Naga CSOs, churches endorse ‘goodwill mission’ to Manipur

DIMAPUR – A conglomeration of Naga civil societies and church associations have endorsed the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) to work out a goodwill mission to Manipur, which has been hit by violence for almost three months.

This was arrived at a meeting called by the FNR on Saturday and attended by organisations like Eastern Naga Peoples’ Organisation, Naga Hoho, Nagaland Gaon Bura Federation, Naga Students’ Federation, Tenyimi Peoples’ Organisation, Global Naga Forum, Fellowship of Naga Baptist Association, which comprises of 60 Baptist associations, and Nagaland Joint Christian Forum, which has 3,786 churches.

The goodwill mission to Manipur will to be fully supported by the organisations that attended the meeting, said a statement issued by the FNR, which also called upon ‘other Naga organisations to render their support’.

The present turmoil in Manipur outlines similar patterns of volatile conflict confronted by ethnic peoples across the globe, it said, adding that “our region has witnessed the frenzied construction of walls along social, ethnic, and communal lines” over the past few months, leading to break down of the social fabric and fragmentation of goodwill and civility among neighbours.

“The Nagas take an essential moment to deeply reflect on the foreseeable impact of current events in Manipur on our land and society. Naga people, in the broadest sense, must vigilantly guard against playing any role in erecting walls of our own.

“We resolve to abstain from succumbing to hatred and innuendos of any kind. Nagas will remain clear and free of violence, be it through written words, mythmaking, propagating falsehoods, discriminating against specific people groups, or the causing of physical harm. We will not be provoked and it is our moral responsibility to see that these acts are not entertained in the Naga areas,” it stated.

While giving its “commitment to strive for goodwill and civility among ourselves and our neighbours”, it also called upon all to “offer life-sustaining choices of non-violence and solidarity with those around us”.