The Young-at-heart

Sanyi Dukru belongs to the generation that sang along the melodious tunes of Jim Reeves but one can still see the zealous spirit in him, the passion with which his life became an instrument for inspiration.
He is a ‘young at heart’ whose ambition never seemed to fail for they also say “Hard work always pays’.
His daring quality is one of the things that appeal to me. I believe his audacity has led him to achieve far more than he expected himself. His story reminds one of the traditional Naga life and the simplicity with which education was at its nascent stage in our land. He got married in the year 1982 while he was still in high school, in Class 8 to be precise, and studied further after marriage.
With such nostalgic reminiscence, he recalls how he worked at a sawmill after class and earned Rs 40 per day. It takes patience and dedication but in three years time, he had saved Rs.4000. What came after that was the birth of a dream.
Who would have thought of buying a Tree with the money that came from a long-term saving. But he did, and with that experience, he realised the prospect of Timber Business, which he eventually took up and has never left it since.
But no field of enterprise is without hardship. He’s had his own struggles. He has endured uncountable number of threats and extortions. And even if he had to carry around bruises on his face, he said yes to ‘Business’. And that’s how I think he is one of the pioneers in this field.
Yet his venture isn’t confined to timber. His heart runs out for agriculture as a whole. To which end, he expresses “Nagaland has no industry but we have our land. We do not have to be discouraged and we are privileged that land ownership is solely ours”.
He goes on to add that “agriculture is like a goldmine, and if we are serious on this, we don’t have to depend on the government. We have everything…God has blessed us with so much and we need to make use of it.” For him, work speaks even as he strictly maintains “work is our testimony”. “We shouldn’t look for easy money” is what he strongly stands for.
Today, all the hard work he has put has reaped him rich rewards. One could safely say that he owns one of the biggest farms in Phek district, stretching out to an area of 10 hectares and accommodating varieties types of things that could fit into a farm.
His Farmhouse oversees an orchard of kiwis (4000 in number), apples, 2500 and plums in 600 and currently employs 6 families. He doesn’t only stick to the traditional way of growing trees but he makes it a point to prune it every year and keeps it at 6 feet in order that, when the trees bear fruit, they are not out of reach and compelled to fall waste. It also interests me to learn that poultry and goatery have their place here, making it possible to extract 100 litres of milk everyday from the farm.
Without any doubt, he is an outgoing man who loves to interact with people, to learn and to share. Although complete formal education eluded him, he has never missed out any further opportunity to learn. In his varied experience of pursuing business, he says that the “most challenging thing in business is discovering that people are not honest”.
But he works with a future vision and believes in making a difference. Currently serving as the Chairman of Razeba Marketing Sub-Committee, it is also his dream that all the four villages in the Razeba area would be declared vegetable villages in the years to come as it has rich produce of organic vegetables especially potatoes and cabbage. It may be noted here that two villages in the Razeba area including Zhavame and Tsüfüme have already been declared Vegetable Village in the past few years.
He also served as the President of Nagaland Timber Trade Association (NTTA) and is presently the President of NTTA Phek District.
On a more personal note, he affectionately talks of his family and is a proud father of 9 talented daughters. Our tradition may tend to shift focus on sons but contented to be blessed with these daughters, he expresses that “the challenge of bringing up 3 sons is equivalent to grooming 9 daughters as girls are much more obedient and easier to teach”.
Also an avid traveller, he has been to every nook and corner of Nagaland but something that saddens him more than irritate him is people’s irresponsibility. “It hurts me to see people giving a damn for government property.” Although not exactly a person who encourages the young generation to opt for government service, he is a champ when it comes to dedicating oneself to an ambition that always needs to be accompanied by dedication.
Did I mention he is young at heart? He absolutely believes that our people are very creative and he himself has not deviated from it. He is a great Photographer too!

