Local legislator roots for Nagamese as official ‘language’

DIMAPUR, MAY 28 : The weasel dialect ‘Nagamese’ has found a support in a local legislator who has said that the crude pidgin should be made “official” and a “language” no less. On Saturday, the Minister of Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation, CL John, said that the fatherless pidgin was the ‘most spoken’ medium of communication in Nagaland.

The politician was speaking during a community event of the Ollo community of Arunachal Pradesh living in Nagaland. The community celebrated their 4th Woraang Festival at the local ground of Purana Bazar-B, in Dimapur on Saturday.
In his address, the legislator said that the crude pidgin should be made an ‘official language’ as ‘most of the people of Nagaland’ communicate through it.

‘Nagamese is the most spoken dialect of the state and since most of the people of Nagaland are living in rural areas, Nagamese should be made official,’ he said.

The minister also considered himself ‘one of the most Nagamese spoken ministers’ of Nagaland. Nagamese is one easy way of communicating with the people of Nagaland along with English, he explained.

On more practical matters, the minister said that the ‘real festival was when you forgive.’ The concept of forgiving and forgetting should not happen only in churches but in the practices of every individual’s life, the politician said.

Also, commenting about the various Naga communities scattered across various states and neighboring countries, CL John said that Naga from every land should unite in bringing peace. ‘It is not right to claim that the Nagas of Nagaland are the only Nagas,’ he said, ‘as before independence they were considered one Naga.’

The minister also asserted that ‘tribalism’ separated the Naga. He said all the Naga, be it from bordering Myanmar or from states such as Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh should unite and support the ‘Naga political issues of Nagaland.’ The Naga should reach out to the ‘centre’ with one voice seeking peace for the people, he said.

The guest of honor during the event, the president of India Sports Sangh, Yumsem Matey also spoke during the program. He spoke about the importance of ‘all kinds of festivals.’ Festivals are a tradition inherited from forefathers; festivals are celebrated by the younger generations to learn and let live past practices, he said. Matey advised communities in general to ‘respect and preserve every culture.’

The Ollo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh is currently residing in Namyung Township in the eastern regions of Nagaland and in Naga-inhabitad areas of Tirap and Changland districts in Arunachal Pradesh.

Woraang festival is one of the community’s most important festivals, among the 12 others celebrated annually.

Literally, ‘Woraa’ means ‘Hornbill’ while ‘raang’ denotes ‘decoration.’ Hence, Woraang means ‘beautifully dressed like a hornbill’. The festival is celebrated after completion of jhum cultivation during April and May.