There is a tendency to confuse and even distort nonviolence with pacifism. The words nonviolence and pacifism do not share a common meaning and are often confused and used interchangeably. In fact, the term defiant nonviolence is used to denote a deliberate process to challenge, confront, eventually empower and liberate the oppressed from the powers that be through nonviolent means. Pacifism, while supporting using peaceful means to address conflicts and opposes war or violence for settling disputes, may not consistently take strategic action. From this perspective, nonviolence is a way of thinking and living which is guided by a principled interactive praxis of reflection and action.
The popular idiom “Freedom is not free” which is engraved into a wall at the Korean War Veterans’ Memorial, Washington, D.C., sends a very poignant message to struggling peoples around the world. In fact, Gene Sharp, a Senior Scholar at the Albert Einstein Institution in Boston, Massachusetts, is explicit in his understanding of the idiom when he says, “No outside force is coming to give oppressed people the freedom they so much want.” He goes to say, “People will have to learn how to take that freedom themselves. Easy it cannot be.”
It is in learning “how to take that freedom themselves” that the challenge of defiant nonviolence becomes fundamental. Human experiences have shown that when freedom is achieved through defiant nonviolence means there is a greater possibility for it to be more durable and sustainable. This is because freedom was achieved through the people’s collective concerted efforts. These collective efforts successfully contributed to an increased awareness of self-confidence and self-esteem by those who were once marginalized, oppressed and powerless. In this way, a liberated society becomes less susceptible to future oppression.
The present Naga situation can benefit immensely by embracing the principles and praxis of defiant nonviolence. Let us take for example the anti-corruption movement in Nagaland. Recent events against corruption indicate that their actions have been unplanned and essentially accidental or have been triggered by past actions and events. While spontaneous reactions have some positive qualities, their impact may be limited. Gene Sharp in his book, From Dictatorship to Democracy, asserts that, “At times the lack of planning ... has left crucial decisions to change, with disastrous results.”
If defiant nonviolent initiatives are to be effective in the Naga context, the people need to have a deep understanding of its basic principles. Indeed, as Sharp reminds us, “nonviolent struggle is a complex technique of social action involving a multitude of methods, a range of mechanisms of change, and specific behavioural requirement.” In other words, it is a dynamic integrated process involving strategic analyzing and planning actions and implementations in order to achieve a successful outcome.
Essentially a defiant nonviolent struggle is calling out for Naga women and men that are committed, determined, hard working, disciplined and are willing to adhere to strategic principles of a nonviolent struggle.
