There seems to be a tendency among Naga CSOs and other organisations to find fault with everyone else but not with ourselves. If a Naga opines his/her view and does not sit well with the many Naga organisations and groups, he/she is a traitor and if a non-Naga airs his/her opinion, he/she is anti-Naga. It is so convenient for us to brush our mistakes under the carpet and forget as if nothing happened. Are our conscience not pricked?
As a young Naga, I am very well aware that many kinds of injustices have been committed on Nagas by the Indian security forces. Yes, it hurts. I grew up reading about it and listening to my elders. However, let us also not forget that many of our Naga brethren have been killed by our own Naga brothers, among them a good number of Naga civilians. That also hurts. The wounds and scars run deep. As long as we continue to ignore the elephant in the room, reconciliation will be a distant dream. And no, please don’t term it as collateral damage. Accountability, admission, recognition, forgiveness and reconciliation. That’s the way forward. If we really consider ourselves Christians, we can surely do that. It won’t be easy but we have to start somewhere to get to the Promised Land.
At one point of time, we have to call a spade a spade. We just can’t keep turning a blind eye. We can’t keep living in denial. Personally, I think Nagas are at an important crossroads of history.
Would God ever forgive us for destroying the future of our children and our society? Truth is the only way out. Let us try it for once. We can’t keep being the devil’s paradise.
I Longkumer