Zaren Odyuo~ The Entrepreneur

Business, according to Zaren Odyuo, is a social cause as he meticulously explains that looking at any developing state, “It is the business that controls the economy, the life style of the people, and shapes and determines the conditions of a society.”
Perhaps it was with this firm belief that he got into the world of business, but it wasn’t without hardship that he got where he is today. He recalls that his first business venture was a failure and only another tryst marks the start of a retailing career in his life. Being a first generation entrepreneur, he regrets that he never really had the guidance and finance. He says, “It was and is a big struggle and everyday it’s a big challenge as competitions gets tough,” compelling the need to work harder to be ahead.
He’s had trade lessons, as he calls it, by playing multiple roles such as being a salesman to cashier and has endured sleepless nights over calculated risks. But one thing he’s proud to have achieved is the “trust” he has built over the years. Today, he is one among the best known names in the business world, but he never forgets that it had a humble beginning.
Zaren believes that it takes Good Planning and Patience coupled with Dedication and Hard Work, Building Trust, Consistency, and Humility to be successful in this field. And of course, the challenge, he says lies in taking the risk and having the faith, which he insists has brought him this far.
But while the prospect of business in the State is large and bright, one cannot deny the presence of threats and extortions.......towards this end, he feels that “it is time for our Youth to wake up to the reality and ask ourselves why others can do business for generations (with all the taxes & threats) and we can’t.”
“I know of some shop owners who run small businesses here but have buildings and lands in their villages outside the State. One small electrical shop owner has supported his sons in getting into engineering colleges….the list goes on. They know how to handle and deal with our people and make profits; we Naga Entrepreneurs should learn, adapt, do the same and also, in the process, bring about change,” he says.
He also feels that "unless our youth connect and interact, and much help supported genuinely by the underground and the state government, we will surely be controlled by people who really won’t have much concern for our State except to make profits."
On another note, he is of the opinion that “Naga youths are deprived of role models, people that they can look up on, leaders with qualities of being visionaries, transformers, standing up for the truth, basically being a Christian Man.”
“Naga youth are looking to identify or relate with something and the majority are heading towards adapting different foreign cultures which is degenerating our rich culture of being honest, hard working, self reliant and the respect for one another,” he laments and goes on to add that “as much as the older generations are needed to set examples, the Naga youth have a huge task to transform our land. We know the situation! I believe we have the talents, resources, the right people but getting swayed away can be easy for our youths.”
This Young Entrepreneur has a dream for Nagaland, which in his words is “to bring back our glory days when Man took up spears when the villages were threatened. Our society is being threatened by our own people (illegal taxes, corruption on all levels, law and order, etc).”
“If only we speak out and fight, I believe Nagaland will have better days, better education, better health care etc,” he firmly states.
On a lighter note, it may interesting for many to note that his childhood dream was to be a Government Officer although he confesses that business was always at the back of his mind.
Truly a man with a success story, who never had the support of the Government in terms of finance and never had the luxury of having a huge start-up capital, has established a Brand Name – ‘Gravity’ - in three districts of Nagaland - Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung.
‘Tribal Enterprise’ which is his very own brainchild has Benjamin Mozhui as the Co-Owner. Down the years, it has also generated employment to over 90 local youths.
Here is one of our very own who is determined and convinced that it is possible to do business and be successful in Nagaland. He, himself is testimony to it.

