The sheer velocity of global politics can be dizzying. For a journalist in Mokokchung, keeping up with events beyond our hills is like trying to sprint up a never-ending incline. For example, the moment an article on American geopolitics is drafted, proofread, and finally printed, the world has already moved on to its next crisis, scandal, or diplomatic handshake. The international dateline doesn’t help either – by the time we wake up, the West is still in yesterday, yet the news seem stale, making the news cycle feel even more chaotic.
Closer home, Assam is racing ahead, making headlines that leave even seasoned reporters gasping. The recently concluded Advantage Assam 2.0 summit saw investment commitments ranging between Rs 4.91 lakh crore and Rs 5.18 lakh crore as reported by different sources. That’s a mind-boggling amount, so much so that it almost seems fictional in the context of our little hill state. If money talks, Assam is screaming, while Nagaland is still clearing its throat. One private company’s investment is bigger than Nagaland’s annual budget!
And what of our own capital, Kohima? There’s always something happening – a new political controversy, a street protest, or an infrastructural promise that may or may not be fulfilled. Dimapur, our commercial hub, keeps the economy buzzing with trade, commerce, and, occasionally, a little drama. But here in Mokokchung? The biggest excitement is usually a local social meeting or a particularly enthusiastic church event. We have our own brand of politics, our own social discourses, but in comparison to the breakneck speed of the world, we move at a rhythm dictated by our hilly terrain. Even our thinking, it seems, takes its time navigating the winding roads of contemplation.
Perhaps that’s a blessing in disguise. While the world sprints in all directions, Mokokchung strolls. And who knows? At this pace, we might just be the only place left standing when everyone else has burnt themselves out. But life in slow motion can feel like being left behind.