Concept of unity in Naga society’s context ‘misleading’

Our Reporter

Dimapur, Dec. 12 (EMN): In any nation-building process, there cannot be a nation without unity. In the Naga society today, ‘We give a destructive interpretation and not constructive interpretation to unity.’  This perspective was given by an advocate, Limanochet Jamir, during the official launch of the International Human Rights Council (IHRC), Nagaland chapter, on Thursday December 12 at Hotel Saramati in Dimapur.

Jamir was speaking on the issue of Human Rights violation in the context Nagaland. The Nagaland chapter of the INHRC was launched with the motto ‘reach the unreached.’

Jamir pointed out that in the context of Naga society, unity is perceived as unity only towards own community or grouping. “We are all united towards our tribe and community but not beyond and if unity does not pursue truth than it is destructive.”

Unity, he said, does not have to be uniformity and that, according to him, was one reason why the Naga people do not support the Uniform Civil Code because unity does not have to be uniform.

But having said that, he said, ‘We should always give unity a constructive interpretation that should point to truth which ultimately means unity in truth.’

“In our society today, we have lost the point of reference. We are living in a confused society without any point of reference. There is uncertainty involved even in book of law if we do not have point of reference. We have multiplicity of authority in the context of Nagaland and when we have this there is a high chance of uncertainty involved,” Jamir said.

The advocate, also the legal advisor to the All Nagaland Domestic Workers’ Union, pointed out that Human Rights violation is taking place behind closed doors of homes in private spaces and in public spaces.  He said domestic workers are an example of the Human Rights violation, in the form of the worst abuses today in the society.

‘It was our challenge to make them visible as these people are invincible working in an unconventional work place and our homes are their workplace,’ he said. He lamented that the government also does not even recognise them and their work when it comes to giving them minimum wage, and are a section of the society that is struggling much. 

The Northeast zone’s IHRC board member Wilson Hasda also addressed the event. He questioned if the government mechanism was sufficient for the IHRC. He opined that there was a need for social rights activists.

The IHRC, he said, was not limited only to Human Rights activities. Its objective is also to empower people by making them aware of their rights entitled.

According to Hasda, Human Rights violations take place because of lack of knowledge about the entitled rights every citizen has and for which the Human Rights activists and for which nongovernmental organisations need to work together.  

Hasda lauded the Nagaland IHRC for involving more of young dynamic groups. He urged the team to identify problems that can be challenging but advised them to also prioritise issues one at a time to attend to the problems as it is humanly not possible to attend to all issues simultaneously.

Also, he advised them to analyse the problems and to engage them professionally to improve, besides having good communications among themselves.

Hasda said there are government mechanisms that are available from which they can seek guidance. If the mechanism is not active, he advised the team to ‘activate’ it.

The Nagaland IHRC’s board president Akavi N Zhimomi affirmed that the IHRC will be an inclusive body and work to being an example for other states in the country too.

Zhimomi suggested that it was time to give an opportunity to the youths not only for the IHRC but for other platforms too. The society’s elders, he said, must participate by allowing the youngsters to involve in society building by guiding, responding and supporting them.