I am basically addressing this question to the town dwellers of Kohima, Dimapur and some other urban areas of Nagaland. Yes, whatever has happened to our cultural ethos of being fair to our fellowman in our business and social dealings? Have we thrown away all our ethical norms to the suffocating winds of the so called modern era where money and accumulation of wealth has become a mad obsession?
Weren’t we the custodians of a culture where we had a deep sense of shame over selfish business dealings? For example, coming to the rates of basic kitchen essentials, I was amazed when vegetable prizes shot up from Rs 10 to Rs 20 overnight. But now it has doubled and tripled to Rs 100 a bundle which is much lesser than a Kg. And of all people, some of our elderly lady vegetable vendors are our own aunties and grandmothers from neighbouring villages and other regions of Nagaland.
In revolt, many a times I have squatted down right in front of them and asked them: “look at my face. I am not a foreigner or a plainsman. I also know how to cultivate or do gardening. How dare you charge so much on a fellow Naga?” I have also many times shown them the money I was carrying and told them, “It is not a question of my not having sufficient money but I will never stoop down to such levels of exorbitant prices.” If my son happens to be with me, he always scolds me for seemingly quarrel ling with everybody in the streets of Kohima. But that’s that. I hope the reader gets my point. It has become a shameful thing for all Nagas-especially in front of or our real foreigners who visit us with all sorts of positive reports about our excellent hospitality. How dare we charge them Rupees 100 for a mug of rice beer or Rupees 1000 for a plate of rice and meat at our Hornbill festivals? If that is Naga hospitality, then shame on every Naga for not collectively opposing such exorbitant prices.
Kaka D Iralu
