Lack of civic sense among a section of citizens here, especially their propensity to spit just about anywhere, is having a profound impact on the town’s overall looks as almost all public spaces have been splattered with red spit stains over years of spitting.
Consider the mural painting at Yimkong Sidewalk near West Police Station, which was put up by Ao Students’ Union Dimapur (ASUD) in commemoration of its golden jubilee in collaboration with team Better Dimapur, but has been badly stained with gutkha/paan spit stains. The mural painting near West Police Station is considered the longest mural painting in the Northeast.
Admitting that spitting after chewing gutkha has become a nuisance, Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) administrator Albert Ezung told Nagaland Post that there had been enough awareness campaigns and sensitisation programmes to improve overall public hygiene, sanitation and inculcation of civic sense among the residents, but to no avail.
Commenting on the mural painting’s condition, he said he was saddened to see the paintings being stained but assured that DMC was ready to collaborate with any group volunteering to maintain the mural painting.
Ezung said there were just around 120 to 130 sanitation workers trying to keep the State’s commercial hub, while there were thousands of people loitering all around ready to spit. He said the sanitation workers covered 96 colonies along with market areas.
Ezung urged the citizens to be mindful about littering and spitting and appealed to all inculcate civic sense and help the municipal council to provide better services.
Speaking to this reporter, former ASUD president Lanutoshi Aier, in whose time the mural painting was done, said the union was facing the same issue even before the work had started. He said people would spit on the walls that had been whitewashed several times for the same reason.
Maintaining that it took an entire day to complete half of the art work, he remarked that it was observed that gutkha spit stains were spotted right the next day, discouraging the artists who made them. Aier alleged that the spits were “intentionally” done.
He said the mural painting, in collaboration with DMC, was done to commemorate ASUD’s golden jubilee with the aim of giving back something to citizens of Dimapur as laying monument stones spending huge amounts of money served very less purpose neither did they benefit the citizens.
Present ASUD president Moayanger also clarified that the mural painting was done with the mindset of what the union could contribute to the society and for the benefit of the citizens.
Speaking over telephone, former DMC administrator Moa Sangtam, during whose time the mural painting was done, said he was very much saddened to see Nagas destroying properties belonging to Nagas itself.
Acknowledging that the fight to inculcate civic sense among the Nagas was long, Sangtam remarked that somebody had to start somewhere without giving up.
It may be mentioned that several other places like foot overbridges, road dividers, etc, that were beautified have been stained with red gutkha spits, thereby defeating the very purpose of having them.