Land of Contradictions
Morung Express Editorial
During
the days of State Road Shows, Chief Minister Neipiu Rio would give titles to
the districts as he saw them. To Phek he gave the title ‘Land of Tradition’; to
Mokokchung ‘Land of Music’ and so on. Nagaland is showcased as ‘Land of
Festivals’ while we see some car stickers saying ‘Land of Mission’. While they
carry positive messages, there are undesirable titles which are also
applicable: ‘Land of Taxation,’ ‘Land of Unions and Associations’, ‘Land of
Potholes’, etc. Let me also propose, although there is nothing new about it,
that Nagaland is a ‘Land of Contradictions’.
Padma
Seth said in a health research report, ‘There
are still people in our country some of whom are in the 2nd century
India, 9th century and some others are knocking at the emerging 21st
century India’. Professor Dipankar Gupta calls our modernity ‘mistaken’
because although we equate being modern with having the latest electronic
gadgets and wearing branded clothes, we still carry a primitive mindset. So,
although lifestyle has advanced, our minds have not modernized.
A
friend clicked a picture of Ghaziabad which shows in a single frame, a five
star hotel, a slum, and a multi-storey building complex under construction. This
reminded me of a photo I clicked in Mon town which shows thatched houses,
tin-roofed houses and RCC buildings existing side by side. I have written
before of the ‘other’ Nagaland which we hardly see. When we, the
urban-educated-salaried people, think that Nagas are all marching along on the
road of progress, there are these other invisible Nagas in our midst who have
stood still or are progressing too slowly. A few days back, I traveled to a
remote district and what I witnessed re-enforced this notion that we live in a
land of contradictions.
In
one village which is very near the district headquarter; I talked to women who
give birth, assisted only by their husbands. Taken by surprise, I asked, ‘not assisted
even by traditional birth attendant, your mother, sister, or any women by your
side?’ They replied that they don’t inform anyone while giving birth. How does
your husband help? I inquired further. The husband helps in warming water, cleaning
up, and taking care of the house. Does he touch the baby while delivering? No,
he doesn’t do that. So, it is all done by the mother: delivering the baby,
cutting the umbilical cord with a piece of bamboo, tying it up with a sewing
thread, and removing the placenta! How many days, weeks, or months of rest do
you take before and after delivery, I asked. There is no rest before birth, and
one month after birth, they are back to their fields.
Certain
women are choosing caesarian section as a normal method of delivery to avoid
labor pain. But we have women who still deliver babies at home on their own.
The greater irony is that in this village, there is a primary health centre
with nurses who are present and willing to assist deliveries. The ASHAs who are
community health workers go to these women educating them on the importance of
safe delivery in the health centre and announcing that they will be given
financial incentives. These women I talked to are aware of such provisions. But
that awareness has not translated into action. There is still a big traditional
belief and cultural practices barrier (and other factors too like female
literacy, income, etc) which is obstructing that knowledge to be translated to behavior
change.
The
interview with the women was for a report which will come alongside the State
Human Development Report. And it compels one to question, what type of
development are we talking about? Are we counting the number of cars which have
been increasing? Are we looking at the high-rise buildings in Kohima, Dimapur
and some district headquarters? The progress we have made so far has not
touched a huge section of our rural and some urban population, and we have
marched ahead without them. The result is that some of us are knocking at the
doors of the emerging 21st century while some are left behind. This
blend of glaring contradictions and tragic-comedy situation can entitle
Nagaland to be also called ‘Land of Contradictions’.
Dr. Sao Tunyi works as an Epidemiologist at Directorate of
Health and Family Welfare, Kohima. Feedback can be sent to saotunni@yahoo.co.in, or visit his blog www.thatchhouse.blogspot.in
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