1. Nagas were agricultural warrior tribes. They required metals for their implements and weapons. Therefore, they barter iron-ware, conch shells, salt etc from their neighbours with agricultural produce and animals. In the process of trade relations, the traders pick up Akhomia/ Assamese for communication.
2. The British military survey and administrators brought interpreters from Assam to help them in their task.
3. School teachers and evangelists were brought from Assam by the Whiteman, such as:-
a). Liut. Grogory brought Dr. Cooper from Tura, Assam in 1866-67 and a school was opened at Samaguting (present Chumukedima), the newly administrative headquarter in the Naga Hills.
b). Baboo Godhula was brought from Assam by Rev. Dr. Clark to help him in Molung Mission in 1872.
C). Rev. Dr. C. D. King brought four Christian teachers from Assam to teach in the Mission school Kohima in 1881. They are:- (i) Ponaram from Sibsagar, (ii) Henry Goldsmith from Nowgaon, (iii) Sarbey a Mikir, and (iv) Robin a Garo.d). J. H. Hutton, the then Deputy Commissioner Kohima also brought Titisor Sethua from Golaghat. Pandit Sethua taught Akhomia/ Assamese to the Rengma at Tseminyu from 1918- 1922.
4. Assamese Sahitiya, an Assamese litierature Board was established in Kohima in 1905.
5. Assamese was taught as a subject and medium to the early literates in schools and churches in the Naga Hills before the Nagas pick up Foreign language-English.
6. Local traders and pioneer literates were apoointed as D. B/ Dobashi/ Interpreter to the military officials and administrators. D. B. Courts were established and attached to all the administrative Headquarters.
7. In the process of development fragments Hindi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Nepali, English and local languages were added to the broken Assamese and it was called Nagamese. Nagamese is just a modified Assamese.
8. Naga National workers began to use Nagamese as medium of communication, as most of them were illiterates or semi literates.
9. Christian converts in missionary service in various ministries outside the local community required Nagamese as communication in the ministry.
10. Nagamese programme was introduced in All India Radio for Mass Communication of the Government agendas and programmes.
11. Both Nagamese and English were used in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly session in the early stages, as all the M. L. A’s were not well educated and are more comfortable with Nagamese.
12. Non locals in Government Offices, trade and business, social organizations, casual labourers, domestic helpers etc easily pick up and use Nagamese comfortably with the Nagas, as they are alian to the local Tibeto- Burman family of language in the state.
13. Nagas travelling across Assam, Bengal, Central India, Nepal, East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and Burma (Myanmar) somehow understand and communicate with them enhance the utility of Nagamese among the travellers in various set up.
14. Increase in inter tribal marriages and cross cultural marriages lead to the Nagamese medium of communication among many families.
15. Rapid infra- structural development, urbanisation, increase literacy, transport and communication system, and modernisation etc attracted isolated villagers to move out for better employment opportunities and facilities compelled them to adjust themselves to the outer social environment and begin to use Nagamese in the new set up.
16. Numerous minorities residing in Nagaland who have been converted to Christianity but cannot come under any tribal churches Associations in Urban areas joined together under Nagamese Churches affiliated to NBCC, and are going well with Nagamese medium.
All these factors has lead to the necessity of Nagamese in the changing environment. No doubt, how useful Nagamese may be to the Nagas for communication, let it continue to develop and grow its own natural course and serve its purpose as of now, but it should not be encourage as a scheduled language for Nagaland nor any tribe language be imposed on other tribes. For in doing so will wiped out the Naga cultural identity in the near future and invoke a curse from the creator and His future Naga generations for being not wanting to be who we are. It may also tarnish the reputation of our good leaders as traitors to the future Naga generations.
Leaders and intellectuals are expected to encourage and promote God’s gift of our unique multi-linqual and cultural heritage for peaceful co-existence in the beauty of God’s creative works in the land. But woe to the persons whose policies challenges the Creator’s eternal purpose and invoke/ invite chaos in the society.
Joseph S. Thong
Lower Bayavü Colony Kohima
