MERIEMA — The Nagaland University Students' Union, Kohima campus (NUSU-KC) in Meriema on Friday wrapped up their 19th Zona Fest on the theme "Commemorate the past: Unleash the imagination."
The event's finale, which was the literary day, featured a series of engaging competitions including slam poetry, quiz, debate, extempore speech and advertisement along with a captivating musical evening, marking the conclusion of the two-day celebration.
Speaking at the event, Avinuo Kire, author and poet, emphasised the vital role of oral literature in preserving Naga culture and urged young writers to integrate oral and written traditions for a dynamic literary landscape that honours the past while embracing the future.
She underscored the importance of oral literature as the cornerstone of Naga literature, passed down through generations via storytelling. Kire also highlighted how folktales and legends elucidate the origins, identity and values of the Naga people.
She stated that oral narratives belong to the community and lack specific authors and noted that folktales are often recounted as factual events, regardless of their fantastical elements.
Kire discussed the impact of Western education and the American Baptist Mission, which supplanted traditional Naga education systems. She also highlighted how colonisation shaped Naga worldviews, leading to a shift towards reading and writing and a decline in the importance of oral tradition.
She elaborated on the distinction between literacy and education, highlighting that an oral society can be just as sophisticated as a literate one.
She further urged young writers to honour and perpetuate the oral tradition while embracing writing and also emphasised the importance of blending the poetic essence of oral storytelling with the practicality of written language to cultivate a vibrant literary landscape for the future.