At a time when modern ways of living are largely influencing the present-day lifestyle, leading to the fading of long-held traditions, Hanyuk village in Noklak district has taken a stride to revive the age-old Morung system — once a place full of life and the cornerstone of learning in Naga society.

Leading this unique initiative is Thumong Shiu, who says that in the past, Morungs were always an active place for community life and learning.

“Today, Morungs are mostly left empty. Instead of letting them remain unused, we decided to revive them with purpose,” he said.

In the Naga tradition, the Morung was the first learning institution where the youth were taught values, history, and life skills. Inspired by this, the modern Morung learning institution was started in Hanyuk where students can come to study at night.

“It is not just free tuition but a proper learning institution,” Thumong told Nagaland Tribune.

Apart from academic support, children are engaged in skill development and co-curricular activities. Altogether, 30 students currently come for daily learning.

Youth of the village who are in the teaching profession volunteer in teaching the students at the Morung. In an inspiring way, senior students also guide the younger ones in helping with their lessons, creating a spirit of peer learning and community growth.

In some days, students are occupied with cocurricular activities. “Sometimes we have movie night,” says Thumong.

Noklak being a remote area, irregular electricity remains a major challenge. It gets worsened during summer due to damages from landslides, and load-shedding during winter. Many families in the village cannot afford solar lights or study lamps, especially during exam times.

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With support from various quarters—solar lights from Sunbird Trust, benches and desks from the Village Council, and donations from near and dear ones, the modern Morung is being run.

“Our aim is to sustain this movement — to keep the tradition of learning alive through the Morung,” Thumong explained.

The modern Morung at Hanyuk village sends out a great message of how modernity can be beautifully blended with age-old traditions rather than letting the latter fade away.

The Morung system which used to be a part of history that the modern generations only know about from textbooks or folktales, is now being revived at Hanyuk, inspiring the hope that it will once again be full of life, and adapted by other Naga villages and tribes too.