Beat Swords to Ploughshares (Isaiah 2: 4)

Z. K. Pahrü Pou BTC, Pfutsero   Prophet Isaiah prophesied that a time of peace for the people of Israel is coming when people shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. During the time of Prophet Isaiah, metal was available in very less quantity. This scarce quantity of metal they beat it into implements for cultivation purposes. But during the time of war, they need weapons such as swords and spears to fight against the enemies. Hence, they collected ploughshares and pruning hooks and beat them into swords and spears. But once the war was over and peace prevailed, they beat swords and spears into ploughshares and pruning hooks for cultivation purpose. Ploughshare symbolize creative tool that benefit humankind, whereas sword symbolizes destructive tools of war. Swords and spears are for destruction, war and bloodshed. During war, people suffered poverty not only because they lacked agricultural tools but also because young men were taken away from agricultural activity to fight in war. Ploughshare and pruning hook represent peace and prosperity. It is high time for the Naga people to choose ploughshare over sword in one accord.   For long, Naga people had been using swords, spears and guns to bring peace and freedom in the land. Bloodshed and violence of all forms had dominated the lives of the Nagas from headhunting period till today. In this many years of struggle for freedom thousands of precious lives had been lost. It also had drained away the scarce economy of the Naga people. We had been living with spears and guns for so long that our society internalised violence as ‘intrinsic part of life’. Unfortunate! Dangerous! How long should we continue to invest all our resources (physical, spiritual or money) to fight among ourselves and with India? How long should we live in suspicion and hatred of one another? When everyone holds sword in their hand, all feel threatened; but when everyone holds ploughshare, all felt safe. In humility let us bend down and pick up ploughshare to build our society.

  “There is time for everything” says the Bible. It is time for the Naga people to enjoy peace and prosperity. We cannot sacrifice more lives on the altar of freedom movement. It is time to beat them into ploughshare and build up harmonious relationship with everyone transcending village, tribe and factional interest. The Prophet Isaiah said that a time will come when ‘the wolf and the lamb will live together, the calf and the lion will graze together and a little child will lead them’ (Isaiah 11:6). We may have different opinions, interests, ideologies or personalities as ferocious as that of wolves but we have to resolve the differences and settle for greater common good. Those persons or organisations that yield greater power than others must humble down before God and fellow beings even as God wants wolves and lions to transform themselves. Is it not high time for the Naga people to come together and give fullest support in paving the way for Naga political freedom through peaceful means? Do we believe that our brothers and sisters will win our cause with swords and guns fighting Indian Army who possessed world’s latest war weapons? Let us drop swords and re-create our society with ploughshares. The time of guns and swords is over. It is time for ploughshares, a time of peace and prosperity. Dialogue is the only way to bring an amicable settlement among Naga family and with India. We have to decide and act now. Let us not wait for time to decide for us because when time decides, it always decides against us. The views expressed here are solely that of the author and did not represent the view of any organisation or institution.