Dr. Paranjoy Bordoloi
Fulbright Fellow
Communities in Haflong have learned ‘peaceful coexistence’
In the month of March, 2017, I went to the tiny hill town Haflong (Assan) which has unique mix of natural beauty of green hills as well as rich tribal cultures. As a researcher of peace, I was thrilled to experience the positive transition of the hill town since my first visit in May 2011. Five years back, there was a violent environment in the town so it was not at all pleasant as a visitor. However, there is no more fear of violence; rather I have enjoyed the mesmerizing beauty of the hill station even roaming around the town in the night as well.
The most pleasant experience for me was to be able to walk down the street of the Haflong Lake every evening during my stay. In the midst of cold breeze, the evening walks were enjoyable with my other colleagues where we did not require any local person to accompany us. This type of freedom was a luxury five years back due to intense ethnic conflicts. An environment of suspicion prevailed in the society which affected normal lives of the town’s people.
On the other hand, now I have seen a dramatic change of behavior in the people from both tribal or non-tribal communities. Whether people from Dimasa or Zeme Naga or local Bengali, I felt that they were much more open during interactions compared to my last visit. The paradigm shift regarding relationships among communities not only concentrated within Haflong but also spread to the villages. I have observed that communities have learned ‘peaceful coexistence’.
Mr. Haloi, a government staff working in the hill town for almost 20 years, says that compared to the last few years, the situation has been getting normal. Haloi says, “I can go to the market in the late evening without any fear which I could not even imagine a few years before. Therefore, I was trying to transfer my job at that time, but now I think I will stay here till my retirement”.
Bijoy a local young boy getting a job recently said that youths are more attracted now to take up dum bell for physical exercise rather than taking up a pistol. He also informed that a local boy has recently won a national bodybuilding competition, which motivated many more youths to join professional body-building clubs.
This heart touching story of the town is, perhaps, a successful example of a society which has transformed from violence to peace. The question comes how this journey has been possible in Haflong. Is it the impact of the developmental activities undertaken by the administration? The new beautiful train station of Haflong is a showcase of undergoing development measures.
Are the people feeling detached from violence and more interested towards peaceful co-existence? An in-depth research will be needed to find out real causes for the peaceful transition of the town. The need of the hour is that the government and non-governmental organizations should capitalize on this positive environment to build Haflong as a tourist spot of the region, which has the potential to develop as new destination to bring tourists to North East India.
