North by North-east: Hearth and home in the hills of Zup Zha
The jeep moved off the highway before Kohima and made its way up a narrow but smoothly metalled road, zig zagging as we climbed. The Nagaland capital of Kohima was just a few kilometers away, the steamy plains of Dimapur and Assam were far behind; the air was clear, the sky was blue and it was cool, the trees were washed a rich deep green by the constant rains.
The jeep entered a compound with a spectacular view of the hills beyond and the valley below and my hosts, Niketu and Christine Iralu, came out to greet us warmly. They were staying in the guest house of the Kohima Baptist College, with their dog, two cats and two maids, as their home down the hill was being built. For decades, Niketu and Christine have served the North-east and especially his home state of Nagaland with unswerving integrity and great courage, seeking to tackle the roots of societal crisis – ranging from alcoholism in the family to the wider dimensions of conflict and tragedy in the Naga people.
I don’t know if Niketu, who is now in his 70s and looks 20 years younger, has any idea of the number of times that he has gotten into a night bus in Shillong to undertake that strenuous journey to Dimapur and Kohima upon a call from civil society organizations, or the Church or from relatives. He always smiles cheerfully: “You get wonderful sleep, the seats are so good.” He always sees the positive; yes, the buses are comfortable, I also have traveled on them but to do it several times a month, month after month is extremely taxing.
For Christine, a trained singer and pianist who has helped set up the celebrated Shillong Choir, it’s also been tough with these frequent absences – so it’s good to see both of them together as they share this new adventure of a new home which they want to make a place where people can come to reflect and find solutions to problems. Her two beloved pianos are shrouded in mattresses and plastic to protect them from moisture and dust.
They have never had a home of their home – for years, they made theirs in the sprawling bungalow in Shillong of the late Stanley DD Nichols-Roy, a prominent political leader of Meghalaya, whose family asked them to be based there as a gesture of support. The house that is being built in the curiously named village of Zup Zha, where the Iralus have ancestral land, is their first home and it has been quite a story in the making, reflecting the deep social capital and strength that exists among the Nagas.
The architect, one of the most sought after in the state, has donated his expertise and makes frequent trips, without seeking compensation. Under his supervision, a magical place is taking shape, built with traditional wood where the heart of the home is the Naga hearth – as anywhere in these hills, where people gather to talk, share, gossip and learn, apart from eating. Local rocks frame the fireplace and the water tank. The windows open to the freedom of clean air.
In salutation of his years of work for the Nagas, Niketu’s clan from his village of Khonoma – the home of the Naga fight for independence — came and worked for a full day, giving their time, energy and capability. They dug a ditch to strengthen the hill side and in the process came across a World War II trench, which will be at the heart of a landscaped garden. Terraced rice cultivation has been practiced from time immemorial at Khonoma and it is from here that Angami Zapu Phizo, who heralded the call, hailed.
Many in the Naga movement could learn from his large heartedness and vision, for here is a man who counsels goodwill and works for healing and reconciliation among his own people, without prejudice or barriers. This work is not based on simple talk or theorizing but decades of hard and challenging service in understanding critical issues and addressing the hurts, angers and suspicions which have long divided and harmed Naga society. He is counselor to many and through this process of helping others take the first steps out of bitterness and anger toward healing and respect for the other person’s or groups’ point of view.
Without such a basic and fundamental shift in thinking and approach, no peace settlement, at whatever point, can work unless it is based on a stable ground of conciliation and understanding among the divided Naga groups, political and tribal.
By Sanjoy Hazarika