Lungsanliu
Culture is the way of life of a
particular society or group of people, including patterns of thought, beliefs, behaviour,
customs, traditions, rituals, dress, and language, as well as food, art, music,
and literature. These
shared patterns both identify the members of a culture group while also
distinguishing those of another group.
Culture is not a static
thing, but is always changing. Our Naga tribal culture, earlier an isolated
traditional folk culture is now a complex mixture of many cultures and
subcultures. There is no aspect of our tribal life which has not been touched
by change. These changes affect all aspects of life-social, economic, physical
mental and spiritual. The youth today are the
product of many historical and cultural developments that took place in the
past and of things happening around them today. They are the people that
are most influenced by these changes.
The
coming of the British rule, and along with it Christianity and Western
education have changed our traditional tribal culture drastically. In spite of
the many positive impacts like better means of livelihood, health awareness, diversified
economic system; dispelling superstitious beliefs and fears, genna, sacrifices
to numerous spirits, and
eliminating the evil practices like head hunting,
polygamy etc., they have bankrupt
our traditional tribal culture to a great extent. The missionaries
considered tribal songs, dances, celebration of various kinds, feasts of merit, drinking rice beer, Naga
traditional house containing carving of animals, birds or human figure as in direct conflict with Christianity and so these were slowly removed from the
converted Naga Christian villages.
Christianity eliminated the morung (khangchiu and kailiu) system which was the centre of
learning values of cooperation and responsibility, skills and music, and the
tribal culture of breaking out into community singing and dance during big
feasts. The missionaries also felt that if the newly converts were allowed to
continue with their old practices like community singing and dancing, they
might backslide to their indigenous religion.
Overjoyed with the liberative nature of the Christian gospel, the early converts and tribal evangelists uncritically embraced and disseminated these attitudes, maybe, even further than the missionaries. By the time the great revival took place in our land the Christian Naga psyche has been so brainwashed to consider traditional festivals, songs, dances and ornaments as taboo or ‘of Satan’ or “Raningmak mei” except for traditional dresses(phei and pheisuai).
Even
in our faith expression as Christians, we have very little to call our own. As
for Zeliangrongs, we sing to the tunes of Mizos and Kukis in our Lujaem during Christmas and New Year,
etc; and Western hymns and gospel songs during worship services. Practices like
giving a
special number before the congregation that divides performers and audience
during worship services was introduced to a culture where there was no such
division during worship. We lack
creativity on our part in developing worship liturgy and preaching reflecting
our traditional imagery and songs based on our beautiful folk melodies. We
defy the creative abilities of God if we worship God by borrowing others’
culture and identity.
Till today, formal western education
process continues to function as instruments for undermining our culture so as
to blend the tribals more towards the European socio-cultural value system. Students
are better versed in other’s culture and history whereas they are ignorant of
their very own. We cannot fully blame
the younger generation for not knowing their roots today. They are a product of
what has been infused upon them.
This trend has been reinforced by
the influence of globalization which is accelerated by the mass media such as
the TV, Film, videos, Newspaper, Magazines, DVDs, Internet, etc. Today’s youth
are open to a world of opportunities unlike before. The positive aspects of
globalization and the present information age are immense. In spite of the
numerous avenues and changes, the media influences coming from US, Europe,
Korea, mainland India and our neighbours are filling up our cultural vacuum.
The violence, morality and stereotypes portrayed on TV are not always the
reality as many of us believe and imitate. Along with gun culture, increasing
rate of violence especially against women and degrading morality, the youths
have imbibed a superficial sagacity of modernity by adopting the Western style
of life as portrayed in the media. We
live in two worlds – the tribal world that we belong to but partially estranged
from, and the European-American-Korean to which we will never be able to fully
become no matter what they eat, dress or how they behave. We have gradually
become self-alienated and estranged from our indigenous roots leaving us
ashamed or confused of our identity and sense of self.
Materialistic obsession
for modern lifestyle, fashion and gadgets has made young people live
extravagantly beyond their means or that of their parent’s income. After having
a taste of the high and easy life in big cities or on the media, dignity of
labour has lost its value among the Naga youth today. The youth consider it below
their standard to do manual work and opt for easy life with easy money earned not
out of their hard work.
