent had deprived me of all this”, I thought.
Before, my “Delhi fairness” fade I’ll have to meet all my friends I proclaimed to my mom. She laughed at me signaling her full consent to my plan. “For about one week I’ll meet all my friends after which I’ll help my parents”. One week passed but still many friends to meet! All my plan of helping the family-from cooking to washing to Chalu ngam khabou seemed to be non starter. As many stay prolonged, all those burning desire to help them dwindled… and there I was idle as before. ‘Old habit died hard’ Remmember!!
One fine morning one old man came and asked me, ‘nagu ariak kati loimi ma?’, ‘Apou loimi kumbo-e’ I replied trying to suppress the uneasiness that this question triggered. Oblivious of the real situation he walked away as if he was saying “I don’t care”. A dozen of questions started pouring into my mind as to what the future holds for me. As if she had seen my thought, my mom with her calmest voice, “nagu result dedou pad ralo”, “pad ji surabo de” came uneasy voice. Though her eyes I could sense the importance of this question. Not having passed even her tenth standard, she did not really know all the technical inputs required to pass a bachelor degree. Though of course, she knew that I was to complete my B. A (I tried to clarify that I’m doing science so it will be called B. Sc, but her tongue never allowed her to say so). However, what she knew crystal clear (more than me) was the amount of sweat and hardship which she had to endure just to have her son get a degree. I could sense the “cumulated expectation” when is he completing his studies?? When is he starting his earning… when?... when?... All the prayers and everything of my parents and everyone got locked only to be opened by one key-my result.
“Mom I need one hundred rupees” I asked shyly-pretending to be a bit shy of asking money as if I had never asked so. “Rangkang kai de leng lo”, “a gu result pat mi bamboo di sui-e si niu akamai Delhi lam kabam mai tu phone maniu raleng-e”. From her traditional money bag-cum-belt which she never stopped carrying, a good looking hundred rupees note came cracking into my hand. “My God!, it looks new” I thought.
Thus, I dashed down to Imphal with the jumping-pumping heart. Within an hour or so, the hundred billion dollar question will be answer. ‘Hello, kya hal hai?, so how is the result? Blah…blah…yes, I was waiting for your call…blah…blah.
Back home, I was eagerly waiting for my mom to come home. Late in the evening, I saw her from a distance. My God! I proclaim…nkha ga si pabang phung phuitud lu jiu wang-e. I could sense that she was totally exhausted. Nearer she came and I saw—paju khat di patiang ga si miti katik bo (charcoal) niu rang tai bo kum mi ne-blacken face. In that very moment I realized—hai bo pui hai niu atu Delhi lam makot khai bo-e. I rushed out to help her. However, she stopped for a while, looked up from her bending head and with a soothing voice asked, “nago result pat mi ma??”. I promptly reply, “ama, padmi ne”. “Pass thiu ma???”. “Pass thiu-e”. Hearing this, miti (charcoal) tai-tik-li-li bo (blacken face) ju si nui pad su de. Pale looking blacken face when steered by inner happiness could never hide the beauty of that solemn smile. I had seen thousand times my mother smiling. However, this smile-with a rare combination of heavy load behind, blacken face with wrinkles and an exhausted body-was the most beautiful. I watch her not knowing what to do next. Still smiling, she bent her head and headed for the place where her ‘Nkha’ was supposed to be unloaded. Before reaching that place, she paused, turned back and once again asked, “nang pass thiuchangma?” “malumakjiuma, yo, pass thiu-e.” was my reply. She half-smile, turned back and went inside the house.
Standing motionless, my emotional mind (by now) started analyzing that golden smile. Ugliness, untidiness and tiredness-all lost its relevance. What mattered most was the contentment of getting/accomplishing what one eagerly longs to achieve. All throughout my life, I have been struggling to study hard, discipline myself etc… and most recently I had done my best to pass my graduation and for all these, I was given a prize, the biggest prize, priceless in value… “The smile of my mother”.
I can still see vividly in my mind’s eyes this “hard earned smile”, and every morning I ask myself when will be the next time I shall see this. As I journey through my life, my aim, my goal is to have this smile flashed in my eyes once again never to be rusted… from my mother’s face.
