Traditionally, when the fire is lit for cooking, three-stones are set in place to provide stability and support for the earthen pot placed over the fire, and in order for the heat to be channeled and distributed evenly. The interconnected and interdependent relationship between the three-stones is critical in providing a stable foundation for cooking to take place. In the absence of any one of the stones, the harmonious stability would vanish, and cooking would become chaotic. In the same way that these three-stones are the foundation of stability for the kitchen pot, it become a metaphor that extends to the dialectical interrelationship between the forces of history, geography and politics have shaped and defined a people’s existence.
In the course of human history when incompatible differences have emerged that inevitably led to confrontation, the harmonious relations are destabilized, and, as a result, no act is perceived to be neutral. In the destructive cycle of human affliction, we could benefit from rediscovering the three-stones; they are the stones of stability, sincerity and harmony between contradicting elements. In the context of protracted conflict, it may be meaningful to engage in a discourse on the three-‘re’ symbolizing the meaning behind the three-stones, namely: ‘resolution,’ ‘reconciliation’ and ‘reconstruction.’
The three-stones of ‘resolution,’ ‘reconciliation’ and ‘reconstruction’ make critical contributions when political structures and just-relations are experiencing transitions and undergoing transformation. These three elements share a dialectical relationship that relies and responds to the people’s wisdom. The avoidance of any of these elements would prevent a nation’s holistic growth. Resolution on its own is unsustainable and many not lead to systems’ changes; Reconciliation on its own many not fully address the politics of injustice; and Reconstruction by itself can not address the root causes of conflict. They depend on each other to bring out their fullest meaning and come to full completion.
Each one of these three-stones has its own complexities, and, yet, when they interface with each other they are rich in content. One may ask, so where do we start? The best possible option in a spectrum of answers is to address all these stones simultaneously. Recognizing that each one of the three-stones provides perspectives on different facets of the same problem makes it even more necessary that they are addressed together and not as separate components.
Resolution is fundamental in finding ways that address the core issues, Reconciliation is essential for healing wounds, and Reconstruction is vital for moving into the future with new beginnings. Perhaps the outcome of the three stones’ interaction is what people term as ‘sustainable peace.’
When Nagas are ready to accept these three-stones simultaneously, then we are on the way to a shared future.
