As the ‘Journey of common Hope’ looks forward to the proposed ‘highest level meeting’ of the Naga political parties for its consummation, the mood in the interim swings between hope and despair and between expectancy and resignation. The wait has also given a breather to reflect on the journey undertaken so far, the impediments to reconciliation and the task ahead.
In separate interviews, noted Naga social worker and trustee, Centre for Northeast Studies & Policy Research and Initiatives of Change, Niketu Iralu, and executive director, Boston Theological Institute, Rodney L Petersen, shared their views on the ongoing Naga reconciliation process initiated by Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR). Petersen was one of the resource persons at a 3-day seminar on “The role of religion in peacemaking constructive engagement of conflict: Churches in dialogue with civil society,’ held at Horeb Guest House, Dimapur, in March last.
Below are the two responses - Naga perspective and ‘outside’ perspective.
1. Why is reconciliation among Nagas so difficult though everyone professes to be Christians?
Niketu Iralu: Because we Christians just like other human beings see and criticize only where others are wrong, have failed or made mistakes while we deny, justify or rationalize our own wrongs, failures and mistakes. The result is others distrust us and resent our dishonesty and irresponsibility. We want reconciliation, unity, peace, mutual good will and co-operation, development and prosperity. But reconciliation and the other good things will come through all of us understanding what is right and best for all Nagas and deciding to achieve that together by sacrificing what we want for ourselves only. The price-tag for reconciliation is transparency and readiness to sacrifice our selfishness for the common good.
Podney Petersen: I believe that reconciliation among Nagas is difficult, though every Naga professes to be Christian, in part from the deep tribal identity which is not necessarily a problem, but is a problem when there are few "border-crossing" organizations, i.e., organizations that try to draw all together in common efforts. The sociology of ‘particularity’ becomes more important than sociology of ‘cooperation.’
2. Are you hopeful of a breakthrough in the ongoing Naga Reconciliation Process?
N Iralu: I am hopeful of a breakthrough because the responses by all the groups that have come forward to the Roadmap the FNR has provided show that Nagas have started to realize the realities confronting us. All have also realized Nagas should consolidate before it is too late what the struggle has indeed achieved and pass on to the coming generations an honourable settlement they can be proud of and on which they can build their future together according to their best judgment. I do sense that all the factions will fight hard to secure their own group and tribe advantages. This is understandable. But one desperately hopes no group will push their agendas further at the cost of what will be right for all Nagas.
R Petersen: I believe a breakthrough in the ongoing the Naga Reconciliation process can occur, but it needs to happen not only at an "elite" level but at mid-range and grassroots levels as well. Enhancing the latter two divisions is the value of what we did together in March (at the seminar Petersen spoke on ‘the way to Just Peace’ and ‘Religion and multi-track diplomacy’).
3. Any suggestion to strengthen the Naga Reconciliation Process?
N Iralu: I don’t know enough of what is going on to suggest anything that will be helpful at this stage. Perhaps the only thing I can suggest is FNR putting this question to the Naga public to keep the process transparent and inclusive always.
R Petersen: My suggestion would be twofold: a) develop course in peace-building in the seminaries and schools and also b) develop more conferences of the kind we did for grassroots and mid-range groups of people.
Petersen, who visited Nagaland for the first time, admitted that “These are very important questions and take more of a reply than I can offer at this moment. I will try to say a few things from my perspective.” Senior FNR member, Rev. VK Nuh, who also served as head chaplain in the rank of brigadier in Naga Safeguard, the first ‘Naga Army’ formed in 1956, believes that God’s “purpose for the Nagas” can be fulfilled through reconciliation.
“I deeply believe that God has a special purpose for the Nagas, in the way the Israelites were created. How the Israelites walked and struggled for 40 years and how they failed God and how they asked for forgiveness, how the most stubborn people died. But since God had a purpose for them, they were delivered in the end,” Nuh said.
“What I have seen in the last 50 years is that the more we (Nagas) struggle, the more we realize the purpose of God,” Nuh said and added that in reconciliation lies Naga salvation.
A Naga intellectual, Father Abraham Lotha said the ‘‘Journey of common hope’ is a good initiative and that the parties involved should capitalize on the “goodwill” of the people to the reconciliation process and be united. “It is better to have peace that to kill each other,” he said.
He also said that “any political movement is a journey, irrespective of whatever society….But more important is how people understand the journey and how they give direction to their aspirations. Only when we are reconciled and united, then the true strength of the Nagas can be seen.”
“What if the Reconciliation Process fails?” is a foreboding question many Nagas would prefer not to ponder over.
“If it fails it will be ultimately because the national workers are not prepared to boldly discuss the issue of what Nagas should do with regard to sovereignty and find a common position for negotiation with India. This is the toughest question for our freedom fighters to be honest about with one another because it was for this that the Naga struggle was launched in the first place,” Iralu said.
He also said that if the present reconciliation process fails because of this, then “we (Nagas) will condemn ourselves to return to more of the mess we have lived through. It is hard to imagine what the failure will do to our inter-tribe relationships on which the strength of our society depends.”