As I zoomed out from the Old railway station in that half-boiled Brahmaputra Mail, my excitement of meeting back home was kidnapped by a feeling-rather doubt, as to what may be the ultimate result of my three years stay in Delhi.
It was late May of 2001, I had just taken my third year Bachelor degree exam and I was going home for vacation. “Only God knows how long my vacation will be” I thought. I fully realized there was a great chance that I might not be coming back to Delhi courtesy a very poor man’s son. I remembered Arnold (the Hollywood actor) well known saying “I’ll be back”. For me, coming back to Delhi or staying at home forever depended only on one thing-my result.
So, with this unconfirmed status, I got settled in my reserved seat (lucky me). As always, some of my friends started with jokes etc. However, as for me, my ‘consciouspace’ was packed with all what I had been doing during my three years stay. My first was about exploring Delhi. I tried my best to know every nook and corner of Delhi. My ‘carefree’ lifestyle almost hooked me in first year for second term. Luckily, I was bailed out at the last minute. Notwithstanding this “narrow escape” my second year life was drawn in the “world of complacency”. “Last year I didn’t study very hard still I got through, so I’ll study at the last minute” I thought. Last minute study did help pass my exams however I didn’t remember what I had learned. My third year started with the question “after graduation what next”. Still this question kept honking me as I moved out from this dusty Old Delhi station. Reaching home all my near and dear ones received me with joyous faces. “The traveller’s return” did I remember that poem? Ooh! I felt like a prince who returned home after winning a war! I am flooded with questions…nde dou niu wangjiulo?...sou sou wangjiulo?...Delhi ndekum bamlo?...liangmai dejiu bamlo etc..etc. And here I am with a tag “new comer from Delhi” proclaiming and answering all those queries whenever I went, young and old, everyone greeted me with happy faces. I thought my cheek will burst because I was so delighted. I was in another world!! In drastic contrast to our Delhi where nobody seemed to care, my home, my village was too sweet. “How on earth my parent had deprived me of all this”, I thought.
Before, my “Delhi fairness” fade I’ll have to meet all my friends I proclaimed to my mom. She laughed at me signaling her full consent to my plan. “For about one week I’ll meet all my friends after which I’ll help my parents”. One week passed but still many friends to meet! All my plan of helping the family-from cooking to washing to Chalu ngam khabou seemed to be non starter. As many stay prolonged, all those burning desire to help them dwindled… and there I was idle as before. ‘Old habit died hard’ Remmember!!
One fine morning one old man came and asked me, ‘nagu ariak kati loimi ma?’, ‘Apou loimi kumbo-e’ I replied trying to suppress the uneasiness that this question triggered. Oblivious of the real situation he walked away as if he was saying “I don’t care”. A dozen of questions started pouring into my mind as to what the future holds for me. As if she had seen my thought, my mom with her calmest voice, “nagu result dedou pad ralo”, “pad ji surabo de” came uneasy voice. Though her eyes I could sense the importance of this question. Not having passed even her tenth standard, she did not really know all the technical inputs required to pass a bachelor degree. Though of course, she knew that I was to complete my B. A (I tried to clarify that I’m doing science so it will be called B. Sc, but her tongue never allowed her to say so). However, what she knew crystal clear (more than me) was the amount of sweat and hardship which she had to endure just to have her son get a degree. I could sense the “cumulated expectation” when is he completing his studies?? When is he starting his earning… when?... when?... All the prayers and everything of my parents and everyone got locked only to be opened by one key-my result.
“Mom I need one hundred rupees” I asked shyly-pretending to be a bit shy of asking money as if I had never asked so. “Rangkang kai de leng lo”, “a gu result pat mi bamboo di sui-e si niu akamai Delhi lam kabam mai tu phone maniu raleng-e”. From her traditional money bag-cum-belt which she never stopped carrying, a good looking hundred rupees note came cracking into my hand. “My God!, it looks new” I thought.
