Is Nagaland Fit To Host IMS? - Eastern Mirror
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Op-Ed

Is Nagaland fit to host IMS?

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By EMN Updated: Sep 24, 2014 11:22 pm

Z. Lohe

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his brief write up is absolutely outside the spiritual context as I know about myself. The NBCC is hosting the India Mission Summit. Well, we are fond of using superlative degree vocabularies even for insignificant conclaves between ourselves. We tend to call the meeting of two organisations a summit. This time, what NBCC is hosting at Kohima from 2-5 October, 2014 is a real Summit as delegates from few nations are participating. As the Program and the pamphlet are out, the India Mission Summit has immense historical significance. This is the anniversary celebration of 200th year of American Baptist International Mission; the attainment of 200 years since Gospel Mission was carried out to other nations by American missionaries. According to announcement given by our Pastor during Sunday Service, CBCNEI was offered the chance and ultimately NBCC is chosen. NBCC is therefore greatly privileged to host the event.I am confident that NBCC will leave no stone unturned to prepare arrangements which will be-fit the occasion although such preparations seem to be going on in low key without much hype. I also believe each tribal Baptist Council is giving due cooperation as the occasion is an international gathering and the successful celebration depends on their zealous participation.
According to program, a number of internationally renowned preachers and theologians are coming to deliver messages. It is also known that more than a thousand foreign delegates would be attending the same.
Secondly, Nagas in general are found to be hospitable and normally we treat out guests well despite not being rich. I am confident that the host will extend well-organized and measured treatment to the delegates.
This occasion is one which is going to expose Nagaland to outside world. The delegation from outside will be different from those of visitors to Hornbill Festival. My deep concerns are mainly of three aspects.
My concern No.1. is the Road. Had Nagaland been still in 1964, our Church leaders could conveniently reply queries like ‘Why your roads are so bad?’ by simply replying ‘Don’t you know that we got statehood just a year ago’. That logic is understandable as good roads are not made magically. The most difficult answer to questions as ‘What your State Government has been doing about your roads during the last 51 years of Statehood? Is Nagaland the only State not getting sufficient fund from Govt. of India for up keep of its roads? Be it NH-29 or State Capital roads, all are in its worst ever. It will be memorable for our guests to enjoy the most dirty and bumpy roads coinciding with the celebration. What else the common man do when people in authority lack sense of shame as such sense is removed by greed.
My No.2 concern is Sanitation. We may be poor and roads may be bad, yet when our town is clean somehow we are saved from further embarrassment. Whereas, as each Naga is dirty including myself, lacking sense of sanitation, and we are all responsible to convert the total area of inhabitation into waste dumping area. Particularly, Dimapur and Kohima towns are very dirty as every space has waste except within the fenced compound of few individuals. The disgusting Kohima sanitation cannot be concealed from the preying eyes of visitors from super clean cities. What will they be thinking of us?
My concern No.3 is Traffic. Traffic woes are not faced by Nagas alone but a common phenomenon. Yet, most of the time traffic jumps are caused by disobedient and arrogant vehicle users for wrong parking, lack of courtesy, etc. I wonder whether the organisers will tie up with traffic police to streamline the flow of vehicles during those few days for the sake of the Summit.
For the reason of sharing the space, let me conclude that the only message for foreign delegates to take home and share with their Church members and families are that Nagaland has lot of vehicles without roads, vehicles do not run in Kohima but crawl by cow tract as for about 3 km travel 2 hours required, etc; the famous Kohima town is inhabited by most dirty people who speak English fluently with no sense of cleanliness. Will such stories not embarrass India too?

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By EMN Updated: Sep 24, 2014 11:22:21 pm
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