It began with a simple WhatsApp video – a soulful song ‘Vanishing Family Bonds’ about family relationships, connections, and the delicate balance we often take for granted. Around the same time, news was circulating about the growing public resistance to the proposed prepaid electricity metering system in Nagaland. On the surface, these two things – an emotional tune and a technical policy debate – seem unrelated. But the more I thought about it, the more they started to align in my mind.
Electricity, after all, is not just about wires and watts. Like human relationships, it flows silently, powers our lives, and requires constant care. When systems—emotional or electrical—are ignored, misused, or taken for granted, they falter. Nagaland’s power crisis, marked by mounting deficits, unpaid dues, and outdated infrastructure, is more than just an administrative challenge. It reflects deeper issues of shared responsibility, fairness, and the emotional currents that bind or divide a society.
In this reflection, I use the metaphor of electricity to explore both the personal and public aspects of connection: how we relate to each other, how we draw energy from shared systems, and what happens when we forget that even the brightest light can flicker when the grid is stressed.
1. Power Deficit: You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup
Nagaland is facing a chronic power deficit – the demand hit a record 211 MW and is projected to be 360 MW by 2030. Simply put, we are trying to consume more electricity than we can afford to buy or generate (current generation capacity of about 26 MW). In relationships too, giving without rest, without resources, leads to depletion. You can’t light up anyone else’s world if your own battery is dead. This reminds us that sustainability matters—whether in our energy use or emotional reserves.
2. Unpaid Dues: When Responsibilities Are Avoided
One of the biggest challenges in Nagaland is the backlog in electricity bill payments. Just like an overloaded emotional debt, when people keep consuming without paying—be it power or care—it creates strain on the whole system. Someone has to absorb the cost. In relationships, this shows up when people expect others to always forgive, always give, never complain. But no system—personal or institutional—can survive for long without reciprocity. Do you have any dues – unpaid or emotional?
3. Leakages in the Network: The Cost of Outdated Systems
The state’s aging transmission lines are causing massive technical losses—energy that’s generated or bought but the full load rarely reaches homes as it should. This is like relationships running on outdated modes of communication or trust—where so much energy is spent, but little is truly received. Just like power lines need upgrading, our relationships and systems need modern tools: honesty, empathy, digital access, fair policies. A note of caution for digital communication though – unless unavoidable, don’t let that medium substitute physical contacts and personal calls.
4. Lump-Sum Billing in Villages: When One Size Doesn’t Fit All
In rural Nagaland, lump-sum billing (single point meters) is often used in place of accurate metering. While it may seem convenient, it can lead to unfairness—some people underpay, others overpay, and many game the system. It’s a reminder that in both governance and relationships, vague accounting leads to mistrust. Real accountability comes only with clarity, honesty, and customized understanding. How often have we takenour relations for granted and then realised it, only after it long lost. Nothing comes for free, love and compassion are not transactional, but it surely can be reciprocal and mutual.
5. Prepaid Meters: Resistance to Change and the Fear of Accountability
The introduction of prepaid meters in urban Nagaland is facing resistance. Understandably so—people are wary of sudden changes, and many associate meters with surveillance or extra burden. But let’s reframe it: prepaid meters, like personal boundaries, help us monitor consumption, develop discipline, and prevent overload. They put people in control of their usage, much like self-awareness helps us manage emotional energy.
Yes, any transition needs sensitivity, transparency, and community dialogue—but accountability is not the enemy of freedom; it is its foundation.As people, we need to be aware of ourown time, our energy and our social responsibilities; and to be able to do that we need stay alert and recharged, otherwise, there will be no energy.
Conclusion: A Circuit of Shared Responsibility
From the transmission towers to our personal towers of patience and trust, the message is the same: no system can thrive on imbalance, neglect, or hidden drains. Whether it’s a family, a village, or a power department, sustainability comes when:
– Everyone contributes fairly
– Losses – and relations – are acknowledged and repaired
– Systems – and networks – are upgraded, not bypassed
– We ground ourselves in truth and responsibility
Nagaland’s power crisis is not just an administrative challenge—it’s a social mirror. If we want light in our homes and lives, we must all play our part in building a fairer, stronger, and more grounded grid—both electrically and emotionally.
~ Amba Jamir