'Visual Anthropology' of Nagas released at JNU
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal
New Delhi, March 28 2012:
Authored by Frans Welman, from The Netherlands and Ngathingkhui Jagoi from Dimapur, a pictorial collection and description of Naga tradition and culture called the Naga Culture� Free Against the Odds was released today by Delhi based documentary film maker Sanjay Kak at JNU in New Delhi.
Culture unite as well as divide ; Culture can hold us together as well as hold us down, said Sanjay Kak while speaking at the book release function.
While appreciating the work of the two authors, Sanjay gave a critical perspective on the book before the audience of about 200 Naga students and scholars who gathered at the function.
The people in the pictures , most of them taken over 20 centuries back, did not look straight into the camera said Sanjay, questioning why are they not looking at each other , the subject and the camera person.
He further added that there are no pictures of young Nagas playing football or a rock band , which Sanjay said the audience today here in Delhi would have been more comfortable with.
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While emphasizing the need for a collective approach, Sanjay said that the Nagas who considered begging a crime have today adopted a culture of dependency brought in by the development model.
He asked if costumes were to be modified or replaced according to the present modern generation , what would the Nagas' choice be ? .
Ngathingkhui Jagoi told the gathering that the book is a premature child.
A small initiative that require many more works, informing that the idea of the book was conceptualised more than eight years back, which he shared with Frans Welman, who shared the same idea-to describe and show to the world about the Nagas in pictures.
Described as "visual anthropology " by some of Delhi based Naga scholars, the pictures and its stories beautifully capture the tradition, customs and everyday lives of the Nagas inhabiting North East India.
Published by Dev Publishers the book has 132 pages and is priced at Rs 2495 .