Vitono Gugu Haralu
Dimapur
I write this diary with personal experiences from the field where I am involved, as a professional and as a social activist, in various capacities, for a few years now. Today, I choose to write what I have witnessed and sharing the findings in my own words.
It is the silence of good people and educated religious people that makes me angry and frustrated to question and also work harder to make this concern to be brought to light. We need doers and not just comfort dwellers confined in their safe walls when our people are breaking apart in pain and are vulnerable.
Many realities I face everyday has made me ponder, should I trust and believe in the very justice system I support and I work with intensely. I question, because of the injustice and loopholes that exist like any organised system in the world.
It pains me deeply to see how much efforts are made and put to rescue a child or a woman and in the process, the hurdles are not the perpetrators alone but the very agencies both Government and non-government agencies compromising the lives involved put at more risk.
I am not a writer or a scholar but does that matter? We have in Nagaland who are in positions to make a difference in various capacities and subject matter experts put into positions to deliver justice to the people, yet the fact remains that in reality, it is entirely a different picture.
I often don’t think about the influences of powerful people and the network of high profile hands indulging in the justice delivery but today I am convinced, justice can be bought with money and power many a time.
I will also not put to light the cases that are in existence in the state of Nagaland, rural and urban stories of atrocities, but I will speak about the crimes happening in the homes of our Naga homes and by the Nagas in majority who are committing crimes daily but are in denial and some pretending that nothing is wrong to abuse a child or a woman.
When people walk out of their homes for education and jobs to other cities, they are so unprepared and don’t prepare to think they need to learn and know how to take care of, and defend themselves. Along with naiveness and ignorance, there is a degree of over smart attitude and four wall mindset that they take along with them around and when in trouble, they make their visibility only to the authorities when nothing can be done.
It also saddens me to express how disappointed I feel when I see those in authorities’ compromise and silence the victims and supporters by threat and ultimatums. This includes both overground and underground. How long will we live in fear? Our children and women are living in fear and in bondage for they know very well, nobody will protect them. Silence is better. What difference does it make after the truth is out? Why even speak out. Ask the survivors.
Many children and women who are abused still find very difficult to trust the protectors because many of the caregivers are the perpetrators. Many have lived lives in silence and carrying the secret of atrocities inside them till few find freedom to live again because of blessed people who help them release that burden of faults guilt injected in them to believe that it’s their fault and help teach them that there is life beyond the scars they carry where they are not at fault and show them beyond the walls of self doubt.
It takes courage and patience to continue to be in this field where you are called to help and reach out fully and surely it ain’t of the fainted heart to rescue people in violence and human trafficking.
Yes, human trafficking is real in Nagaland and has been there and is growing. SILENTLY.
Are you aware and listening to the cries and tears of the innocent children and women screaming for help?
After a lot of field work and engagements with various stakeholders locally and globally, I can only hope that the Churches in Nagaland can open their hearts and mind to feel the need of the people and reach out to speak the truth and help heal the brokenness that needs mending.
It is my hope that those in authorities in the justice system, to remember to ask themselves why in the first place they worked hard to be in the field they chose and why they still continue to be in service?
It is my hope that the public can make efforts to pay attention to their children and homes and start looking at the areas of safety and protections as their responsibilities and not entirely leave it to the Government agencies and NGOs alone.
And most importantly, can the stakeholders who are the decision making machines on the matter of women and children safe keep, can you please revisit your vows and promises you made when you were appointed.
I am living with hope and our children and women who are trusting the caregivers, who have promised to protect and give justice, fighting the good fight on their behalf.
Can we afford to continue to live this way, where we live a life of fear of uncertainty with the system in place and in existence?
I was certainly embarrassed when I was part of the recent conference in Shillong where the Northeast stakeholders had a one-day consultation on Human Trafficking and the data for Nagaland on human trafficking showed zero. It was a big lie showed up for the neighbours to see openly. I asked myself again, is this for real?
We certainly do not need a third agency to be fighting this battle for the safe keep of our children and women and surely it is an indication, we need to move beyond condemnation and lynching culture that seems to become an easy strategy.
There are data on children and young adults being bullied in schools, workplaces and at home where it is supposed to be the safe place to live. Are you sure your children are safe? How equipped are you to see the signs of abuse and the steps to take when confronted by situations?
It is our bounden duty and calling as believers of Christ that we move and do more where there is a need to build our people.
My heart breaks when a child who looks up to you after the rescue and believes in your commitment to fight for him/her with faith in your spoken words. Are our actions matching our promises we make?
It’s about time we come together and weave the threads of all stakeholders to fight this fight with faith and as a team. This concerns us all. Everybody has a part to play to intervene and prevent and act with the knowledge of the tools to fight rightly and in the process. And tribalism and favouritism must be out when fighting for justice. It has become the root cause for the very cause.
Today is someone else; someday it will be you or your own. Then what?
