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| Beautiful Angami Naga girls looking gorgeous in traditional finery. Photo Courtesy: EM |
US President Barack Obama has just made a historic visit to Africa, returning to his ancestral homeland
One thing about President Obama is that he is a gifted
speaker, for sure a huge plus point for a politician, and he certainly didn’t
disappoint during his Africa visit. Both in Nairobi and Addis
Ababa , he delivered bold as well as inspiring
speeches.
What I found most interesting in his televised major
addresses in both countries was his strong mention of ‘bad traditions’ and the
need to build new ones while referring to the frequent marginalisation of women
in African societies. "Just because something is part of your past doesn’t
make it right. It doesn’t mean it defines your future,” he said, adding, "These
traditions may date back centuries. They have no place in the 21st century.
They are issues of right or wrong in any culture."
Now, there’s something we too can take away from an American
president’s Africa visit that has little to do
with us. Mr Obama may not exactly be an authority on tribal traditions, but his
words certainly give some food for thought.
Just as the Africans, we Nagas are also a people steeped in
customs and traditions that not only shape our everyday life and interactions
but also major decisions concerning our society as a whole. Every tribe is
governed by traditions handed down by our forefathers, which we hold sacred and
mostly non-negotiable.
This is not a bad thing, especially in this day and age when
the risk of losing ourselves and our identity in the onslaught of various
foreign influences is very real. The practice and observation of these age-old
traditions keep us connected to and aware of our roots. As they say, “If we
forget where we came from and what made us who we are now, then we will have no
foundation to stand up on and we will eventually crumble.”
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| Konyak Naga men display some of their traditional gear Photo Courtesy: EM |
That said, if we are honest then we have to admit that not
all our traditions are good traditions. Again, just as in the African societies
we also have many traditions that marginalise and sideline half of our
population who hold up the sky. We may not have extremes like genital
mutilation of girls, but there’s plenty that treats women as lesser beings
whose voice is worth nothing. Naga men are always vociferous in their denial of
this undeniable truth and maintain that Naga women have equal rights and equal
say. Really? As I said, let’s be honest.
By the way, many times we also find ‘traditions’ being brandished
only to suit a purpose and serve self-interests.
Anyway, my point is that instead of blindly following
traditions which we know in our hearts to be unfair to any section of the
society and which does not add value to our life in general, it would do us
good to reflect on how it came about and whether it is relevant to our present.
This way, we can tweak and improve or abandon, if that is the only solution,
and build new ones that will enrich and strengthen our people.
Blindly adhering to a tradition even when we know it to be
bad simply because it came from our forefathers will only leave our society
stagnant and our relationships strained.