As Nagaland Post crosses another milestone on completion of 28 years of dedicated service to the people of the state on December 3,2018, this newspaper has a lot to tell about a lot it had come through, which could even be documented in the form of a book. Nagaland Post continues to impact people across various sections of society as well as being the conscience keeper . This is not merely because it is being published regularly but because it has always maintained a healthy balance. The newspaper also has not merely existed but continued to grow in all spheres despite severe handicaps. Unlike other daily newspapers which rightly went in for the latest offset technology, Nagaland Post had to use outdated letter press and hand composed methods because of lack of financial resources. Swimming against the tide required more than courage. It also required more than a desire. What made swimming against the overwhelming tide was a sense of mission. Using hand composed matter and letter press treadle machines in the 90s was unthinkable or even laughable since the world around then was about computers and web offset technology. An independent newspaper without financial backers or patrons amounts to nothing. In its journey, Nagaland Post achieved the distinction of being the first newspaper to be published in color in the state and also the first in the north east to come out with multi-page color. In addition, Nagaland Post is the second highest circulated daily newspaper of the north east published in English. In many ways, disadvantages has been turned into advantages such as lacking financial patrons, which has made it possible for the newspaper to be an independent voice. It is interesting to recall, that despite Nagaland Post being published in a treadle machine with hand composed matters, it did not come in the way of the newspaper fighting against odds in publishing photographs from halftone plates. The problems of power cuts and cracked and broken plates were constant companions. The other non-printing aspects of the experience was the environment that was dominated by shootouts, ambushes, IED explosions and midnight raids. The newspaper had extensively reported on ambushes on a speaker, assassination attempts on a chief minister, a minister and former minister. As with many past incidents, Nagaland Post provided factual accounts of the infamous “Black Christmas” of December 26,1994 in Mokokchung . It also maintained an independent account from credible sources regarding another infamous episode which was dubbed as the “panic firing” incident of March 5,1995 in Kohima. The report of Nagaland Post was totally different from those given wide reportages in regional and national newspapers. Factional conflicts had also exposed the newspaper’s staff to threats from various quarters. It was nothing but an attempt to dictate on the media. The other aspect during the past more than two decades, was that Nagaland Post enlivened a generation of school and college going students, many of who are well placed. These youths learnt about their environment through reports in Nagaland Post which continually provided objective and clear analytical views and opinions about events which helped promote an informed readership. Even today, policy makers and thinkers highly value the analytical opinions of the newspaper. This is the best tribute and a humbling experience that many have acknowledged about how Nagaland Post has changed their perceptions.
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