Staff Reporter
Dimapur, May 7
[dropcap]L[/dropcap]and resources and their associated aspects ought to be used according to the needs of development, an administrator of the district has said. The current condition of Nagaland has impacted a situation where books can now be used as a point of reference for people to engage conversations that encompass issues from development to border issues, deputy commissioner of Dimapur district Kesonyu Yhome said on Wednesday.
The deputy commissioner was speaking during the release of a book, a compilation of selected papers, essays, and columns given to the topic of land use, in Dimapur. The book, ‘Challenges of Land Development in Nagaland,’ was released on Wednesday in Elim Hall of the DABA office complex. The compilation was edited by principal of Theological College, Rev. Dr. Takatemjen. It is a fifth, and published by Clark Centre for Peace Research and Action.
During the release, the deputy commissioner said that such a book would serve as a critical point of reference for discussions. If debated upon, Kesonyu Yhome said, will bear ‘healthy fruits’ for the community.
As a state, Nagaland has reached a stage of ‘dilemma’ where the people are unsure about the direction it is moving toward, the administrator said. That the situation compels, he said, there is a need for the people to refer books such as the one just released, to discuss topics involving development; they could be the special development zones, to issues concerning the border; it could be used as a reference for other extremes of moral principles on the use of land for the community, he said.
Complementing Clark Centre for Peace Research and Action for publishing books that were relevant to the society, Yhome said the output will act as an eye-opener to tracing directions toward better solutions to issues. ‘If man has to progress we will have to use land according to our needs for development,’ the deputy commissioner said.
Yhome said such kind of issues will ‘die hard’ and will continue for a time but books will provide a platform in giving space to people to discuss and deliberate on, for instance, patters of land-use and the challenges from administrative traditions practiced by forefathers. These issues will confront the community for years to come, he said.
The deputy commissioner also emphasized the importance of land use. Yhome said associated issues should be broached before all classes of the society and not only among policy makers. If the society has to coexist peacefully, he said, every stakeholder and section of it should confront issues at hand; they ought to ‘imaginatively come forward’ while striving to bring better solutions for use of land and its resources.
Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Dr. L Imsutoshi Jamir read an excerpt from the book. He said that the book was divided into 6 sections with 22 articles, and 3 opinion polls, and a field research contributed by academicians, bureaucrats, and senior citizens, practitioners of peace and students of Clark Theological College.
Giving the preliminary remarks, Dr. Jamir said, ‘Today, globally we are confronted as never before with the issues such as climate refugees and resource terrorism.’ The societies are being challenged by the so-called ‘Land Ordinance Bill’ even amid farmers committing suicide in the country, he said.
The speaker cited likened topics being faced by the north eastern Indian region. The northeast region of India is facing challenges linked with issues concerning border and boundary of states, disputes with neighboring states, and regional problems such as the dispute that place in Tuensang district earlier. Such challenges are all linked to land and that for indigenous communities of the world and tribal communities such as the Naga in particular, he said, there can never be a more crucial concern than the issue of land.
Nonetheless, Dr. Jamir pointed out that the purpose of the book was not necessarily to provide ‘readymade answers’ to question associated with land but rather ‘a humble attempt to sensitizing the people about the issue we are struggling with’.
Editor of The Morung Express, Dr. Akum Longchari moderated the program. The book was dedicated by associate pastor of the Dimapur Ao Baptist Church Rev. Maong Lemtur.
The book costs Rs. 495 (soft back) and Rs. 695 (hardback). Copies can be bought from CLC in Dimapur, Signet book stall in Dimapur, Western Book Depot in Kohima and Clerk Literature House in Mokokchung.
