Author: IANS
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date: November 25, 2004
URL: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEO20041124074034&Page=O&Title=This+is+India&Topic=0&
With her smoke and honey voice,
22-year-old Ale Metha is almost the Norah Jones of Nagaland.
She counts among her fans even state
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio who often calls the young schoolteacher to sing
at functions.
At these events, Metha, a devout
Christian, plays a dual role - she dances a traditional war dance where
in the end a man is mock scalped and then croons in her nightingale voice
about Christ as her saviour.
Therein lies a huge dichotomy. "The
dance, yes, that would be considered pagan in rigid Christianity," Metha,
an English graduate, grinned almost apologetically.
"But it's part of my ancient culture,
I cannot forsake it. Just like I cannot leave Christ, my lord, god. So
the two have learnt to live together."
In this, Metha is like many in this
Christian-majority state where most people also belong to one of the numerous
ancient tribes.
Christianity first came to Nagaland
in 1872 but the main waves of faith conversion happened between the 1950s
and 1970s.
Today around 88 percent of the Nagas
are Christians, who also zealously don the feather-filled headgear and
horn and ivory jewellery of their fierce, head hunter forefathers at traditional
festivals.
"We have seamlessly combined the
two," said Alem Pongen, 21, who dances hip-hop in a group called Freestyler's
and also uses his suppleness in the war dances.
"We don't think too much about how
they are contradictory. Both of them are us. There is no concept of 'false
gods' in our Christianity."
That's why today a whole new generation
of Nagas in this state of around 1.9 million are learning about the bravery
of their tribe leaders even as they memorise the scriptures at Sunday school.
Nagaland has the Bible in 12 languages and regularly sends missionaries
to other parts of India.
"I want to be a missionary," said
Awadang Pongen, an arts graduate. "But I will teach my flock that it's
important to hold on to one's history and culture.
"My forefathers were courageous
men, yes, sometimes a little wild. But they were winners, not afraid to
die for what they believed was rightfully theirs."
That's why, explained Metha, churches
were as important to her and her friends as respecting nature - just as
their ancestors once did.
"We are nature loving people. We
may not actually worship it because we believe that god is the ultimate
provider but our respect comes very close to worship," said Metha, who
admires Grammy winner and sitar maestro Ravi Shankar's daughter Norah Jones
and evangelist Billy Graham.
"I want to sing like Norah and preach
like Billy Graham. I'm good at dual tasking. No problem."
