In what could be termed as an unprecedented event at least in size and scale for the Ao community in its Moatsü festival, it invited 1000 guests from the distant Angami tribe during the celebration of the festival in the first week of May 2017. Some Ao villages especially bordering the Dikhu river have been practicing such traditions of inviting delegates and dance troupes from the trans Dikhu villages in the eastern areas during Moatsü festival for many generations. Some of these villages even have members from both the tribes in the villages and still use their own dialects. It became more pronounced since the end of head hunting with old ties being renewed and reconciliation with old foes. It was also greatly influenced by the coming of Christianity to the tribes in the region. What can be termed as a paradigm shift in the present case is because the Aos and the Angamis do not share any common border in their ancestral lands. Prior to this, it was the older generation of the Aos in some villages who had the opportunity to learn about terrace farming from the Angamis, who were deputed to the villages funded by the government. It is not the first time in the state that such an activity of strengthening inter-tribal ties and inter-village ties between two different tribes have happened. However the present case involves two major tribes of the state and one that many never imagined could happen even in the near future due to the immense indirect rivalry that arose due to the current tribal politics at play in the State’s unofficial tribal representational system at every forum including the Cabinet. Not only the present case but there are also instances of such alliances and strengthening of ties among the other tribes too. One such similar alliance bond would be the one between Kohima village of the Angami tribe and Tuensang village of the Chang tribe that was held in November 2016. There also have been more such instances of bonds among other tribes in recent times, like that of the Sumis and the Chakesangs that was again strengthened in April 2016. Such inter-tribal ties need to be encouraged but at the same time it has to be done in a controlled manner so that the current electoral politics in the state do not take over creating more divisions among the Naga tribes. Such ties should move beyond petty politics in the various associations and unions starting right from the students and youth organisations. It has to be instead utilised to strengthen the Naga society in erasing the trivial tribal rivalries and petty tribal pride preserving a strong Naga identity but at the same time to be able to embrace global citizenship by every Naga in this fast changing world.
