Violent past has trained Naga women to speak about peace, says Dzuvichu

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Sep. 21 (EMN): Coming from a culture of war, Naga women have been trained for generations to build and speak about peace, and so there is nothing stronger than women coming together and building peace in the community, stated Prof. Rosemary Dzuvichu, Advisor of Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) on Wednesday.

She was speaking during the 15th Peace Knit Fest 2022-cum-Peace Channel Foundation Day and commemoration of International Day of Peace at Peace Centre, Chümoukedima.

She was also conferred the Peace Award 2022, an annual award given to a peace activist in Nagaland.

Dzuvichu opined that Naga society is a classic example of conflicts and peace-building continuing to this day.

“We also must remember that peace is not only about the absence of guns but it is also to do with gender justice, justice in society and justice for the atrocities particularly the militarisation and the army atrocities that we have gone through,” she said.

She said that one can’t separate the political aspirations of the Naga people with peace activism.

“We want peace in our land but definitely we also want unity and recognition of our people as a whole. If women’s voices are not heard, peace is not sustained; but only when women aspirations and voices for justice are heard then peace is sustainable,” she said, adding that Nagas can’t progress without women.

“Political decision-making bodies having gender equity is another way of building peace, and as long as women’s voices are neglected and women don’t join in that circle of policy-making, we will not be able to see the peace that we need,” she asserted.

Dzuvichu also said that Nagas face so much racism outside the state but are “equally racist” because of colonial hangover.

She further lamented the discrimination among Nagas, whereby people talk about advanced tribes, backward tribes or bigger tribes, but “we must think that we are all Nagas at the end of the day, including the Nagas living outside the artificial borders, and we must know that we are one”.

Election in ‘Christian state’

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, Rothihu Tetseo, said in the context of Nagaland, the most ‘disturbing force’ is the Assembly election because many people have a ‘do or die’ attitude and act selfishly.

With the state election approaching, he appealed to the citizens to follow the election law and prove that ‘Nagaland is a Christian state’. He further stated that there can be peace only when the ‘power of love overcomes the love of power’.

Tetseo informed that in 2021, a total of 1,503 cases were registered in the state, out of which 743 cases alone were registered in Dimapur. Out of the total cases registered in Dimapur, more than 203 cases were registered at East Police station where there is commercial activity.

He stated that it is important for people to know how to earn money in a ‘proper way’.

‘We, as a Christian state, the highest number of crimes in the state is vehicle theft and extortion, which is a major challenge for our society. If we continue to live like this, all the preaching will become meaningless for other people,’ he opined.

He said that though a small community, there are so many differences among the Nagas, while expressing hope that someday, the society will achieve peace and the police personnel or the law enforcing authority will no longer be needed.

Tetseo also advised the students not to be a liability to their parents who are providing them with the best they can.