Iliangna Haralu~ Playing with Images

Since childhood she has been drawn to the world of images, and perhaps this is where her influence on taking up photography really began. But much more than a hobby, photography is a passion for Iliangna Haralu, which she describes as gradually becoming a profession.
Interestingly, she never took up any formal training in photography but states that she was able to nurture this passion even more closely with the Internet. “This led me to experiment with photographing my immediate surroundings”, she says.
Having started really young in this line, her recent recognition includes a list of her images in Hats for Haiti (a Photobook by Tony Eccles), Vogue India May 2010 issue and Vogue India Feb 2011 issue respectively.
The 24-year-old got her early education from Christian Higher Secondary School Dimapur in 2007 and attended Llandrillo College in North Wales, UK, where she completed the VRQ-2 programme in Culinary Arts with distinctions in the year 2008.
Since then she has launched her own catering service including a page (www.facebook.com/i.bake.dimapur), which she uses as a medium to get orders from across Nagaland and neighbouring states.
Currently she is pursuing her graduation though a correspondence course and says, “I opted for the correspondence because it left me time to pursue my other passions which are Catering and Photography”.
It is her dream to have a chain of stores first across Nagaland and then the neighbouring states in North-East India and finally make her presence felt in the metropolitan cities in the country. When asked where she goes from here, she is quick to say “I am often asked this question, to which my reply is my dream is not yet complete. I have only taken the first step.”
“At the moment I know I have miles and miles to go before I rest my feet,” she adds.
But for somebody her age, she has come a long way capturing and catering. Photography, which she takes both as a passion and a hobby, is a good combination, she says.
Her forte lies in taking portraits but says that since the hobby is an expensive one, she is delighted to photograph any kind of event. Like any other modern technology, she feels that “the changes in photography equipment is equally rapid and coupled with high budgets...you are always left wondering if you can afford the latest version of camera body and lenses”.
She refuses to comment on the scope of photography while maintaining that it is not even two years since she has taken to photography seriously. “So I may not qualify to comment on its prospects,” she says. However, in her personal view, “Photography like any other venture in Nagaland can be limited only by one's individual approach and how hard one is willing to strive at it.”
Throwing a few opinions on the Naga youth, she believes the talent and potential is right here, ‘but for entrepreneurs like me who have no business , it would be a great help if someone could organise a brief Business Management course for the likes of me in Nagaland.”
She feels that the youth today are faced with multifaceted challenges and views that “the root cause for this stems from a lack of absence of vision of their future. Some have either stopped dreaming or those that dream have not been equipped to achieve their dream. There could be several reasons for this such as lack of quality education that challenge the youth to reach beyond themselves, lack of professional management of human resources within the State and an increasing communication gap between parents and children. These factors coupled with governance that validates corruption makes the times extremely hard for the present Naga Youth.”
As for her, she hopes to keep her passion alive, and this, she says “I do so by keeping myself engaged at all times”.
When asked about other things she enjoys doing, she is prompt to add “I like this question the most. I love to travel, shopping for leisure and my professional needs and of course music.”
It is also interesting to note that she comes from an interesting family wherein she describes her Mom as a Gardener and Dad as a Musician.
Driven by passion, there are definitely greater things waiting for this young Photographer...
One can find her pictures at http://www.iliangnaharalu.blogspot.com/ and www.facebook.com/Iliangna.Haralu.Photography.

Kesonyü~ Living his Dream

He has achieved his dream in the prime of his life, and is still driven by that same passion to excel in the elite profession that he earned with absolute honesty. Kesonyü Yhome (IAS), however, confesses that he was without much ambition in his 10th standard.

 It was a gradual process that developed his interest and as he graduated from Science College, Jotsoma, he recalls, “I realised and decided that I’d definitely like to be in the Civil Services.”
After a bit of training in the country’s capital, he also took the NPSC Examination simultaneously and was ranked 5th in the Examination, but there were greater things waiting for him as he cleared the UPSC in the same year in 2007 at twenty-something.
That’s how he is also the recipient of NASU’s Young Achiever’s Award as he became the youngest IAS Officer from the Angami Community.
Having served his first stint as SDO(C), Mokokchung, he is currently the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung district.
He is clearly happy to be part of India’s prestigious service even as he shares his experiences on a journey that only seems to be getting brighter. He says that “the interesting part about this service is that you get to see and touch almost every aspect of public life. From census to welfare schemes, to constitution and policy making…” “Interactions with different sections of people is one of the biggest takeaways from the service,” he affirms while expressing that in other professions, ‘you won’t get this much opportunity to mingle”.
He is fascinated to get a holistic view of the lifestyle of people, the way they think, and do things, from politicians to farmers to government employees. “The degree of interaction is one of the most interesting aspects in this profession” he holds. Besides, he is taken in by visits to different parts of the state, and getting a comparative view of things and institutions, seeing the virtue of people living in different places. “That kind of experience and in-depth understanding of getting the view of different things and times is one of the interesting things,” he says.
The contentment in his voice is undeniable and we get back to where we started as I thought he could inspire aspiring Naga youths. To which, he replies that “everybody who attempts UPSC examination is equally bright”, and so one or two things are very common but Hard Work, he insists is indispensable, and of course, self-confidence, not over-confidence, he clarifies is a critical entity to keep one going.
Then, the talk of thousands of Naga students taking up coaching classes in Delhi emerges and he is quick to add that “we have the wrong concept of thinking that if we do not take coaching classes we cannot make it”. He explains that it does help but there is no harm if one is attempting it without having to go through coaching because it’s not a guarantee to clear the exam. He feels that many of us do not give our 100%, and emphasizes on having our goals very well set, and being sure of what we want.
Very convincingly, he reiterates again “…and of course, hard work always pays.”
Having a special place for the youths, he observes that “our Naga youth are heading towards the future (whatever future that is), and trying to do something where we don’t know what we actually want.” He regrets that the educational system we are following is mostly in line with preparing us to get some job, especially government jobs.
“Days are gone when you pursue education to get a job,” he expresses and insists that it is time we realise education is not only about going to school but about more about gaining knowledge and wisdom in whatever way it comes.
If this is realised and when our society can start looking at options where we can earn our livelihood and also contribute to the society, he feels that 60-70% of our social issues can be addressed. He holds education as the key element because, he says, the moment your educational system goes wrong, it leads to a lot of social problem.
This age, he emphasises is all about specialisation and goes on to impress that we really need to specialize. Towards this end, he explains that “Excellence is the key, but we have the aptitude and talent” while speaking strictly in the context of the Naga youths and further feels that sports and music are areas they can excel.
He also thinks that there are alternative options like Media, Theatre, Animation, etc and at the very core of it, gets back to education as a key towards changing the mindset about rooting for government service in Nagaland. “People and focus has to be changed. We need to pick these up from our very childhood,” he maintains.
Another thing which he holds very closely to his heart is the Naga Culture, which, he says is our identity and explains further that “when we lose it we lose our identity, and when we lose our identity, we lose our history” and asserts “what is our society without our history”. ‘We need to think about this in greater depth’, he says.
When asked about his future plans, the young IAS officer professes that “like many other friends and people, one thing in mind is to particularly make our state one of the best performing states across the country”. But, of course, with contribution from all sections of people, he wistfully adds.
One last note, and with much affection, he says his inspiration has been his Mom all along. And that’s coming from a youngest in the family who is living his dream as an IAS Officer.

