Re-seizing the Naga Narrative

Dr. Akum Longchari is the editor of The Morung Express and has been involved with the people's movements in the areas of human rights, justice, peace, and reconciliation. He also engages actively with the Forum for Naga Reconciliation and is associated with the online community journal, the Naga Republic.

The following is an excerpt from a conversation with Dr Rakhee Kalita Moral.

The Network of Women: Weaving Freedom

A popular success story of the North-East Network (NEN) is Chizami Weaves where the NEN together with a network of 600+ local women from Chizami and the neighbouring villages of Phek district in Nagaland built ‘Chizami Weaves’ an enterprise that aimed to preserve and promote the rich textile weaving tradition of Nagaland. While empowering rural women economically, it also gave them a voice and agency to bring about positive changes in their families and communities. Gender relations within homes are changing.

Sano Vamuzo: Excerpts From an Interview

Sano Vamuzo is the founding President of the Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), an important civil society organization formed by women in Kohima in 1984. The follwing is excerpted from an interview with Dr Rakhee Kalita Moral.

The Network of Women

I am Wekoweu Tsuhah (Akole) and I belong to the Chakhesang tribe of Nagaland. I am a women’s rights activist and a development practitioner, an advocate for gender equality, social and environmental justice. While growing up, I experienced fear and rage as I lived through armed conflict, alcoholism, domestic violence, poverty and these shaped the person I am today. I am passionate about working with people, women in particular; but it is only after I started working with a women’s rights organization – NEN, the North-East Network, did I truly realize and recognize these social injustices.

Grassroot Pan Africanism

Since 2007, I have been assisting Kojo Opoku Aidoo of Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, to develop a humanistic Syllabus on ‘Mobilities of Grassroots Pan Africanism’as part of the Humanities across Borders Program. The project attempts to contextualize the praxis of mobilities as a grassroots pan Africanism issue in its multiple manifestations and nuanced dialectics. It also examines the tensions and contradictions of the academy and the community dialectic, bringing up questions of social mobilities and intellectual inquiry.

Chedema Baptist Choir

This is a choir from the Chedema Baptist Church singing on the occassion of the 69th Naga Plebiscite Day.

It talks of a creator, Christ in heaven, who be praised and who blesses the congregation to stay together as one.

The Naga nation is that one holy congregation which seeks to remain as one, together in its mission to spread the word of God.

Multiple Currency Transactions among Traders along the Togo/Benin Border

The traders here accept all the three West African Currencies for transactions (CFA, Niara, Ghana Cedis). Irrespective of whichever currency a buyer offers, the shopkeepers are able to convert and give change when required. It is interesting how they (shopkeepers) are not limited in anyway among themselves despite the physical border restrictions.

The Naga Day

When the day came to be, Kohima was resplendent in sunshine. It was January 10, 2018, the first Naga Day. At the Kohima Local Ground, Khuochiezie, music played from the early morning hours.In the surrounding market area, people hummed the tunes as they set up shop. Some planned to go to the ground, some planned to watch from their terraces—everyone had heard this one thing, Nagas from everywhere were coming together.

Ayaakho Ojala

Every mother tongue has sounds and sighs that utter laments and express hope. The word Ayaakho Ojala is derived from the Ao Indigenous tribal language and is the ultimate angst that is often invoked by women. It signifies a mother’s strength and comfort. As a woman utters it, she finds relief and rest from the pain of patriarchy that seeks to crush her down.

Women's Mobilities in Naga Hills

In the remote Naga hills , beyond the capital city of Kohima, stands the beautiful and historic village of Khonoma. Traditionally a site of resistance, having pushed back British rule in the region from the 1830s to 1880, Khonoma continues to be a space striving towards safeguarding the rights of women while strengthening Naga unity through organisations like the Khonoma Women Union, in whose honour this obelisk stands marking its 25 years in 2013.

Humanities across Borders

A Humanist Model of Collaborative Higher Education

Solidarity