Advisor to Chief Minister & Chairman, IDAN, Abu Metha, Chairman, TaFMA, Theja Meru, Chairman of Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation, Kuputo Shohe with members of Writers Collective during the closing ceremony of the two-day Nagaland Literature Festival at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Kohima on October 31.
Morung Express News
Kohima | October 31
Underlining that to build an ecosystem of literature, we need institutional and infrastructural support, General Secretary of Writers Collective, Dr Vizovono Elizabeth remarked that, “despite how far we have come, we are struggling as a group of individuals” and urged for the support and contribution of the community.
“Can we Nagas, as a community comprising institutions, organisations, government and the general public, rise to the occasion?,” she posed while delivering the way forward at the closing ceremony of the two-day 6th edition of Nagaland Literature Festival at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Kohima on October 31.
Emphasising that, “we are not doing this just because other people also have Lit festivals”, she underscored that, “we are doing this because it is about our stories, and our roots, our identity.”
Taking Nagaland Literature Festival forward, she also cited some examples of how literature is being treated in some of our neighbouring states wherein the Arunachal Literature Festival is initiated by the Department of IPR, Shillong Literary Festival is organised with the Department of Tourism, and the Dibrugarh University International Literature Festival is organised by a Trust called FOCAL (Foundation for Culture, Arts & Literature) in collaboration with the University, Sikkim Arts & Literature Festival is an initiative of the Chief Minister.
While also highlighting the Jaipur Literature Festival, known as the greatest show on earth is enabled by literature, she said that, “one day when people from other parts of the world come to Nagaland Literature Festival, they will come because it is Naga. Not because it is another JLF, and that is the dream, and the goal.”
Urging everyone to join them on this journey, she said, “Help us carry this dream forward, and achieve this goal.”
Nagas, she further observed, are currently in a transitional period where we are in the process of adjusting to rapid changes around us. In doing so, she urged that, “we must remember to not lose ourselves, or our roots, as we try to keep up with the rest of the world.”
However, she said that, “we are in danger of doing so if we lose our stories; if we fail to listen; if we fail to engage and connect with each other.” While we want to be at par with others, she asserted that, that does not work without foundation.
Highlighting that Writers Collective was formed for the very purpose of providing a platform for our literature to grow; to ensure that our stories are not left behind; to remind ourselves lest we forget, she emphasized that, “this is not just another festival” but “survival” wherein the group is doing its best to amplify the voices of those whose memories have stored our stories, celebrating the voices of the creatives who keep it going in new and inventive ways.
But to do this, she underlined that, “it requires community.” While the literary community in Nagaland is still very small; perhaps the smallest of the artistic communities, she maintained that, “But we are a very passionate and vibrant community.”
In the meantime, she acknowledged Abu Metha, who is the reason for the formation of Writers Collective while also expressing that, “we would not be here today without his vision and prompting.”
