Niketu Iralu’s legacy of healing and forgiveness honoured

Morung Express News
Kohima | August 20

Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio described Niketu Iralu as “one of Nagaland’s finest minds” and a person deeply committed to peace, reconciliation and social change.

Dr Rio said Iralu’s passing following a brief illness in New Delhi was a loss not only to his family and the Naga people, but also to people around the world who knew and valued him.

He briefly highlighted Niketu’s work with Moral Re-Armament, now known as Initiatives of Change, saying it reflected his lifelong belief in dialogue, understanding and reconciliation.

He also recalled Niketu’s contribution to addressing drug and alcohol addiction in Nagaland. Through his efforts to connect the KRIPA Foundation in Mumbai with the Naga Mothers’ Association, Mount Gilead Home was established at Sechü-Zubza, where Niketu served as its first director and counsellor.

For Iralu, the CM said, peace was not merely about ending conflict. It also meant restoring lives, healing families and helping people regain hope and dignity.

“He served society without seeking recognition or personal gain,” Dr Rio said, describing his humility, generosity and selfless service as qualities that made him an example to generations.

Rio also spoke of his personal relationship with Niketu, saying he often sought his advice and valued his perspective. Their families’ connection through marriage, he said, made the relationship even more meaningful.

Rio said the best way to honour Niketu’s memory was to carry forward the values he lived by - listening, understanding, forgiving and working for peace.

‘He was given for all Nagas’
Angami Public Organisation, President, Thejao Vihienuo described Niketu an irreplaceable wealth and asset of the community.

While Niketu was born into an Angami family, Vihienuo said, his life and influence extended far beyond the community. “He was given for all the Nagas and for all people who came into contact with him and learned from his wisdom and sagacity,” he said.

Vihienuo urged people to reflect on what Niketu would have wanted them to live for, both as individuals and as members of society.

He said Niketu’s presence would continue wherever there were efforts towards reconciliation, understanding, forgiveness and peacemaking, and called on the community to carry that legacy forward and work towards building a better society for future generations.

‘A man who refused to give up on humanity’
While expressing profound sense of loss over Niketu’s passing, Rokovisa Chase, President of Khonoma Rüffüno Nagaland said, “We have lost a remarkable man, but today we also give thanks for a life that has enriched our community, our people and countless others far beyond boundaries.”

At a time when divisions and painful memories could have continued to separate people, Chase maintained that Niketu became one of those who believed that Khonoma itself must begin the difficult work of reconciliation within his own community before carrying that spirit of reconciliation to the wider Naga society.  

“This is perhaps one of the most important parts of his legacy. He did not ask others to reconcile before asking his own people to reconcile” Chase recalled.

He recalled how Niketu has helped people divided by history, beliefs, tribe and circumstances come together, talk openly, listen to one another, and most importantly, learn to forgive. 

“Today, we speak beautifully about Apfu Niketu because he is no longer here to disagree with us. But can we live what he believed? Can we forgive someone with whom we have a history of disagreement? Can we listen before judging? Can we acknowledge the failures of our own group as honestly as we point out the failures of others? And can we choose reconciliation even when resentment feels easier? Apfu Niketu’s life tells us that peace is not weakness, forgiveness is not surrender, and listening is not defeat. These are acts of courage” Chase solemnly stated.

“And perhaps the greatest tribute we can offer Apfu Niketu is not another speech, another memorial or another award. We bow our heads today not simply because a prominent citizen has departed, but because a chapter of our collective memory has closed” he added.

Across the tributes, Iralu emerged as a man whose influence went well beyond his public work. For those who knew him personally, he was a husband, father, mentor, friend and elder; for the wider Naga community, he was remembered as a voice for peace, reconciliation and human dignity.

As his family and community bid him farewell, the message was clear: his life may have come to an end, but the values he spent decades living for are expected to continue through those he inspired.

Niketu Iralu (1935–2026) : Brief Bio

• Born on July 12, 1935, Niketu Iralu was one of thirteen children of Dr Sevilie Iralu, the 3rd Naga to become a doctor, and Vituno Iralu, elder sister of late A. Z Phizo. He was 9 1 years old.
• After his Pre-University in Shillong, Iralu studied in Madras Christian College. It was there that he came across Moral Re-Armament, now re-christened Initiatives of Change (IofC). He associated with IofC for 65 years. He served as the Director of Asia Plateau, the centre of IofC India in Panchgani, Maharashtra at one point. His involvement in IofC led him to impact and influence many globally.
• Iralu was an eminent Naga peace activist and leader, widely known for his life-long commitment to trust-building, reconciliation, and non-violence in Northeast India and beyond.
• In 2004, the Naga Hoho and the Nagaland Christian Forum representing different tribes and denominations, appointed a seven member Naga National Reconciliation Commission, with Iralu as its chairman. He played a pivotal role in fostering dialogue among the fragmented Naga political groups. He was also a leading voice for the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR).
• His contributions have been recognized through several honors including the Lifetime Achievement Award (2025) from Initiatives of Change International for his dedication to trust-building in Northeast India, the Rotary Peace Award (2018) from the Rotary Club of Kohima, the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi award for National Integration 2005, the UN Brahma Foundation’s “Soldier of Humanity Award 2011 and Bhupen Hazarika Integration Award for 2023.
• Iralu’s work was grounded in the principles of personal transformation and truth-telling- the basis for broader social healing He frequently emphasized that “a life not examined is not worth living,” and urged individuals and communities to cultivate inner integrity for lasting reformand peace. He lived by his words.
• Kerünyu Ki- House of Listening, Sechü Zubza is where Niketu Iralu, his wife Christine, and their loved ones make their home. It is a place where many from all walks of life have found meaning and purpose in their lives.