Atola Longkumer
Bangalore
Five years ago, the European Union (EU) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2012. The reasoning for the decision was, EU has “for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.”
The announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize award to the European Union was a surprise and caused derision and criticism at certain quarters. While certain criticisms and derisions had merit at the particular time, the words of the head of the Nobel committee, Thorbjørn Jagland weigh much significance, “the Norwegian Nobel committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU's most important result: the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights. The stabilising part played by the EU has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace.” The words, “from a continent of war to a continent of peace” capture centuries of conflicts and bloody wars fought over religion and land and power in Europe, the bloodiest carnage of war taking place during the Second World War of the twentieth century. Just France and Germany, the two leading nations of the EU today, have fought three wars, but perhaps today war between the two nations seems unlikely. Differences are negotiated through dialogue and diplomacy guided by principles of human rights, rule of law and the much maligned bureaucracy (some would say, efficient professionalism).
With both the heavy sacrifice and wisdom of history behind, the Nobel Prize for EU in the year 2012 was in recognition and celebration of what human civilisation could achieve in terms of peaceful co-existence and pursuit of the common good with dialogue and honest conversation. Despite the challenges upon a democratic and globalised economy, Europe today is one of the most liveable, wealthy, desired continents with sensibilities, stability and sustainability as core values that drive their vision of a democratic, free and equal society.
The European Union is an economic and political union of 28 nation states of Europe. With the carnage of the World War II behind, where millions lost their lives, including the 6 million Jews murdered in the Nazi concentration camps as painful memories, visionary leaders from six European countries began the movement of cooperation and peaceful co-existence. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands were the founding members. It expanded over the years and has still other European countries as candidate countries and potential candidates to join the Union. The Euro (€), the common currency was introduced in 1999 and circulation began in 2002, used by over 338.6 million people today. The EU has its own flag adopted in 1985 and its anthem is Ode to Joy, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. May 9 is celebrated as the Europe Day and the EU motto is Unity in Diversity. (www.europa.eu)
As any system and structure of humanity is flawed and always in the process of refinement, the European Union has its own challenges, not least economic, especially in the global neo-liberal economy skewed towards the wealthy and powerful. While it might have its own difficulties, European Union is a modern project worth knowing and even emulating in areas of cooperation and mutual respect among diverse communities marked by differences such as language and other divisive cultural practices.
Modern Naga people could bear some loose resemblances to the peoples and different nation states of Europe. In fact, pre-Christian Europe was also a warring, tribalistic region, given to fear of the unknown nature – it is written that a pre-Christian German would fear to cross a river lest the spirit of the river was annoyed. Modern Europe is the land of former Vikings and Gauls.
Naga is a modern term, popularised and reified by the usage and writings of the British colonials and American Christian missionaries from the mid-19th century. We are many groups of people with different languages and particular customs. But, our commonalities outweigh the differences. The pattern of our traditional attires share a same form, even a base colour – primarily read and black – our first meat is pork, axoni (fermented soya bean), bamboo shots, rice beer, basic spices of garlic, ginger and chilli, sticky rice, a religiosity tuned to nature, clan division, patriarchy, and above all enthusiastic respond to Christianity, a vigour that should unify the Naga people today.
These shared cultural-cuisine commonalities also take us closer to the many Asian cultures. For instance, if Naga is yearning for axoni in the USA or Europe, a Japanese or a Thai or a Korean shop might come to aid. Ask for natto/thua nao/doenjang, and you will get axoni. Homesick for sticky rice and the juiciest pork chops? The nearest Chinese store will provide these comforting foods, in any cosmopolitan cities in the world. The point to be made is axoni and pork for the Naga people can be like cheese and wine for the Europeans. Different names, variations in process of aging, but most Europeans live with cheese and wine among other things. Despite differences, there are shared commonalities and a shared vision of common good that makes it possible for the EU to be what it is today.
Naga as a people share many more cultural practices and cuisines and a shared religion, that we could look at modern Europe today – a continent of stability, prosperity and freedom – and build our modern Naga society founded on principles of inclusive democracy, freedom and rights of individuals, respect for human rights, peaceful dialogue, transparent economy and pursuit of common good – and envision a Naga Union. In coming together as civilised people, a modern Naga society has more to gain and leave peaceful communities behind for the generations after us that will continue the Naga aspirations. The continent Europe has reached what European Union symbolises today, after many centuries of conflict and wars, Naga people could benefit from European history that dialogue, mutual respect and civilised negotiations are better virtues than violence and distrust.