Thus, I dashed down to Imphal with the jumping-pumping heart. Within an hour or so, the hundred billion dollar question will be answer. ‘Hello, kya hal hai?, so how is the result? Blah…blah…yes, I was waiting for your call…blah…blah.
Back home, I was eagerly waiting for my mom to come home. Late in the evening, I saw her from a distance. My God! I proclaim…nkha ga si pabang phung phuitud lu jiu wang-e. I could sense that she was totally exhausted. Nearer she came and I saw—paju khat di patiang ga si miti katik bo (charcoal) niu rang tai bo kum mi ne-blacken face. In that very moment I realized—hai bo pui hai niu atu Delhi lam makot khai bo-e. I rushed out to help her. However, she stopped for a while, looked up from her bending head and with a soothing voice asked, “nago result pat mi ma??”. I promptly reply, “ama, padmi ne”. “Pass thiu ma???”. “Pass thiu-e”. Hearing this, miti (charcoal) tai-tik-li-li bo (blacken face) ju si nui pad su de. Pale looking blacken face when steered by inner happiness could never hide the beauty of that solemn smile. I had seen thousand times my mother smiling. However, this smile-with a rare combination of heavy load behind, blacken face with wrinkles and an exhausted body-was the most beautiful. I watch her not knowing what to do next. Still smiling, she bent her head and headed for the place where her ‘Nkha’ was supposed to be unloaded. Before reaching that place, she paused, turned back and once again asked, “nang pass thiuchangma?” “malumakjiuma, yo, pass thiu-e.” was my reply. She half-smile, turned back and went inside the house.
Standing motionless, my emotional mind (by now) started analyzing that golden smile. Ugliness, untidiness and tiredness-all lost its relevance. What mattered most was the contentment of getting/accomplishing what one eagerly longs to achieve. All throughout my life, I have been struggling to study hard, discipline myself etc… and most recently I had done my best to pass my graduation and for all these, I was given a prize, the biggest prize, priceless in value… “The smile of my mother”.
I can still see vividly in my mind’s eyes this “hard earned smile”, and every morning I ask myself when will be the next time I shall see this. As I journey through my life, my aim, my goal is to have this smile flashed in my eyes once again never to be rusted… from my mother’s face.
Friday, January 16, 2009
We are Liangmai and not Kacha Naga
India is a democratic country, where the will of people is supreme; the people form the government through its representative to express its opinion. India chose democratic form of government to fulfill the will of its people; to redress their wounds; to bring justice to its people. As a result, Calcutta was renamed as Kolkata in 2001; the name of Madras was changed to Chennai in 1996; and Bombay was renamed as Mumbai in 1995. The justification accepted by most people without question seems to be the original Indian name and restored it.
Based on above argument, we are ‘Liangmai’ and not ‘Kacha Naga.’ The point is our name has been corrupted by the foreigners, who want to conquer our land for their commercial purposes. Although the Indian government addresses us as ‘Kacha Naga’ in its official record, like Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, we can retain our original name as ‘Liangmai’ and Indian needs to accept it without question.
There are several documents, which will support us to call ourselves as ‘Liangmai.’ We come under Naga community, which is recognized as Scheduled Tribes in India. According to International Work Group Indigenous Affair (IWGIA) 2008, the Scheduled Tribes are considered to be India’s indigenous people. To bring justice to indigenous people around the world, the United Nations, on 13th September 2007 declared the Rights of Indigenous People. A text recognizes a wide range of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people. Among these are rights to self-determination, an inalienable collective right to the ownership, use and control of lands, territories and other natural resources, rights in terms maintaining and developing their own political, religious, cultural and educational institutions, and protection of their cultural and intellectual property. To reflect the demand of international community on indigenous people’s rights, India has made several laws and provided constitutional provisions such as Sixth Scheduled for north-east India, which recognized indigenous people’s rights to land and self-governance. However, the laws aimed to protect indigenous people have numerous shortcomings and their implementation is far from satisfactory. As a result, LNC, LNBA, LBA, LNKR, LSA and LACA came into being to claim and retain our rightful identity as ‘Liangmai.’
