By Imna Longchar
Dimapur (Nagaland), Aug 29: The rich art and craft of Nagaland since time has always portrayed the artistic caliber and imaginative talents of the local craftsmen through their fine products of the traditional art of the state.
Many had brought national and international laurels through their artistic craftsmanship, but among them is one gem, Nungsashiba Jamir, a 35- year old uniformed personnel who is one of the few craftsmen who had made a name for himself within his own sphere.
A Lance Naik in the 13th IR NAP Headquarter stationed at Yajang village under Mokokchung district in Nagaland, Nungsashiba’s journey as a uniformed personnel and as a craftsman or sculptor has been attention grabbing within his well wishers and superiors.
Talking to this correspondent, Nungsashiba, who is married to Rongsennungla Sangtam, and a doting father of a 5 -year and a year old daughters shared that wood crafting and sculpting had always been his passion since childhood.
He said he got inspired by his father, Bendangsangba, who is also a state level award winning craftsman in the late 90s, who chiseled simple wood into a “perfect art”.
Though without any first hand training, Nungsashiba on following his passion at the same time attending to his official duty as uniformed personnel said that he is infact grateful to his superiors for acknowledging his talent.
He added that it was through the support of his superior that he had been able to follow his passion where he also got recognition for his craftsmanship by bagging the 2nd prize on his craft titled “Optical illusion” in a competition held on March 31 this year at Mokokchung, Nagaland, under “BetiBachao Beti Padhao Yojana”.
The prized craft is when closely gazed is actually an old woman and a young girl.
When asked about looking beyond his talent and executing his duties as a uniformed personnel, Nungsashiba candidly admitted that when it comes to crafts, he visualizes what has to be crafted even from a small piece of wood but attending to his duty calls is his priority while engaging himself to his passion during off duties.
In tryst with his passion, although without any up to date machineries or tools, Nungsashiba also has artistic skills in weaving baskets, making furniture, indigenous products, other accessories and also sculpting which already had garnered attention from all quarters alike.
On being asked whether he has plans to pass on his innate craftsmanship and other talents to the younger generations, the cop was of the view that though he wanted to, but confined to his duty calls,he has only one wish that the youngsters should take keen interest in art and culture which have been bestowed upon by their fore fathers.
With a hand that craft and weave “signature” further supplemented that if given a chance and with due permission from his superiors, he has plans to look beyond through his artistic skills.