In separate interviews, noted Naga social worker and trustee, Centre for Northeast Studies & Policy Research and Initiatives of Change, Niketu Iralu, and executive director, Boston Theological Institute, Rodney L Petersen, shared their views on the ongoing Naga reconciliation process initiated by Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR). Petersen was one of the resource persons at a 3-day seminar on “The role of religion in peacemaking constructive engagement of conflict: Churches in dialogue with civil society,’ held at Horeb Guest House, Dimapur, in March last.
Below are the two responses - Naga perspective and ‘outside’ perspective.
1. Why is reconciliation among Nagas so difficult though everyone professes to be Christians?
Niketu Iralu: Because we Christians just like other human beings see and criticize only where others are wrong, have failed or made mistakes while we deny, justify or rationalize our own wrongs, failures and mistakes. The result is others distrust us and resent our dishonesty and irresponsibility. We want reconciliation, unity, peace, mutual good will and co-operation, development and prosperity. But reconciliation and the other good things will come through all of us understanding what is right and best for all Nagas and deciding to achieve that together by sacrificing what we want for ourselves only. The price-tag for reconciliation is transparency and readiness to sacrifice our selfishness for the common good.
Podney Petersen: I believe that reconciliation among Nagas is difficult, though every Naga professes to be Christian, in part from the deep tribal identity which is not necessarily a problem, but is a problem when there are few "border-crossing" organizations, i.e., organizations that try to draw all together in common efforts. The sociology of ‘particularity’ becomes more important than sociology of ‘cooperation.’
2. Are you hopeful of a breakthrough in the ongoing Naga Reconciliation Process?
N Iralu: I am hopeful of a breakthrough because the responses by all the groups that have come forward to the Roadmap the FNR has provided show that Nagas have started to realize the realities confronting us. All have also realized Nagas should consolidate before it is too late what the struggle has indeed achieved and pass on to the coming generations an honourable settlement they can be proud of and on which they can build their future together according to their best judgment. I do sense that all the factions will fight hard to secure their own group and tribe advantages. This is understandable. But one desperately hopes no group will push their agendas further at the cost of what will be right for all Nagas.
R Petersen: I believe a breakthrough in the ongoing the Naga Reconciliation process can occur, but it needs to happen not only at an "elite" level but at mid-range and grassroots levels as well. Enhancing the latter two divisions is the value of what we did together in March (at the seminar Petersen spoke on ‘the way to Just Peace’ and ‘Religion and multi-track diplomacy’).
3. Any suggestion to strengthen the Naga Reconciliation Process?
N Iralu: I don’t know enough of what is going on to suggest anything that will be helpful at this stage. Perhaps the only thing I can suggest is FNR putting this question to the Naga public to keep the process transparent and inclusive always.
R Petersen: My suggestion would be twofold: a) develop course in peace-building in the seminaries and schools and also b) develop more conferences of the kind we did for grassroots and mid-range groups of people.
Petersen, who visited Nagaland for the first time, admitted that “These are very important questions and take more of a reply than I can offer at this moment. I will try to say a few things from my perspective.” Senior FNR member, Rev. VK Nuh, who also served as head chaplain in the rank of brigadier in Naga Safeguard, the first ‘Naga Army’ formed in 1956, believes that God’s “purpose for the Nagas” can be fulfilled through reconciliation.
“I deeply believe that God has a special purpose for the Nagas, in the way the Israelites were created. How the Israelites walked and struggled for 40 years and how they failed God and how they asked for forgiveness, how the most stubborn people died. But since God had a purpose for them, they were delivered in the end,” Nuh said.
“What I have seen in the last 50 years is that the more we (Nagas) struggle, the more we realize the purpose of God,” Nuh said and added that in reconciliation lies Naga salvation.
A Naga intellectual, Father Abraham Lotha said the ‘‘Journey of common hope’ is a good initiative and that the parties involved should capitalize on the “goodwill” of the people to the reconciliation process and be united. “It is better to have peace that to kill each other,” he said.
He also said that “any political movement is a journey, irrespective of whatever society….But more important is how people understand the journey and how they give direction to their aspirations. Only when we are reconciled and united, then the true strength of the Nagas can be seen.”
“What if the Reconciliation Process fails?” is a foreboding question many Nagas would prefer not to ponder over.
“If it fails it will be ultimately because the national workers are not prepared to boldly discuss the issue of what Nagas should do with regard to sovereignty and find a common position for negotiation with India. This is the toughest question for our freedom fighters to be honest about with one another because it was for this that the Naga struggle was launched in the first place,” Iralu said.
He also said that if the present reconciliation process fails because of this, then “we (Nagas) will condemn ourselves to return to more of the mess we have lived through. It is hard to imagine what the failure will do to our inter-tribe relationships on which the strength of our society depends.”
(The report is part of media fellowship for the 2010-2011 cycle of Panos South Asia's plural media and peace building in Northeast India)
