Seminar on culture of NEI underway

[caption id="attachment_280800" align="aligncenter" width="565"] Thepfulhouvi Solo (second row fourth from left), Kiremwati (first row third from left), along with other invitees and guests at the national seminar at Don Bosco College, Kohima, on November 1.[/caption] Our Correspondent Kohima, Nov. 1(EMN): A two-day North Eastern Council (NEC) sponsored national seminar on “Culture paradigm - The pluralistic North East India: appreciating the diverse culture of Northeast India” got underway at Don Bosco College, Kohima, on Friday. The seminar was organised by Research Cell and IQAC of Don Bosco College, Kohima. Speaking at the inaugural function, Thepfulhouvi Solo, retired principal secretary to the government, was of the view that culture is transferred from one person to another by behaviour than through resonating of language. “The way culture is transferred to one another is of course by intellectual language but very often culture is transferred through behaviour,” stated Solo. He said one of the top aspects of Naga culture is the dreaded head-hunting tradition for which Nagas were very often called head-hunters. He shared about his life as a student in Delhi back in 1963 where the Indians would often asked him if Nagas were cannibals. “Honour killings in India are worse than cannibalism,” he stated. Through his experience, he also shared about how outsiders treat people from Nagaland. “We have developed our culture in tune with the civilisation,” he commented. “Nothing is perfectly right; there is always the other side of coin in very culture. There is always a defect. Nagas evolved from head hunting to the present system of life,” he said adding that the cultural traits of the Nagas are not all barbarians or reasonless human being. Kiremwati, former Pro Vice Chancellor of NEHU, also shared about his “living culture in the world-wide cultural spectrum.” “Customs and traditions of the people of Northeast India are so pluralistic and yet co-existing beautifully like beads of a garland joined together by a strong thread, which must have been developed not only by geographical closeness but more by the each others’ love and respect in the paradigm of pluralistic culture,” he expressed. He further stated that the pluralistic religions in the northeast India and their co-existence is a lesson which the rest of India can learn. He shared that in 1952, he performed a war dance with a Naga spear, a dao and a set of customary dress at the world student Christian federation at Tambaram. He said people who watched his war dance recognised him as a Naga dancer even after many years. “It is surprising how culture works to identify a person,” he said. He further encouraged that the “present concept of one country and one language, education reform in the country, and looming political uncertainty should attract universities and colleges for serious fearless research.”