Keleseho- The Debator

Although his educational roots is strictly confined to institutions in the village, Keleseho Stephen Tsükrü has long been blessed with such orating skills that it earned him a place in the world stage in the later part of his educational quest.
Yet, it wasn’t without practice and experience that he zoomed far ahead of his own peers. He recalls giving his first extempore speech at the age of 15, during which time, he says, he became a laughing stock of the audience since he was asked to speak in Tenyidie.
But that did not deter his spirit from going up on stage again. Instead, it was like a confidence builder that drove him even more. And there was no stopping this young enthusiast from taking part in most of the social events within his reach.
Years on, he was representing various bodies at different levels such as the Southern Angami Students’ Union, Angami Students’ Union and Naga Students’ Federation besides already been fluent in the school stage. Skilled both in Extempore Speech and Debate, he says that this 2-in-1 component has been a changing moment for him as he went forward to scale greater heights in this respect.
At a later stage, Keleseho was part of the debate conducted across the country by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India and coordinated by the Nehru Yuva Kendra. Through the series of screenings done in the district, state, regional and pre-national levels respectively, he always came home with a winning prize when finally, he made it to the great National Debate in 2007.
This, he remembers was a great challenge posed before him as he had to tune himself to a Hindi-speaking guy. But having found greater confidence in English and then with the help of some lines in Hindi, he emerged the National Debate Champion at the age of 22.
The first and only Naga who spoke on such a platform to a national audience on the theme “Energy Efficiency and Conservation is the only way to prosperity”, Keleseho also eventually became the Indian Delegate to the International youth Exchange Programme (World Expo.) in China along with the elite of Youth Affairs & Sports Ministry last year.
This young man of multiple talents has left traces in many a places, and he has had experience teaching children since college days. He worked in a BPO industry too before he became part of Fire Fighting and Disaster Management, which is his current profession.
Perhaps it was skill or dedication, but whichever way, it certainly paid for he was given the Best Turn Out title in 2008, as a Trainee at the North East Regional Fire Fighting Training Center at North Silla Guwahati.
He explains that their job fits into many professions as they are like mini engineers when it comes to the technical aspect, mini doctors while providing first aid and of course as Resource Persons for imparting trainings, they always hold big responsibilities.
He finds it interesting that they are on the move all the time, but it, of course, poses great challenge to work in such demanding environments. And the philanthropic nature of their job must be admired.
Interestingly, he is a Commerce Student, and a holder of an M.Com degree when, as a matter of fact, he wanted to study Arts. An ardent seeker of knowledge, he is also in the process of finishing his LLB and still, with an undying zest, he plans on taking a PG Diploma course in Disaster Management.
He insists that our youth have to change their mindsets and laments that Nagas do not have the instinct of indulging themselves in part-time jobs, aptitude approaches or acquiring more degrees. Towards which end, he also says that having more degrees always helps…”to earn something, there is scope everywhere, income can be everywhere” while he opines that when one’s sole target is into government service, it is shabby business.
On the other hand, he feels that the potential qualified young people are being exploited while expressing that ‘his/her service is inevitable’ but states that the society is over exploiting their services. He goes on to add that “when we are too socialized, it affects our studies, our job, etc, etc”. However, he says that we have a very good social structure with lots of associations and social organisations that provide good spirit for discussion. And on the optimistic side, he further expresses that in times of need, there is support, condolences, appreciation, felicitation, from these groups. But he still holds on to his view that the most potential group of people are being over-exploited, in the sense that their services become an obligation in all these places.
And here’s one youth with great potential who has been part of more than one activity. He has, over the years, served as Vice President of Khuzama Students’ Care Union, President of St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama and has won several Debate & Extempore Competitions at village, regional, tribal and state levels.
Keleseho has produced, directed and acted in plays, skits and operas and. as an active sportsman, played in various tournaments and won them too. He was also awarded the Nagaland Catholic Youth Movement Award for Excellence in 2009 and continues to serve the society as an Advisor to the Khuzama Catholic Youth Association, President of the Southern Angami Catholic Youth Association, Executive Member of the Angami Catholic Youth Association and Spokesperson for the Nagaland Catholic Youth Movement.
Keleseho Stephen Tsükrü is clearly much more than just an excellent debater.

