Reyivolü RhakhoKohima, Aug. 30 (EMN): Stinging nettle-made clothes don’t sting but cultural appropriation does. While there are some Naga communities who still keep this age-old tradition of transforming its bark into a beautiful piece of cloth alive, though a laborious process, there are also allegations of non-Nagas misusing it ‘without consent and correct attribution’. Just days after the Chakhesang Women Welfare Society (CWWS) had accused Indian designer Ritika Mittal of using Chakhesang textile for her Mora collection ‘without their consent and correct attribution’, Nagaland Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation Ltd. denounced Indian chain store FabIndia for allegedly using “Naga prints” without permission and inappropriately. However, these appeared to be not isolated cases as Naga traditional attires, textiles, motifs, designs etc. were said to have been misused in the past as well. Eastern Mirror spoke to some intellectuals and civil society organisation leaders to look at this issue from social, legal and economic point of view. Assistant professor at Kohima Law College and President of Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation, Kezhokhoto Savi said that cultural appropriation has been a matter of concern for a long time in the Naga society. Terming it as a “big concern” he said that ‘we should not...