From the first day of the appearance of their faces in the papers to the last day of the Hornbill festival, they were a sight that gladdened every Naga heart with pride and joy. Congratulations-the mixed TP force for making all our Naga hearts proud by your excellent performance. Your light has shined all the more brightly because of the dismal background against which you have brilliantly performed your duties.
As a Naga, I for one have been hanging my head in shame for the exorbitant prices our various stalls at the Hornbill festival were charging on our guests for sale of their commodities. Everything Naga about me, revolts against this present day most shameful practice. Far for charging our guests, we are a people with a culture that freely gives when some strangers or guests appear on our doorsteps or villages. Have our Naga businessman also become extortionist like our corrupt politicians and so called national workers? What impression are we giving to all our foreign guests who have come from all over the world to see Nagaland and her culture? I am also told about our hotels and taxi drivers who have been charging exorbitant rates from our foreign guests. Shame on all of you for misrepresenting and desecrating our true Naga sense of hospitality and culture.
I however want to end with a positive note by appreciating some of the foreign guests who have noted the various positive Naga characteristics and have expressed their acknowledgement through the various media outlets. Of noteworthy significance in these list of appreciators is included the GOC 3 Corps (Lt. Gen.Gopal R) who, as Chief Guest on Dec. 9 stated that “Naga culture is not only about colourful costumes, dances and songs but more so of the values of honesty, simplicity, hospitality and the great Naga warrior tradition”. Thank you all for your visit and appreciation. I hope Nagas have noted what others have noted about us.
Kaka D Iralu