Kenei Chale- Music in her Blood

She is the new face of music that emerged with such conviction, capable of steering an audience of all age groups. Although Kenei Chale came into the limelight only recently in the year 2008 after her tryst with Naga Idol 3.08, she has been performing ever since she was twelve.
This unassuming girl from Kigwema really started her career as a Musician after she was adjudged finalist of the 3rd Season of Naga Idol. Recalling this period of competition, she admits that she was a bit disappointed with the final result but in that tone of gratefulness expresses that “I got more platforms after the Grand Finale”.
 And that is how her real journey as a Musician began even as she went about touching people’s lives with her beautiful voice. She has that clear and exceptional control over her voice that it never fails to leave traces in places, events and stages that carried her feet.
Music, she believes is “God’s Wonderful Gift” and goes on to advocate the need to promote music in every way possible. It is her hope that everybody, young or old contribute towards this by encouraging all aspiring singers. And to those who are gifted in the field of music, she aspires that they give their best and trust in the Lord and themselves, and use music in such a way that they give back to the society through what they are blessed with. “When we put our trust in the Lord, He never fails us”, is what this young musician has to say.
As for the musical notes that brews in her, she is thankful to God and towards this end, she also feels privileged that her family has been supportive of her dreams all the way.
Kenei has never received any formal training on her voice or music but as a self-taught musician, she has come up as a very fine musician. It is also note worthy that out of sheer interest, she has the ability to weave magic on the keys although she insists that playing the keyboard and the guitar are part of her leisure time.
Among her favourite list of musicians include Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Darlene Zecsh. This is quite evident from the choice of songs that she often picks for public performance. In fact, she could be Nagaland’s own Celine Dion.
On the other side of it, she amusedly says that she is trying to develop cooking as a hobby. She remains rather queit on her academic ventures but the passion that she has for music is clearly indicative. As the youngest child in the family, she has two siblings and although she hails from the Southern Angami area, she calls Kohima her hometown.
She may seem media shy but when she gets on the stage and starts singing, nothing can stop that incredible voice from soaring. In a plan to take her dreams in music forward, she plans to take up a diploma course in music in the near future.
Over the years, she has emerged as the brand name for significant events and was last year chosen as the Brand Ambassador of NSACS Red Ribbon Rock Reach in a bid to spread awareness on HIV/AIDS under the slogan “prevention is the only cure”.
Among the many events that she lighted up include shows such as the Prodigal Son, T.Ao’s Trophy, and recently the Kohima Concert held in aid of Japan Earthquake. And these few events are beside the numurous occassions including weddings, concerts, church events, conferences, seminars etc across Nagaland and in the neighbouring states like Manipur and Assam.
She particularly holds close to her heart, the old aged and the orphans, and perhaps along this line, she also wishes to carry forward her music in the days to come. As for the scenario in the state, she feels that music has a long way to go but promisingly states that “it is encouraging, and really coming up in the recent years.” ‘But to get there, it’s going to take time”, she adds.