Unemployment and laziness lends many youth in depression which tends to result
in drug abuse and alcoholism. The problems of insurgency, corruption, drug
abuse, alcoholism and other evils are all interlaced. It is better to earn
little out of one’s own hard work than get thousands of money by unjust means.
It is normal among youths to copy
other cultures and pop stars. But when we try to become some other people or
idolize them at the cost of rejecting and disregarding our own cultural
identity by blindly aping other foreign cultures, it becomes a crisis. A
tree cannot survive without its roots however beautiful it may be.
We may say that our situation today is a price of progress, but
in a world of flourishing cultural diversity the loss of our distinctive tribal
culture will lead to large-scale destruction on our identity as a people. Our distinctiveness will eventually be reduced to anonymity.
Youth are the inevitable
pillar of a society as they are the bearer of old and new ideas. In these
times, youth role is necessary to develop, interpret and pass on the cultural
tradition of the society. The challenge is how to contextualize this process of
change in our own tradition. We
need the kind of education that foster the understanding of the links between
land and person, between local heritage and global civilization - how to progress globally while maintaining our
attachment to our tribal community and tradition. We can learn from the
examples of Japan, South
Korea and Germany that were able to excel to such technological heights even
after the devastating 2nd
World War even as they held on to their rich cultural values along with hard
work.
This realisation is slowly expanding among the
Naga Christian community.One example is the creation of gospel songs in traditional tunes. In the near future, we can envision all our expression of faith and
worship, our community and personal life as a celebration our culture and
adoration of the God who gave it to us.
It does not mean
we should all go back to our half naked, head-hunting and primal way of life. We
cannot fully regain what we have lost as many elements of our culture are
irrelevant for us today. We do have customary laws that are oppressive to some
sections of the society which we need to modify. We must refine and promote the
good values in our traditional culture which are dignity of labour, community
living, respect for nature, sacrifice, integrity, zeal for truth, respect for
elders who at the same time need to listen to young voices, and equal respect
for women.
Culture
is always changing, refining and synthesizing. The youth are growing up in a
diverse and multi-cultural world. Remembering that we all belong to one World,
one Earth and one Humanity, we must learn to accept and embrace people of other
cultures and faiths contributing to peace and harmony. But at the same time we
need to rejuvenate and preserve the original cultural products, lore and
history that distinguish us to give our identity. With justice as the measuring
rod, we need to give space for new ideas and learn from other cultures; which
will open our eyes to revitalize and make our culture stronger. What the Nagas
and the world need today is a generation that grows up to have a high sense
of commitment to the community and neighbour and to the world; a younger
generation who are capable in all the faculties of modern life and yet can
protect and uphold our identity.
References
“Culture,” Webster’s New World Encyclopedia, 1992.
Agono Iralu, “The Impact of Culture…Identity”, in Morung
Express, http://www.morungexpress.com/Perspective/81746.html
Posted on Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 8:35pm ·
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=211224155574303&comments
Tuisem Ngakang, “Colonial Encounter
and the Cultural Processes of Nagas” http://epao.net/ep
SubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Arts_and_Culture.Colonial_Encounter_andCultural_Processes_of_Nagas
U A Shimray, “Interrogating Contemporary Naga Youth and
Social Change” A Seminar Paper on
Social Change organised by Tangkhul Kharar Yar, Bangalore [TKYB] and Tangkhul
Katamnao Long, Bangalore [TKLB] on 2nd February 2008 at United Theological
College, Bangalore.
Kansinglung Kamei,
“A Biblical and Theological Concept for Mission in the Context of Nagaland- A
call to Renewal”. A paper presented at the Nagaland Theological Colleges
Association at New Life Bible College, Dimapur on November 19, 2012. Quoted by Yupangnenla
Pongener, “Can Christianity be ‘Naganized’?” in Morung Express, November 19, 2011.
Tuisem Ngakang
“Legacy Naga Lost to the West: Dilemmas & Challenges” Published On: Wed, Aug 24th, 2011 http://www.nagajournal.com/articles/legacy-naga-lost-to-the-west-dilemmas-challenges/6839
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