“Menji Shisaliok” launched for school students

Mokokchung | July 23 : In an endeavour to inculcate indigenous knowledge and cultural values to school students, Mopungchuket village today launched a peculiar mission called Menji Shisaliok. Claimed to be a first of its kind, Menji Shisaliok attempts to educate young students in the village along traditional lines. Menji Shisaliok will be a part of the curriculum in the village’s schools as a regular co-curricular activity.
The mission was initially launched in 2010 for the elderly citizens of the village where they would assemble at the Menji Shisaliok during their leisure hours and spent their time making traditional handicrafts. Menji is a traditional institution practised since time immemorial in all Ao Naga villages while Menji Shisaliok may be described as a variant of and adapted from the original and traditional Menji designed to meet the modern exigency in the fast changing rural landscape.
By incorporating this Menji Shisaliok into school curriculum, the villagers believe that the rather neglected and fast declining facets of the village life, like indigenous handcrafts, oral folklore, traditional songs and dances, cultural values and indigenous games can be preserved. Menji Shisaliok is conceived to be a medium to teach the young school children what locals call Sobaliba via storytelling, demonstration and practice.
Rev.Pona Jamir, convener of the Menji Shisaliok committee believes that this mission will enrich the students by learning wholesome education and at the same time open up a vista for the elderly generation, mostly retired from their fields due to old age, to engage themselves in productive activities which in turn will aid in the socioeconomic development of the village.
 The elderly will assemble at the Menji Shisaliok and engage in making handicrafts and tools for sale thereby generating income and, meanwhile, the students will have the opportunity to learn the arts from the elderly in the process. Besides, the students will be also taught the values, practices, norms, ethics, songs, dances – or Sobaliba.
Rev.Pona Jamir is also the chairman of the Mopungchuket Village education Committee. “Launching of Menji Shisaliok as a co-curricular activity in the schools of Mopungchuket village must be the first of its kind,” he claims.
Menji Shisaliok was launched today in the presence of Yarang Pongener, Deputy Inspector of Schools, Mokokchung. The DIS while appreciating the villagers for their endeavour further encouraged the students to learn traditional values and craft.
The day also marked the first session for the students at Menji Shisaliok where storytellers narrated to them stories of yore, dating back to the days at Chungliyimti.