By Akangjungla
The relationship between truth-telling, healing and reconciliation is a sequential one, where each element is an indispensable forerunner to the next, forming the essential pathway for repairing the deep fractures caused by any form of injustice, conflict and trauma.
Truth-telling is the foundational act. It is the courageous and often painful process of bringing suppressed accounts into the open, challenging dominant narratives, and acknowledging the full, truthful reality of what occurred. This involves moving beyond mere facts to uncover the human impact, the pain, loss and dignity of those who were wronged. Truth-telling is the crucial first step because healing cannot begin in surroundings of denial, and reconciliation cannot be built upon a foundation of lies.
Healing is the process enabled by truth. When a hidden truth is acknowledged, it allows individuals and communities to process long-held grief, anger and sometimes shame. This validation is itself a form of medication; it restores a sense of self-worth and identity. Healing is not about forgetting the past, but about integrating its truths to weave a better future.
It will not be wrong to say that reconciliation is the ultimate goal facilitated by this process. It is the restoration of right relationship, trust and a shared future between those torn apart by conflict. Genuine reconciliation is only possible when it is preceded by a shared understanding of the truth and a period of meaningful healing. It requires not just an apology, but a self-evident commitment to justice, reparations and a fundamental change in the structures and attitudes that caused the harm in the first place.
In essence, truth-telling is the diagnosis, healing is the treatment, and reconciliation is the restoration of health. One cannot be skipped to achieve the next; they are inseparably linked in the vital journey from a painful past toward a more just and peaceful future.
Titled ‘Belongings of our Ancestors,’ a photo exhibition was put up by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and Restore, Recover and Decolonise (RRaD) for the September Dialogue 2025 in Dimapur, Nagaland. The exhibition not only featured objects from the University of Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum, collected during the British imperial era but it presented a form of truth-telling, which is essential for any healing process. It throws light on the appropriation of funerary and personal objects from Naga graves, bringing this previously unknown history into the public domain.
This truth is found in the details. The collectors’ own notes admitting they violated a sacred taboo, or genna, by taking away these objects. This evidence dismantles the myth that these items were gifts. Witnessing the intricate craftsmanship and profound love embedded in these burial rituals provides a tangible connection to a dignified past, countering generations of ‘conditioned ignorance.’
The healing that springs from this truth is evident. It is a corrective to historical trauma, replacing a narrative of shame with one of honour and respect.
Ultimately, this exhibition underscores that repatriation is far more than the physical return of objects; it is the restoration of spirit and history. This courageous act of truth-telling sets a vital precedent for all post-colonial societies, proving that only by confronting the injustices of the past can we hope to build a healed future.
Comments can be sent to akangjungla@gmail.com
