The second day of the Literature Festival & Book Fair, organized by The White Owl in collaboration with Penguin, at Zone Niathu by the Park, Ch\u00fcmoukedima, featured discussions on the Indo-Myanmar borderland, governance challenges, and cultural narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The day began with a session titled \u201cFrontiers, Corridors and Connectivities: A Conversation on Writing about the Indo-Myanmar Borderland.\u201d The discussion featured Sanjoy Hazarika, Mmhonl\u00fcmo Kikon, Patricia Mukhim, and Samuel G. Ngaihte, moderated by Golan Naulak.
Sanjoy Hazarika, a prominent writer, academic, and policy expert noted that one of the key reasons the Indo-Myanmar borderland lacks attention and study was India\u2019s inconsistent policy toward Myanmar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He highlighted India\u2019s Myanmar policy as being shaped primarily by two factors: security concerns in the Northeast and a strategic view of China as an adversary. He explained that Myanmar is a complex country currently embroiled in civil war, making it difficult to formulate a long-term policy that accommodates security interests while addressing economic and social concerns in the Northeast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also noted that the \u2018Look East Policy,\u2019 launched in 1992 , was later reframed as the \u2018Act East Policy\u2019 by Prime Minister Modi. However, Hazarika pointed out that such policies are ineffective if the neighborhood remained unstable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He dwelt on the challenges of writing about the Indo-Myanmar borderlands as academic institutions in India barely considered the eastern border as significant as the western and northern borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He emphasized that in order to write well informed books and articles required extensive fieldworks on both sides of the border, something he accomplished last year by traveling into Myanmar and visiting underground-controlled territories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Editor of The Shillong Times, Patricia Mukhim shared her experiences regarding border issues, particularly in the Indo-Bangladesh region. She noted that while border fencing exists along the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border, there are still open sections, and people on both sides engage in fishing in the same river, demonstrating the impracticality of \u201chard borders\u201d in these areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She pointed out that the Northeast shares only 1% of its borders with mainland India, while 99% is with neighboring countries and questioned why the Indian government does not pay adequate attention to the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was critical of India looking at China as an adversary, arguing that diplomacy should emphasize dialogue and cooperation. She also highlighted the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project,a trade route between India and Myanamar, originally budgeted at Rs.536 crore has now ballooned to Rs.3,200 crore and still incomplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former legislator and BJP\u2019s national spokesperson, Mmhonl\u00fcmo Kikon emphasized the colonial history of the region, pointing out that before British rule, the area was not considered a frontier. He highlighted how British policies, such as the 1826 Treaty, created an artificial divide between hills and valleys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further discussed security concerns, such as drug smuggling and migration due to Myanmar\u2019s internal conflict. Kikon also touched on the Free Movement Regime (FMR), originally designed to facilitate cross-border cultural connections. However, he noted that it was later restricted to a 10 km radius due to security concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samuel G. Ngaihte, a research scholar, discussed the absence of academic frameworks to write about the Indo-Myanmar borderlands, noting that the concept of \u201cborders\u201d is largely imposed by states and does not necessarily reflect the lived realities of people in these regions. He called for a new approach to academic studies, incorporating local terminologies and perspectives to better represent the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The final session of the day, titled \u201cNavigating Bureaucracy: Governance and Challenges in the Northeast,\u201d featured Kekhrievor Kevich\u00fcsa, Livitoli Sukhalu, and former chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir, moderated by Sashi Wapang, additional commissioner Central GST.
Initiating the discussion, Alemtemshi acknowledged the enduring positive influence of British colonial governance structures on local administration, while urging modern bureaucrats to embrace reform and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jamir praised the legacy of institutions like the village council system, Gaon Buras (village elders), and the dobashi (traditional interpreters and advisors) system, crediting them with fostering stability and participatory governance in Nagaland\u2019s rural communities. He noted that these systems, despite their colonial roots, have been instrumental in shaping the state\u2019s administrative fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While pointing to progressive reforms introduced by former chief secretaries like A.M. Gokhale and R.S. Pandey, Jamir mentioned the success of the Village Development Board (VDB) and communitization initiatives, which transferred power to local communities, enhancing village-level decision-making and resource management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Jamir stressed that the future of Nagaland\u2019s bureaucracy hinges on adaptability. He urged civil servants to become \u201ceducated, human-centered, and digitally aware,\u201d emphasizing the importance of technological literacy and empathy in public service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expressing optimism, Jamir placed his faith in Nagaland\u2019s youth, describing them as a driving force capable of leading transformative change in the state. He underscored that bureaucratic evolution is crucial to ensure that governance keeps pace with societal needs.
Deputy secretary P&AR, Livitoli Sukhalu emphasized that while Nagaland has a young statehood status, it has a longer history of governance than often realized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She pointed out that bureaucracy in Nagaland faces the challenge of not being fully institutionalized, with the public yet to fully integrate governance into daily life. She also highlighted the accessibility of government officials in Nagaland as a positive aspect, despite occasional criticisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She discussed resistance to technology within bureaucratic systems, such as the Smile app and e-governance tools. Initially, there was opposition to systems like the Personal Information Management System (PIMS) from departments like school education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, once salary disbursement was tied to the system, participation increased. Similarly, skepticism toward online registration for the CMHIS health insurance scheme gradually diminished as people realized its efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commissioner & Secretary, Kekhrievor Kevich\u00fcsa analyzed bureaucracy from a theoretical perspective, referencing Max Weber\u2019s definition and highlighting areas where Nagaland\u2019s bureaucracy falls short, such as lack of specialization, informal hierarchies, and issues with transparency and merit-based recruitment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He called for public access to government documents, standardized recruitment exams, and better accountability through mechanisms like the RTI Act and grievance redressal systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Workshops were conducted on various topics on the second day, including a Writing Workshop with Hollotoli School, led by Varsha Seshan, and a Creative Writing Workshop with Ratna Vira at the Town Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Children\u2019s sessions focused on culture and folklore, offering activities for different age groups. For ages 6-8, events included a book launch for \u201cWrestling Day\u201d by Theyie Keditsu, storytelling sessions, jewelry crafting with Zaben Murry, and theatrical storytelling by Pankaj Saikia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For ages 9-12, sessions included a wordless book-making workshop with Pankaj Saikia, jewelry crafting, and an exploration of Manipuri folklore with Linthoi Chanu. The 13-16 age group participated in fantasy storytelling, a fishbowl discussion with Varsha Seshan, and sessions on folklore-inspired writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other notable sessions included \u201cRoots and Wings: Nurturing a Love for History and Culture in the Next Generation,\u201d featuring Theyie Keditsu, L. Somi Roy, Hannah Lalhlanpuii, and Malsawmi Jacob, moderated by Linthoi Chanu. Another session, \u201cA Feast of Words: Food, Culture, and Literature,\u201d brought together Rohini Rana, Alemjungla Jamir, and Nilanjan Bhattacharya, moderated by Rituparna Patgiri. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, \u201cLove in the Time of Pop Culture: Writing New-Age Romance\u201d featured Swati Hegde and Durjoy Datta in a discussion moderated by Gurveen Chadha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The festival\u2019s second day offered an in-depth exploration of crucial issues such as borderland studies, governance, and literature, while also fostering young talent through creative workshops.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The second day of the Literature Festival & Book Fair, organized by The White Owl in collaboration with Penguin, at Zone Niathu by the Park, Ch\u00fcmoukedima, featured discussions on the Indo-Myanmar borderland, governance challenges, and cultural narratives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":471528,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[679],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-471524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nagaland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=471524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/471528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=471524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=471524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=471524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}