[dropcap]D[/dropcap]espite the larger Naga society being far removed from the notion and concept of royalty (save for the Konyak s in Mon who have the Angh or King) there is a certain air of expectancy attached with any royal visit. It was so during the last visit by a royal in the form of Prince Andrew , the Duke of York ,whose visit to the WW II cemetery marked 60 years of the rule of Queen Elizabeth, his mother. We warmly welcomed Prince Andrew ,some may argue albeit too effusively going by one banner which read “Welcome to THE Prince Andrew”.
To do that to an Englishman takes some guts, one might add.Still, this time the royal visit is a country with whom Nagas have several connections with, Thailand. It is a country most Naga entrepreneurs and holiday makers are familiar with. Besides, almost all of the garments , shoes, cutlery and home wares are manufactured in Thailand and sold here. Moreover Chiangmai in the Northern part of the country is a centre where discourse on the Naga political issues also take place.
Preparations for the visit have been afoot atleast with parts of NH 29 highway getting pruned and the capital Kohima getting a facelift. Thankfully the Kohima Municipal Council secured its temporary dumping site at “Zogazou” before this royal arrival. One dare not even imagine what the picture would have been like otherwise. In contrast, despite the political standoff in Thailand for the past couple of months with thousands upon thousands of protestors lining the capital, Bangkok,no breakdown of the city’s civic amenities was reported. We have to learn, that developed societies are those where governance prioritizes structure within institutions.
Coming to the royal visitor H.R.H. PRINCESS MAHA CHAKRI SIRINDHORN, she is involved in an impressive array of projects aiding her country and people.
She is also well-known for her interest in applying science and technology for the benefit of her country. Because of her efforts in this area, she is known as the Princess of Technology or as Princess Angel.
Besides her passion for technology, she holds degrees in history and a doctorate in Educational Development. In addition to Thai she speaks fluent English, French and Chinese and is currently studying German and Latin. Sirindhorn has a very good background in Chinese culture, as well as other oriental cultures. In recent years she has paid many visits to China, both officially and privately, for her studies of the Chinese language and culture.
The Princess royal also a master’s degrees in Oriental epigraphy and in Pali and Sanskrit languages;She serves as head of the Department of History at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, the military academy of the Royal Thai Army.
As a scholar, she has worked in heritage protection, development of traditional Thai music and creation of an electronic corpus of the modern Thai language. An accomplished musician, she plays the trumpet and several Thai traditional instruments. In 2007, the princess established the Sirindhorn Thai Language Institute at Chulalongkorn University.The institute promotes teaching, learning and assessment of the Thai language. She is highly involved in the Thai Red Cross Society and in organizations promoting education, cultural preservation, support for disabled veterans, development projects and environmental preservation
Her title in Thai is also the female equivalent of the title held by her brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. The Thai constitution was altered in 1974 to allow for female succession, thus making her eligible for the throne. As the eldest female child of the royal family (excluding Ubol Ratana, who married a foreign commoner), her position is equivalent to a princess royal.
During her visit to the state on February 25, one of her engagements is to visit Nagaland University to interact with the students. That will be make for a most memorable occasion for the beleaguered University.
