Rümatho Nyusou
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]RIGINALLY, all festivals have their roots in religion. This explains why festivals are indispensably related to and identified with their own particular religions. For instance, Janmashtami or Diwali is to the Hindus what Christmas or Easter is to the Christians. There is nothing such as Christian Ramadan, Buddhist Easter, or Hindu Christmas. Festivals wear different colors and smell different fragrance but worship is an essential part of every religious festival. The practice of different religious festivals may bear certain resemblance in form but they are far apart as far as the content of their faith is concerned. Without malice towards people of other faiths, let me affirm that all religious festivals are unique and different in their own ways, therefore let no man swap them or muddle them up.
One of the greatest threats to religion in our time is the growing influence of secularism. One can see this new breed of the present generation, schooled in the mold of western liberal culture and lifestyle, infiltrating into the sacred domain of religions. They are neither apathetic nor sympathetic in a strict sense towards any one particular faith.
This is also the reason why we do not see any problem in having our so-called good Christian political Ministers offering prayers and sending festive greetings to people of other faiths during the observance of their religious festivals. After all the justification is that ours is a secular country and that the constitution of the country is the Bible for its citizens. This apparently harmless ideology is subtly swallowing up religion by dissolving the thin line separating the two worldviews.
Honestly speaking, there is no more spiritual fervor in religious festivals; there is only secular festival. Even religion is being secularized. In that sense, secularism is the new religion of our time. In the name of tourism and on the pretext of showcasing our cultural heritage, even the traditional Naga festivals, dispossessed of their spiritual meaning, have been commoditized and commercialized. The festivals in Nagaland are empty festivals with no soul in them. Christian festivals are no exception.
Christmas is nothing but an occasion for socializing, merrymaking, and moneymaking. The sanctity of spiritual events is being systematically secularized, even desecrated, and is being offered on a platter to suit the individual palate of its customers.
Durga Puja, as everyone knows, is the festival of the Hindus. However, without giving a serious thought to the concept and consequence of soaking oneself in the celebration of others religious festivals, more and more Nagas, who declare themselves as Christians, are seen frolicking openly and reveling indiscriminately in non-Christian festivals. Over the years, Durga Puja has become more or less like a Christian festival in Nagaland. If one wishes to confirm this story, make a point to travel to Kohima or Dimapur this coming Puja season and see for yourself the fact with your own naked eyes.
With the growing influence of Hindi movies and Hindu ideologies on our cultural and political foundations, a day is coming, perhaps sooner than anticipated, when we will have our own brand of Naga Hindus and Naga Muslims with their temples and mosques next to our churches. How does that sound?
