Remembering Niketu Iralu’s role in bringing NMA and Kripa Foundation together to address addiction and HIV in Nagaland
DIMAPUR — The passing of peace activist Niketu Iralu has brought renewed attention to a life that reached far beyond the pursuit of political reconciliation. For many in Nagaland, his legacy was also one of social healing—of bringing people and organisations together to confront some of the state's most difficult challenges.
One such contribution came in 1989, when Iralu facilitated a partnership between the Naga Mothers Association (NMA) and the Kripa Foundation while serving as Director of Moral Re-Armament at Asia Plateau.
At a time when Nagaland was facing a growing crisis of drug addiction and severe social challenges, the partnership paved the way for Kripa Foundation to begin its work in the state at the invitation of the NMA.
The collaboration led to the establishment of the NMA-Kripa “Mount Gilead Home” rehabilitation centre at Zubza in Kohima, providing treatment and support to people struggling with substance use.
Read more: Nagaland: Veteran peace activist Niketu Iralu passes away in Delhi
The initiative acquired an even greater significance the following year when Nagaland's first HIV case was detected among injecting drug users at the rehabilitation centre.
According to Kripa Foundation Nagaland, Iralu's efforts in bringing the NMA and Kripa together helped reduce stigma and denial surrounding substance use and opened avenues for people to seek treatment and rehabilitation.
The organisation recalled that the initiative adopted a holistic approach to recovery, addressing the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional needs of those undergoing treatment.
For Kripa Foundation Nagaland, this was another expression of the qualities that defined Iralu's public life: compassion, courage, humility and a willingness to bring people together around difficult problems.
Remembering him after his passing, Kripa Foundation Nagaland director Abou Mere described Iralu as a “legendary Naga peace activist, social worker, and elder statesman”, and recalled him as a kind-hearted and down-to-earth person whose humility and soft-spoken nature inspired many.
“His lifelong dedication to his people makes his passing an irreplaceable loss for Nagaland,” Mere stated.