The life of the nation is shot through with a certain falseness and hypocrisy, which are all the more tragic because they are so often subconscious rather than deliberate ... The soul of the people is putrescent, and until that becomes regenerate and clean, no good work can be done - Frantz Fanon
We, Nagas were once known for integrity and upholding values of truthfulness, honesty, and taking responsibility. But today, we have become willing subjects in the theatre of blame game. And tragically, it is within this culture of blaming the ‘other’ that we define our parochial existential worldviews. This kind of behavior has been responsible for constructing very subjective meanings of right and wrong, which are fear-driven and ahistorical. In doing so, truth is no longer based on fact, but on reactive emotions and cognitive bias. Such a framework that is based on very narrow and rigid understanding of humanity creates divisions and insular thinking that clearly differentiates between ‘us’ and ‘them.’
Inevitably, the ‘us’ is always right, while ‘them’ is always wrong. In this polarization of ‘us versus them,’ the culture of blame becomes rigid and unforgiving, often strengthening the culture of impunity. Usually, the polarization has little or nothing to do with the real issues because people withdraw to protect themselves. It doesn't take much imagination to see how people find brief moments of unity when they have successfully identified the ‘other’ as the real source of their own insecurity.
The culture of blame relies on fear to fuel it, while its silent accomplice – the exploitation of fear, foments and aggravates conflicts. Sadly, the deliberate exploitation of fear prevents the possibilities of finding a resolution which perpetuates suspicion and breaks trust-based relationships.
The culture of blame and fear creates systems that breed a mentality which always seeks to mirror the one who is threatening you. It produces the zero-sum situation that criticizes and dismisses dialogue, as well as other peacebuilding processes. Worst of all, it gives a fragile conflict-weary society an interest in keeping some sort of conflict ongoing. Consciously or not, political leaders in a variety of contexts are often reluctant to let go of an enemy who has become attached to their identity, purpose and perceived stability. This continues the cycle of violence in which everyone is ensnared.
We have all contributed to and colluded with this fear-based societal condition. The mechanism that keeps the culture of blame and fear alive has become imbedded within the structural violence which impacts every aspect of our lives. The culture of impunity and its partner corruption enforce this structural violence. When we recognize that our complicity has ensured its continued survival, then the space for genuine societal transformation can begin. We need to regain our voice, stop censoring ourselves, be the critical thinkers that we can be by intentionally choosing our words for speaking truth to power. We need to end the blame-game through co-creating a culture based on shared values of inclusivity and equality which adapts all the situations with which we are faced.
