[dropcap]N[/dropcap]aga society has got many campaign groups today fighting the social ails in various fronts and levels. We have today campaign groups as varied as the fair election campaigners, the Amur Falcons protection campaigners, etc., etc., vigorously exerting their energy to accomplish their mission. It is, in fact, a sign of social consciousness and realization.
However, there is one untouched area activists/campaigners urgently should focus—the desperate need to address the mob justice.
In a society such as ours where tribalism between groups often rear its ugly head threatening the age-old well knitted social fabric, campaign against mob justice is one measure to soothe the problem.Occasionally, we witness groups of people confronting each other for a silly matter. Say, if a bicycle thief is beaten up by a group of people hailing from different community, the tribesmen the thief belongs will gear up to avenge him thereby triggering the situation to blow out of proportion creating serious law and order problem. We become too stiff and tough ignoring the urge of our conscience. This is because the demarcation line between right and wrong has become too blur for us to see. This will in turn enhance the ‘my-tribesmen syndrome’ to permeate to the Naga society. Such is the atmosphere in today’s Naga society.
Sadly, the government administration appears to have run out of ideas to formulate an effective mechanism to address such situation.
Meanwhile, in order to weed out this practice from the Naga society, concerted campaigns should be encouraged by all sections of people. NGOs can organize programs in pockets of urban areas and in villages with a message that for just one person’s crime his whole community cannot be blamed. The mind of the people should also be refreshed during the campaign trail that there is an appropriate authority to deal such situation and it is a crime to take the law into one’s own hands. Another area the campaigners should also focus is the futility of group confrontation. Inter-tribal programs should also be encouraged.
In the event of such campaigns taking place the government can come forward in bearing the expenses. Here, the media must play its role.
This is indeed the act of promoting peace and harmony in the Naga society.