Venusa- A Warrior for Christ

He stood strong in faith even when his father was shot death by some gunmen demanding money in the year 1997, and despite the tragic event, he kept his mother’s special prayer alive by becoming a Christian Warrior
Venusa Tinyu comes across as a very interesting person who did not leave behind his childhood dream, which he says is to study theology and become a Servant of God.
This he also describes as his mother’s prayer which never left him even when he was going through different stages of life – through the most trying times.
But then, his life has a series of beautiful chapters and celebrating moments like the time he got through HSLC in First Division with distinction in Science in the year 1994. He had his Dad then to advise him when he was sincerely striving to be in the Top Ten list but got sick for a whole month before the exam. He fondly remembers his Dad, who he recalls told him not to worry about sitting for his matriculation exams given his poor health. However, he recovered in time and even came out in flying colours despite not being able to prepare as much as he would have liked to.
Always remarkably intelligent, he was ranked 2nd in his Pre-University Exam in Vocational Music and 3rd in B.A Philosophy honours, both from Patkai Christian College. He topped the Entrance Test for MA Philosophy and gained entry into the University of Hyderabad, emerging later as the University Gold Medallist.
Here is one man who believes in destiny as he decided he would pursue is PhD only if he gets to do it without financial support from family. And coming as strong evidence that luck and blessings favour those who give their best, he not only got through the NET exam but was also awarded UGC-JRF. Interestingly, he also did a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Rights from the University of Hyderabad during this time. It would make anyone feel good that their Coordinator was a member of the National Human Rights Commission.
Venusa went to Singapore in 2007 for greater spiritual pursuits and finished a Master’s Course in Christian Studies from Biblical Graduate School of Theology, which he describes as the answer to his theological quest. ‘I thank God for such a school’, he says, and goes on to credit it for allowing him to realise that ‘the Christ we worship on Sundays was not being worshipped in the workplaces during weekdays’.
“I realised that we are in need of a theology that goes beyond the church walls to the marketplaces,” he says.
Reflecting back, he says, “I used to see myself as a happy go lucky kind of a guy,” and feels that his father’s death was perhaps one of the major turning points of his life. “When I was in the university I realised that I cannot escape from the questions of Naga identity and various political implications that come with it…earlier there was probably nothing I disliked more than tribalism and politics, but then I decided to confront some of the issues of Naga politics head-on,” he states. Towards this effort, he also presented papers on Naga Identity in a couple of National Seminars besides other academic papers related to his area of research and interest.
He also has had his own adventures and accomplished personal milestones that he justifiably holds dear. He recalls being Best Man at his friend’s wedding when he was just 16. He was adjudged winner in the Preaching Competition of Chakhesang Youth talent contest Pfutsero in 1994 in his teens. He definitely stood out among others his age when he captained his school and went on to lead the Troop for the Bharat Scout and Guide during his Highschool days. And at such young an age, he became the Recipient of Governor’s Award in Scout Movement (1994).
His leadership qualities didn’t end in school. He was the Class Representative all through his 5 years stay in Patkai, except the year he served as the Weekly Bulletin Editor and also the Assistant Editor for the students’ newsletter (philosophy) during his MA days. An avid writer himself, he was one of the Columnists for Kuknalim Website before it closed down.
He remembers being a member of the Guitar Ensemble, Patkai Chorale, Ensemble of Praise. “I have almost given up music now, but I still have some interest in painting, oil painting to be precise, and writing free verses,” he says.
Like many poets, he confesses that the first time he tried his hand in poetry was when he fell in love in college, and obviously fascinated by verses and painting, he wishes to grow old with these two hobbies.
But the most striking thing about Venusa to me is how he carried his faith in Jesus all through. He helped revive Naga Christian Fellowship Hyderabad in 2000, which was non-functional for about a year or two due to lack of members. While in Singapore, he coordinated the Naga Fellowship for 2 years and is presently a part of the Naga global organisation - Overseas Naga Association as Joint Secretary.
He recently joined the University of Hyderabad ‘with much prayers and consultation’. Interestingly, he was invited to apply even before he submitted his PhD and was appointed under general category in November 2010. However, he had politely declined then because, in his words, “I was then on a mission to fulfil my childhood dream - to study theology and become a servant of God.”
He adds: “It was my theological conviction/training that ultimately influenced my decision to come back to the University - to be a light and salt in the world. The other factor that contributed to my decision was the number of Naga Students at the University of Hyderabad - there are more than 150 of them at present…it has always been my desire to interact with the upcoming generation of Naga scholars and thinkers.”
And with this, he has begun another journey as a Warrior for Christ.

