When prohibition itself becomes the question
The suspected spurious liquor deaths in Nagaland are more than a law-and-order story. They expose a deeper contradiction: alcohol is prohibited by law, yet it remains sufficiently available to sustain…
A new biodiversity strategy, an old wisdom
Nagaland stands at an important environmental crossroads. The state has a rich biodiversity, but that inheritance cannot be taken for granted. Forests are under pressure, wetlands and streams are changing,…
What are we leaving for Gen Z?
Some of the most pressing issues confronting Naga society today are the protracted Naga political question, electoral malpractice, corruption, unemployment and economic underdevelopment. For those born after the turn of…
The voters behind the numbers
The most consequential figure emerging from Nagaland’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) may not be the number already left out of the draft electoral roll. It may be the nearly five…
When a sport becomes a culture
Sports are often measured by medals, rankings and representation at the national or international level. But that is only one measure of sporting success. A healthy sports culture is also…
When society changes faster than its institutions
Naga society is changing faster than many of its traditional, administrative and public institutions appear prepared to acknowledge. The change is visible in ordinary life. A growing number of people…
We see things not as they are, but as we are
“We see things not as they are, but as we are.” The observation attributed to Anaïs Nin offers a deceptively simple way of understanding why the same reality can produce…
Mokokchung must plan beyond its municipal limits
Mokokchung is changing, and one of the clearest signs is the gradual expansion of commercial activity beyond the traditional limits of the town. This is not necessarily a problem. It…
When tradition meets conservation
Nagaland’s conservation story has always been inseparable from its communities. Nearly 88% of the State’s recorded forest area is privately or community owned, while hundreds of villages have established their…
A Changing UK and Lessons for the Nagas
T he United Kingdom may be entering one of the more interesting constitutional moments of its modern history. Leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have come together to assert…