It would be interesting to see how the word ‘Kacha Naga’ was originated. According to Manindra Konsamand and www.indianetzone.com, the word Kacha Naga derived from an Angami word ‘Ketsa’ meaning thick forest. He argued that when foreigners came to Kohima area and asked the locals, pointing towards the Liangmai and Zeme area, whether any people were living beyond the thick forest. The local people responded that some people lived beyond the ‘Ketsa.’ Thereafter, the foreigners referred the people beyond the forest as ‘Ketsa Naga’ and later on the word got corrupted into ‘Kacha Naga.’ Again, as per the information given by the Language Education in Nagaland: Sociolinguistic Dimensions, the ‘Kacha Naga’ derived from the Angami word ‘Kets’ meaning forest. According what most Angamis and Liangmais believed is that when the foreigners came to Angami village, saw some houses on the other side of the hill and asked the locals, what the name of that tribe was. The local people responded in Angami as ‘Kekri Naga’ meaning ‘Another Naga.’
To conclude, we are ‘Liangmai’ and not Kacha Naga. Firstly, it is the supreme will of our people to call ourselves as ‘Liangmai.’ Secondly, the United Nations declaration on Indigenous People’s rights empowers us to retain our originality. Finally, the derivative meaning of ‘Kacha Naga’ was misunderstood by foreigners and later corrupted recorded by the Indians.
Based on above argument, we are ‘Liangmai’ and not ‘Kacha Naga.’ The point is our name has been corrupted by the foreigners, who want to conquer our land for their commercial purposes. Although the Indian government addresses us as ‘Kacha Naga’ in its official record, like Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, we can retain our original name as ‘Liangmai’ and Indian needs to accept it without question.
There are several documents, which will support us to call ourselves as ‘Liangmai.’ We come under Naga community, which is recognized as Scheduled Tribes in India. According to International Work Group Indigenous Affair (IWGIA) 2008, the Scheduled Tribes are considered to be India’s indigenous people. To bring justice to indigenous people around the world, the United Nations, on 13th September 2007 declared the Rights of Indigenous People. A text recognizes a wide range of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people. Among these are rights to self-determination, an inalienable collective right to the ownership, use and control of lands, territories and other natural resources, rights in terms maintaining and developing their own political, religious, cultural and educational institutions, and protection of their cultural and intellectual property. To reflect the demand of international community on indigenous people’s rights, India has made several laws and provided constitutional provisions such as Sixth Scheduled for north-east India, which recognized indigenous people’s rights to land and self-governance. However, the laws aimed to protect indigenous people have numerous shortcomings and their implementation is far from satisfactory. As a result, LNC, LNBA, LBA, LNKR, LSA and LACA came into being to claim and retain our rightful identity as ‘Liangmai.’
It would be interesting to see how the word ‘Kacha Naga’ was originated. According to Manindra Konsamand and www.indianetzone.com, the word Kacha Naga derived from an Angami word ‘Ketsa’ meaning thick forest. He argued that when foreigners came to Kohima area and asked the locals, pointing towards the Liangmai and Zeme area, whether any people were living beyond the thick forest. The local people responded that some people lived beyond the ‘Ketsa.’ Thereafter, the foreigners referred the people beyond the forest as ‘Ketsa Naga’ and later on the word got corrupted into ‘Kacha Naga.’ Again, as per the information given by the Language Education in Nagaland: Sociolinguistic Dimensions, the ‘Kacha Naga’ derived from the Angami word ‘Kets’ meaning forest. According what most Angamis and Liangmais believed is that when the foreigners came to Angami village, saw some houses on the other side of the hill and asked the locals, what the name of that tribe was. The local people responded in Angami as ‘Kekri Naga’ meaning ‘Another Naga.’
To conclude, we are ‘Liangmai’ and not Kacha Naga. Firstly, it is the supreme will of our people to call ourselves as ‘Liangmai.’ Secondly, the United Nations declaration on Indigenous People’s rights empowers us to retain our originality. Finally, the derivative meaning of ‘Kacha Naga’ was misunderstood by foreigners and later corrupted recorded by the Indians.
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