Mokokchung, June 9 (EMN): The official residence of the deputy commissioner of Mokokchung, known as ‘DC bungalow,’ today added a novelty to its premises: a log drum crafted by the Mokokchung DBs Union, and funded through the Local Area Development Programme for 2016-17.
The log-drum was crafted out of hollock. It is 25 feet in length and 8-feet in diameter. It was inaugurated by Sushil Kumar Patel, deputy commissioner of the district. The tree for the log drum was donated by the DFO of Mokokchung division from Minkong Reserved Forest after taking permission from the Sungratsu Village Council. It took 105 days to carve the log-drum and cost rupees 1.6 lakh, said Rongsenyanger, DB. He thanked the Forest department and the landowners, Sungratsu Village Council, for their gesture. PA to DC, Zulunungsang, DB, said in his welcome address that the log drum replacing the old one was a shared effort of the Dobashi members ‘to preserve age old traditions’ and to ‘expose to the younger generations the rich heritage of the people.’Some senior DBs explained that during the ‘50s when military operations in Nagaland were at their peak, villages and log-drums were ‘burned down and today we can see some surviving log-drums in few villages only.’
Also, Chubatoshi, a senior DB, said that no rituals or sacrificial acts were performed in the process of crafting the log drum. “Our objective is simply to preserve our rich culture and tradition and this log drum will remain here as a heritage,” said Chubatoshi while saying that the people have embraced Christianity.
Addressing the gathering, Deputy Commissioner Sushil Kumar Patel lauded the Mokokchung DB Union for the gesture. ‘We should not forget our past,’ he said, and encouraged them to ‘preserve and promote our rich culture and traditions.’
The administrator expressed hope that the log-drum would be one of the attractions of the DC bungalow for officials and visitors from other parts of the country and abroad. Ao Senden’s President Imliyanger also spoke during the event. He urged the Dobashi community to initiate activities that would expose the younger generation to the importance of preserving their culture.
