Sorry is probably one of the most difficult act, and yet it is always a good starting point to begin some form of honest conversation around broken and hurt relationships between people. Sorry does not imply that everything is okay, nor does it suggest that the hurt committed is acceptable. Sorry is the beginning of a process of repentance, forgiveness and an act of transformation to allow the rebuilding of broken relationships. Unfortunately the positive consequences that emerge out through repentance and forgiveness has not been fully appreciated nor understood. Political leaders have not quite fully realized how historical injustices burden the paths of the future; and how the act and intent of genuinely saying Sorry begins to liberate the present and future from the past.
It takes enormous strength and political will to be able to say Sorry, largely because there is so much of fear and a lack of understanding of what Sorry exactly entails and what it means. History has quite clearly shown that only those political leaders with some sense of vision and will have the political courage to take the profound leap of faith to acknowledge injustices and hurts meted out on the people, and to say Sorry for the harms caused. The process that emerges out of the act of an apology can shape the future profoundly towards a direction of acceptance and healing.
For people who have been wronged and on the receiving end of injustices, an apology is a form of public acknowledgement in which their injustices are being recognized, and not brushed under the carpets. It’s a step that allows them to begin the process of breaking from a hurtful past to that of people who have survived to build a future that allows them to regain their lost dignity. An apology is not really going to advance their lives or enhance their capacities to rebuild their lives, but it is a fundamental necessity to enable a reconciliation process to have relevance. By saying sorry, a pathway to respect is made possible. Sorry is not just a social and spiritual necessity, it is foremost a political act with consequences that go far beyond politics; it impacts all spheres of human life.
Nagas feel we have been wronged by others, but it is equally true that we have wronged others, as well as each other. Hence it is only right that we say Sorry to those who we have hurt, so that we too may be lifted off the burdens of our own history. By saying Sorry, everyone wins, no one loses. By saying Sorry to each other, it will be a victory for the Nagas. It is therefore encouraging to know that Gen (Retd) VS Atem and Zhopra Vero have wrestled with the issue of forgiveness and have conquered fear. By seeking forgiveness from the Naga people, these two leaders have reminded the Nagas that there is no future without forgiveness. Truly, the act of Sorry must start from each one of us.
