Mokokchung: Will the Last Rise First?

This column is not meant to undermine the best of Mokokchung, nor write off what the district can achieve in the future. Rather, it is a call for introspection on how Mokokchung is faring across various sectors. While Mokokchung has a proud legacy and immense promise, the reality on the ground presents a troubling picture that demands urgent attention.

Mokokchung lacks proper healthcare. We have to protest just to secure the bare minimum in healthcare services. How much are we suffering due to this inadequacy? Water scarcity is a perennial issue. With no solution in sight, fears grow that the shortage will worsen in the future. Reliable electricity remains an unrealistic expectation.

Roads are in deplorable condition, with hardly any location in town offering a smooth drive. Those that are paved don’t even outlast a monsoon season. Our trade and commerce sector appears to be growing, but not in proportionate volume. Markets are busy only when government employees receive their salaries. Waste management is an eyesore, with no effective sanitation system in place. Education in Mokokchung remains largely average, with no institutions of repute offering excellence.

Private enterprises that could generate wealth are scarce, and the absence of industries means fewer jobs. We have no sportspersons of state or national repute, nor have we made significant strides in tourism, science, or technology. Our agricultural sector is far from self-sufficient, leaving us dependent on external supplies for food. Worse, we don’t even have a preacher with the courage and standing to command moral authority against societal ills and corruption in public offices.

The phrase “the first will be last, and the last will be first” appears multiple times in the Bible, primarily in the teachings of Jesus. Not that Mokokchung was ever first in most of the above, but certainly, we are last in Nagaland today. This is a call for introspection and soul-searching. The only hope is that problems are opportunities—at least for those who take action. But the question remains: are there doers in Mokokchung?

MT