It is often asked what Naga society has become when forgiveness is withheld so easily. Questions are raised, again and again, about who is reflected in the mirror when compassion is absent and unkindness is allowed to take its place.
In Nagaland, much pride is taken in tradition, in community, in the closeness that is said to bind villages and tribes together. Yet a troubling pattern is increasingly noticed. On social media, on WhatsApp groups, in whispered conversations, individuals are shamed, mocked and torn apart, often for choices that are theirs alone to make. Youth are ridiculed for failures that could have been met with encouragement instead. Public figures and others alike are trolled without restraint, their mistakes magnified until humanity itself seems to be denied to them.
It must be asked, is this what Naga identity is meant to stand for?
A society that once was known for hospitality and unity, is instead being defined, in many corners, by judgment and unkindness. Elders speak of a time when neighbours were cared for and burdens were shared. That memory is being lost, it seems, beneath a culture where outrage is rewarded and empathy is treated as weakness.
Christianity is professed widely across the state, and forgiveness is preached from nearly every pulpit. But a contradiction cannot be ignored, between what is preached on Sundays and what is practiced through the week. Grudges are nursed for years. Mistakes are rarely forgiven. Public humiliation is too often chosen over private correction.
Such behaviour comes at a cost. Mental health is affected when shame is inflicted without mercy. Trust between community members is eroded when compassion is replaced by suspicion and judgment. A generation is being raised, it must be feared, in an atmosphere where cruelty is normalised and kindness is seen as rare.
Change, however, is not impossible. It begins where it is least expected, in homes, in churches, in schools, in everyday conversations. Kindness must be modelled, not merely spoken of. Empathy must be taught, not assumed. Forgiveness must be practiced, not only preached.
A question deserves to be asked by every Naga heart: what kind of society is truly wanted? One where judgment is quick and mercy is rare, or one where compassion is chosen, even when it is difficult?
That answer, in the end, will not be given in words. It will be shown in how neighbours are treated, how mistakes are met, and how much kindness is offered to those who are struggling the most.
