Plant values through cultural sieves, says deputy speaker

Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 19

DEPUTY Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Levi Rengma has strongly stressed returning to the roots of one’s traditional values for mutual growth and development of society.
Rengma said tradition provides an important connection to the past from which core human values bring meaning to one’s life and understanding tradition can also provide insights into present-day lives. Rengma said this during a traditional sanctification event of the Mao community ‘Ashu Kopfo’ organized by the Mao Students’ Union of Dimapur in the IMC Hall this afternoon. The event was marked by presentation of traditional folk songs and dances.Stating that tradition is an emotional fabric that binds one to his forefathers and makes him distinct from the others, Rengma however said ‘many traditions’ are personal and belong within an individual family.
Similarly, he said, Nagas also have different cultures and traditions in which each individual is defined by tribes and dress codes. While other traditions may be more to do with religion or culture, some are irreligious but provides a reference for people to connect a value to each other.
While some held the view that all traditions must be broken out in this modern technology world, the deputy speaker said tradition must be kept and upheld. ‘When you reject the past, you reject the essence of the present,’ he said. “There is no present without the past but not all traditions are good and sometimes they are an obstacle to progress and development. Some traditions are inhuman, discriminatory or environmentally damaging and these traditions must be allowed to die out,” Rengma said.
He also referred to education of the citizenry. According to the deputy speaker, ‘we should be able to differentiate between the good and the bad.’ He lamented that young Nagas are ‘forgetting the value of traditions handed down to them by their forefathers since time immemorial like family tradition, respect for elders, honesty, diligence and sincerity.’
To that he has attributed to the failure of parents in inculcating traditional values to their children. “If one look around in our society today, the scenario is not encouraging as there are suspicions, disunity and selfishness all around us. So what future can we give to our generation? He queried. ‘If we want to our future generation to have a bright future, we have to go back and learn the value of family traditions and good old value traditions.’ He has made a clarion call to teach children family values and tradition.