The yearning for Nagas to be united in their common pursuit for freedom has been the deep desire of the people for many years now. The imperativeness to find an end to the internal violence that is seeping away the Naga movement is a moral as well as a political necessity, which can no longer be ignored nor avoided. There have been repeated calls for reconciliation, and efforts after efforts have been made by various individuals and organizations at different points of time to bridge the dividing gap between the various Naga ‘factions.’ And inspite of the many steps that were made towards reaching a meeting point, they fell short in fulfilling the ultimate realization of a common understanding that would lead to unity in purpose.
The failures have provided many learning lessons to all those who have been involved and engaged in the difficult and liberative journey towards reconciliation. It is therefore of utmost importance and political expediency to first reflect and discern on the learning experiences of past efforts, so that the mistakes are not committed again, and the areas of potentiality can be further strengthened. The lessons learnt through these experiences will prove to be vital information as renewed efforts are being made to once again give new hope and new opportunity for Nagas to find a common ground on which to create a political consensus that will define and shape the course of the Naga future.
In this regard, the just concluded Naga Peace Convention initiated by the Naga Shisha Hoho has gone a step further than all past initiatives. In suggesting the idea for a ‘Naga Reconciliation Forum’ comprising of all the Naga frontal organizations including the Church, it responds to the crying need to have a common and organized effort, rather than patchy and disjointed efforts where varying efforts end up stamping on each others feet. By having a forum that is mass-based, it unifies different initiatives into one common platform which will then empower its ability to maneuver a broad-based framework for reconciliation. Furthermore, such a broad-based forum will only add to their credibility and will strengthen their persuasive power when interacting with different Naga ‘factions.’
For the first time, a broad understanding around what Reconciliation means in the Naga context has also been publicly articulated for further dialogue. By stating that Reconciliation means, the “overcoming of division, hatred and enmity, leading to peace and love between God and human beings, and between all groups of people so as to walk a common road to achieving freedom,” it has allowed the Naga public imagination to contemplate on what can and should be done to realize this end. The emphasis that “reconciliation is never subjective - hidden in a corner, but reconciliation has social, political and historical implications in the Naga context” only adds to its urgency.
Hence the underlying basis suggested for reconciliation, which is the “historical and the political rights of the Nagas towards a peaceful political settlement with India,” should serve as the critical yeast to bring different opinions together. This suggested basis for reconciliation is accommodating and inclusive by nature. It upholds a political value which transcends factional politics, and most essentially the objectives it implies have been the core reasons for the Naga movement. Therefore this suggested basis provides a common ground which is in the interest of all Nagas and leads to a narrative that neither compromises our history, nor does it hold us prisoners to the past.
Indeed, if the Nagas believe that reconciliation is possible, it must as the Peace Convention stated; be willing to embark on a daring journey with one accord in openness and willingness and to create a common road that will enable all Nagas to walk that road that will lead to freedom. If you are persuaded by the call for reconciliation, this is now the time to Act!
