The nature of armed-conflicts in the present modern world has dramatically changed the political relations towards a ‘new world disorder’ with increasing emergence of the ‘complex humanitarian emergency.’ Contemporary conflicts are no longer fought through conventional methods that had demarcated battlefields, but are now taking place in towns, villages and homes of ordinary people. 90% of today’s war casualties are civilians, of which nearly all been civil wars and resistance struggles - in which governments have viewed whole sections of population as the ‘enemy’.
Rather than seeking social and political processes that provide channels for dialogue, participation and negotiation in constructively addressing root causes of conflicts, governments have often adopted repressive laws and force. This has only intensified the conflict.
Research indicates that in such created situations the most affected and vulnerable group are the women, children and the elderly. Children are often the most victimized and this has grave ramifications, for them as individuals and also for social development. The disproportionate impact on children eventually threatens future stability of any community because they have no way to deal with feelings, except through disturbed behavior. This reduces social stability, making the entire community more vulnerable to outside pressures.
Children of armed-conflict show symptoms of sever psychological trauma: nightmares, sleeping disorders, fright of unexpected sounds and movements, depression, impairment of their concentration, withdrawal, aggression, bed-wetting, inability to form relationship, internationalization of fear and unexpected burst of anger. These symptoms in turn affect the way they relate to the world around them. As a result children find it difficult to understand the situation. The question of ‘trust’ is often the most difficult and they live in great fear and uncertainty. Such complexities have added to the confusion causing feelings of mistrust in the community. One pre-dominant resultant of the confusion that we see is that ‘civil society’ becomes intensely segmented and people’s loyalties are directed towards family, clan, tribe and lineage.
These symptoms are manifested and indicated in many other ways. Don’t we see similar experiences in Naga society? The question remains - Do we even want to recognize and acknowledge that we are faced with an acute situation of traumatic stress disorder? Or do we conveniently continue to turn the blind eye to the issues and problems that are confronting us today? We need to begin addressing deeper issues and questions on why drug abuse, alcoholism, prostitution, dropouts, mental illness and breakdown of families are rapidly increasing in our society today. We can no longer continue brushing these issues away as it would be detrimental for the future.
Only when the children’s confusion is cleared up and given the space to grieve, can the symptoms from the original trauma, as well as those caused by the confusion itself disappear. What is fundamental to recognize is that suffering is a social experience and not a private one!
