Nagaland Tourism brand ambassador Onenienla Imsong, popularly known as Onen Nenty, is the first woman to complete a solo bike tour across the state in July 2019, carrying the message of ‘women empowerment’.
She was also awarded the ‘Influencer of the Year 2021’ in the recently held 4th Northeast Unsung Heroes Red Carpet Social Awards in Mumbai for “outstanding contribution towards the society and uplifting the women empowerment.”
Here is an exclusive interview with Onen Nenty.
MTimes: You’ve also just wrapped up travelling. How did it go? Would you like to share with us?
Onen: Yes, I have had a back to back event in Guwahati and Mumbai. Every event that I go to is a lesson learning phase for me. I was honored to be guest of honor at the ‘All-Women Two-Wheeler Rally’ to celebrate Motherhood at Guwahati which was organized by Mirchi 95FM on mother’s day. Right after that event I took another journey to Mumbai to attend the Northeast Unsung Heroes Red Carpet Social where I was given the award as the Influencer of the year for 2021. So yeah, I feel blessed and I am motivated to do more this year.
MTimes: There are just so many incredible things attached with you but kindly tell us a little more about Onen Nenty – the person behind all the charisma.
Onen: I am no extra ordinary human. I grew up in a loving family with three elder sisters, an elder brother and my loving parents. I was raised with love and affection and I attended my school and College like every one of us.
That being said, my daddy was a police personnel. We were brought up with discipline and at times adventure by my great daddy. He laid the foundation of me being an adventurous human. On the other hand, my Ama was super supportive and was a woman of faith and dedication. She taught me to be the woman that I am right now.
So, these two characters shaped my life and I am Onen Nenty because of my parents. The other things that you see in me are the things that I’ve picked up along the way, by learning and toiling hard.
MTimes: You are also the first woman to complete a solo bike tour across the state, the brand ambassador of Nagaland Tourism and many more; How does it feel to be empowered in many ways? What would you suggest more people do to feel more empowered?
Onen: To be very honest, I take it as a blessing. Whatever I have achieved or done in my life could not have been done with the help and blessings from our almighty. As my late mother used to say Onen, wherever you go or whatever you are doing always keep praying to God and I strongly believe that my prayers and the constant prayers of my loved ones are the reason why I’m here today.
The empowerment of a human comes from within; it’s how you look at things or matters from your own perspective. I can’t say I’m empowered, I just believe in myself that I’m empowered. It’s the little things that you do in your life that empowers you. All of us are empowered and we all have the capacity to empower one another.
My advice to people who want to feel more empowered would be, to focus on what you are doing, always cherish the little things in life and try to uplift one another in life.
MTimes: In your travels, you must have experienced various cultures, society and people. What has been your most pleasant and worst experiences so far?
Onen: There are no such instances as a good or bad experience with the culture and society. As a rider I always keep an open mind wherever I go, I go with positivity. I say this because when you give out your positivity, you get back positivity.
There are some instances where I’ve had bad experiences with people while I travelled but I’m not going to mention it here or anywhere else. What happens during the adventure stays with the adventure and that’s that for me.
MTimes: What was the reaction of your family or your close ones when you announced your passion and the desire you have? Did you ever wonder how society would react to your life choices?
Onen: My family was more than happy with what I wanted to do. My dad loved adventure as well as my sisters so yeah they were okay with what I decided and my family is my energy and support system. They are always up for any challenges and they always keep me comforted.
Yes, to be very honest I had some second thoughts about how society would react but that is where my friends and my loved ones come in. They would always cheer me up when I was in doubt and they would also give me solutions. So yeah, everyone played their role perfectly in giving me this perfect opportunity in life.
MTimes: How has Nagaland evolved in your opinion over the past few decades?
Onen: It has evolved in a lot of areas, I’m sure some would say that we are going backwards due to inadequate infrastructure in our state but I would like to focus on the brighter side, our people are achieving greatness in the international domain, we are trying to self sustain ourselves without depending on any government jobs and we are bringing up a lot of talented youths from our state.
We will not be great in a day or two but I am of the view that we will be great someday.
MTimes: As an ambassador of Nagaland Tourism, are you satisfied with our current tourism status? What do you think Nagaland should do to fully harness the potential of tourism?
Onen: Nagaland Tourism is a branch that’s pushing the state of Nagaland to greater heights. Nagaland Tourism plays this role of a facilitator to the tourist and I see that the department is not only showing the beauty of our nature but we are also sharing the stories of our land. After the pandemic is over, I see a lot of tourists coming into Nagaland again.
Nagaland is a state that needs to keep an open mind to new ideas and fresh minds. If we can do that, Nagaland will have no trouble in boosting the state economy.
MTimes: How do you look back on your journey of life and what will you say to your fifteen year old self?
Onen: My journey in life has been very eventful, there have been a lot of ups and downs with a lot of twists that were hard to swallow but I thank God for my problems and failure because those things have made me stronger.
All I can say to a 15 year old me is, “Never give up.”
MTimes: What do you consider your life’s biggest achievement to be?
Onen: Biggest achievement that I’ll consider will be my first adventurous ride from Delhi to Leh in 2018 which was the Himalayan Women Odyssey Organized by Royal Enfield. That ride taught me a lot of valuable lessons in riding which I’m so grateful for.
MTimes: Do you have a favorite dream bike?
Onen: Well, I don’t have an answer because I flirt with a lot of bikes. I might name a favorite bike out here and might mention some other bike in a different interview, so I’ll just say I love bikes in general.
MTimes: What’s next for you, Onen?
Onen: Only time will tell but I’m sure of doing more adventurous rides and I’m also looking forward to doing a little for the society as well. Fingers crossed!
MTimes: A message for our readers
Onen: Hello readers, all I can say is that, all of us are special in different ways and we are bound to do great things in life. Never give up on your dreams and trust in our good Lord. “He always delivers.”