World record Bihu performance: Lyrics offend Assam’s Naga groups, choreographer apologises

“Nogar sange sage bogai nu moi asilu… Nogai nu aloo kochu khai… Okora Nogake bhinihi buli matilu majoni oi Naginike bulilu bai.”

The adjective “okora” used to describe a Naga man translates to “foolish”, while the word “Nagini” used to refer to a Naga woman could be understood as comparing her to a snake.

The All Assam Naga Welfare Society issued a statement that Naga communities have been insulted by the lyrics.

“We condemn the song performed by artist Ranjit Gogoi at the event to create the Guinness Book of World Records. We have noticed that Naga communities have been insulted in the lyrics of the song, using the words like okora Noga, Nagini, etc… The song intensely hurt the emotion and sentiments of the people of 10 Naga communities with 2.5 lakh populations living in Assam,” said the society’s president Shompa Wangsu.

Similarly, the All Assam Sema Naga Council issued a statement saying, “We the Naga communities are an integral part of Greater Assamese society and culture. We really feel proud to be part of this society, but unfortunately most of the time, we are being discriminated against in different ways.”

The All Assam Tangsa Students’ Union also criticised the song saying that “the sentiments of Nagas living in Assam since time immemorial are hurt” by it. Tangsa is a Naga community living in Assam.

Following the backlash by Naga groups, the Congress — the largest Opposition party in the state — also stepped in. Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, wrote to the Chief Minister on Tuesday asking that he “issue a sincere apology statement on behalf of the Assam Government to the Naga people”.

“It is important to be conscious of the cultural sensitivities of every community, and to avoid actions that may disturb the peace between communities. As Assam shares a border with Nagaland, maintaining peaceful relations between the two communities is crucial to avoid conflict and safety concerns. Assam is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural state, and it is our responsibility to value and respect the identity and culture of every group,” his letter said.

While officials in the Cultural Affairs Department have said that the song in question is a traditional one, the chief choreographer of the performance, Ranjit Gogoi, has issued an apology.

“I would like to tell my Naga brothers and sisters that the song was not sung with any ill intentions. It was sung with love. We have a segment in which there is fun and teasing and we sang this traditional song during that segment. This is a song sung since time immemorial that was also sung by our forefathers. However, you have been hurt. Because of this, I would like to apologise to all the tribes,” he said.