The past few weeks, Nagaland has witnessed a series of tragedies. Incidents on our roads have led to injuries and death to precious lives; two commercial buildings in the capital razed down to ashes, leaving many jobless; sexual assaults against women and girls were some grim highlights. These events do not hold any chain of connection, however, it reflects the moral issues and moral poverty that we face today.

One of our leading Naga intellectuals, Dr Aküm Longchari, had once pointed out that such episodes are a reflection of Naga society and of our times. Perhaps, there is an urgency to reflect on our humanity today, because the realities we live in are so much worse than the Nagaland we are talking about.

Our social media feeds are constantly swamped with news and we are often more enthusiastic to share and forward stories that may cause more harm than good. The more horrid the news, the faster it spreads. The cycle does not end.

We are so consumed by the sense of urgency to break news, especially the unpleasant ones, to our groups and acquaintances that we rarely have time to just pause and reflect on it.

In the haste to share the breaking news, we overlook the weight of the news. The seriousness of vehicle crashes, sexual assault on minors, crores of rupees lost to fire are reduced to temporary thrilling news.

That breaking news can wait. That little piece of latest update can wait. Our humanity cannot.