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Niketu Iralu (File photo)[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Nov. 3 (EMN): Peace activist, Niketu Iralu on Saturday said Naga society needs healing at individual level and transformation towards honesty, restitution and willingness to absolve each other’s mistakes, to bring change, peace and healing.
Nagas along with some other nations, he said, have faced some of the most difficult human problems of poverty, suffering, exploitation, hatred, bitterness etc., where the people have wrestled with challenges and difficulties.
Speaking at the interfaith coalition for peace on the theme ‘transformed to transform the society’, Iralu reminded that Nagas are very isolated and became known to the world only recently.
“As human beings we are old as anybody else in the world, but in terms of our connection with changes in the world, we are very recent,” said Iralu and identified that as the reason why “we are surprised by the many things we are doing, and we are doing it badly.”
He asserted that it becomes crucial for the people ‘to know the perspective of what they are doing and the context of what it is trying to deal with, lest they would be lost and left wondering what exactly they are doing.’ On the other hand, he said, “When we know what we are doing, we have the connection with reality, and then we have some chance of getting something done.”
Appreciating the efforts of the Peace Channel to bring changes in the society, the activist emphasised that with the rapid changes in society, it is important to have the right relationship among ourselves, different races and cultures. “And if we don’t do that, suddenly things can go very wrong,” he added.
Encouraging them to continue their mission with strong conviction, he said, “when someone does the right thing, the hunger in human soul is stirred” and added that “we think our situation is becoming hopeless, but there are countries where things are worse than ours.”
According to Iralu, “it is important that we understand the size and nature of our problem, and learn to deal with it and grow in our lives.” He added that one must be also be prepared to pay the price for change and transformation.
The workshop is an initiative by Peace Channel in collaboration with Peace Forum Nagaland, to explore ways of working as entities committed to peace and harmony and sustainable development in the community. It was held at Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN) conference hall in Kohima Saturday.
