Dimapur, October 4 (MExN): Defiant and habitual factional eruptions, a willing but apprehensive State Government and a poor people. The pressure on the peace mission of the GB/DBs’ joint forum has amplified to a point where they are now virtually begging for funds. Factional politics, ironically, has only heightened the pressure of securing adequate funds to further a peace mission. The forum has reached out to those who can help.
The strain is not so much in meeting the challenge of reining in the unpredictable warring underground factions and devising peace strategies – the pressure is in garnering the means toward meeting these challenges. The forum is in cooperation with the Nagaland Commissioner’s office in this regard.
“There is not a single digit in the account” lamented a harried A Taku Longkumer. He is the convener of the joint forum of the Nagaland GBs’ Federation and Nagaland DBs’ Association. The joint forum was instated this year to devise peace strategies towards reconciliation and peace between the warring Naga factions. For a noble purpose that entails traveling extensively to remote areas, mobilizing both government and local authorities, organizing meetings and consultations and yes, maintaining offices of the joint forum, funds was never felt so needed before.
Convener Longkumer said that the GBs and the DBs have to travel extensively to the districts. So far they have covered almost all the districts meeting with the people and civil society. “We move around the whole districts and meeting with people, working with (civil society) and setting up offices” he said while stressing on the expenses that goes into maintaining the forum’s district offices.
This necessitates a strong fund pool to meet the expenses of travel, accommodation not to speak of peace initiatives that goes far beyond mere paperwork. Longkumer said that although the people and the government alike have been responsive to the ideal behind the setting up of a fund, tangible contributions has yet to be seen. Although the state government has welcomed the need for a fund pool, it is yet to extend any financial assistance, Longkumer said. Some ministers are expected to extend donations but as things stand at present, there are reservations. Longkumer said that the donations have been made by ministers, but so far they are inadequate.
While appreciative of a fund pool, it was observed that the state government was “a bit reserved” to making any financial contribution due to the opposing factions’ tendency to misconstrue the funding to be either in support or against a particular group. Further, there is always the danger of the funding being politicized, it was opined.
Nagaland Commissioner TN Mannen was appreciative of the GB/DBs’ efforts toward securing peace. “The people are fed up all the factional killings, harassment to civilians etc. They desire peace now” Commissioner Mannen echoed. But he was concerned that fund “is the weakest point” in the peace initiative. As yet any political party or for that matter, the government has yet to step forward with funds. It was opined that they do not desire to be represented being either from a political party or the government, although they are willing to extended donations. The Commissioner has appealed to the people to step forward with funds since it is meant for an ideal and a reality all the people desire to attain – peace.
No minister in the government could be reached for comment, due to poor tele-services.
The joint forum has made an earnest appeal to all concerned to contribute to the peace initiative. A note received here from the forum appealed to all peace-loving citizens, organizations to extend free-will donations to an account maintained courtesy of the Nagaland Commissioner’s Office, Kohima, to meet financial and exigent requirements for the success of the peace mission.
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