Nagaland: Veteran peace activist Niketu Iralu passes away in Delhi

KOHIMA — Veteran Naga peace activist and reconciliation advocate Niketu Iralu, who spent more than six decades working to build trust and dialogue across political and ethnic divides, passed away in New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. He was 89.

According to sources, Iralu died following a cardiac arrest. He had reportedly been unwell and was admitted to BLK Hospital in New Delhi.

A prominent voice for peace and reconciliation in Nagaland and the Northeast, Iralu remained actively involved in efforts to bridge divisions and promote dialogue among communities and political groups. He was a core guiding force in the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and chaired the Naga Reconciliation Commission.

His association with Initiatives of Change (IofC), formerly known as Moral Re-Armament, began in 1955 during his university days at Madras Christian College. He later served as director of Asia Plateau, the IofC conference and training centre in Panchgani, Maharashtra.

Read: Nagaland’s voice of peace, Niketu Iralu, receives Lifetime Achievement honour

In recognition of his decades-long contribution to peace-building and reconciliation, Iralu received the IofC Lifetime Achiever Award in 2025. He was also conferred the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Integration Award in 2023 for his contribution to harmony and cultural and social integration in Northeast India.

Among other recognitions, he received the Distinguished Senior Citizens Award from the Nagaland government’s Department of Social Welfare in 2019 and the Rotary Peace Award in 2018 for his efforts in building cross-border community trust.

After retirement, Iralu lived with his wife Christine at Sechü Zubza in Kohima district. Their home, named Kerunyu Ki, meaning “House of Listening”, became a gathering place for people and leaders from different communities seeking counsel, dialogue and reconciliation.