For the love of the Game

When I first met Hokaito Zhimomi as a student in Calcutta, his zest for Cricket was firmly placed with signs of greater things to come.
By then, he was already so familiar with Eden Gardens, the holy grail of cricket in India. And he obviously nurtured that love for the game as is evident from the heights he has scaled. But regardless, even as a smart, confident and a chirpy Sports Star, he speaks so little of his greater achievements.
Yet, a National Media describes him as a Cricketer “known for his nippy left-arm fast bowling and for his right-handed big hitting prowess…a cricket coach’s ideal model when it comes to athleticism and smart fielding skills.”
Indeed, Nagaland can take pride in producing a home-bred Sports Star for a cricket crazy nation where its mad fans do not mind watching a really lengthy match standing by the roadside, and never minding sharing a small screen even in the humid air.
As the First Naga Cricketer (or for that matter, from the whole of North East Region) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Kolkata Knight Riders, Hokaito Zhimomi has certainly carved a niche for himself in the national stage. But the honour didn’t emerge overnight for his relationship with bats, bowling and wickets date back to his childhood.
He has always loved cricket, and it’s easy to take notice when it carries more than a decade of dedication. When you talk to a sportsperson, often, the game takes centre-stage but he also values education as he recalls doing his schooling from St Paul’s and Livingstone School Dimapur respectively. Perhaps, his graduation pursuit from St Xavier’s College, Calcutta, paved way for him to join the Kalighat Club in Kolkata but then he’s been playing cricket much before he joined college.
Prior to that, he played for Flamingo CC in Dimapur and eventually went to Guwahati for coaching wherein, his all round cricketing won the admiration of important people in the field that he was called by the Bengal Cricket Association after he has displayed his skills for several clubs.
Over the years, he has brushed shoulders with the like of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly, played various matches including the finals of the Tiens Cricket Cup from Sparks CC as Captain, West Bengal under 19, Dalhousie Athletic Club, Kolkata, been Part of Kolkata Knight Riders, 1st Edition of IPL 2005, played for West Bengal both in the state and national level among several others.
For the Captain of a Cricket College Team, including the University of Calcutta in this aspect, Hokaito has come a long way developing himself in the true manner of sportsmanship. It is his aspiration to see sports grow in Nagaland, but he reasonably expresses that as of now, “Nagaland has no proper scope for cricket”.
“Obviously parents will not allow their children to take up cricket as a serious profession for now, because at the end of the day, money matters. Once this situation is changed, it’s going to be different’, he reasons while pointing to his observation that cricket is coming up in Nagaland. “We have a state team now and we will have a very good team”, he is hopeful.
He is a model for an entire sports generation as his commitment seems rooted in one simple goal of being part of the game for the sheer pleasure of it. The 25 year old insists that there are people behind his success as he respectfully holds the inspiration of Kito Zhimomi, Income Tax Commissioner Kolkata, Wati Jamir, Ato Yepthomi, Advisor to CM, the Chief Minister himself, and the Dimapur District Sports Association. He also has the support of his family tree including 3 siblings, a father who is a businessman and a mother homemaker.
The Young Cricketer is based in Kolkata, and plays for Kalighat Club. Fuelled with energy, I believe he serves as an inspiration for many cricket fans in the country, and is a true Sports Icon even for an infant sports-breeding place such as our State.