Putting the peace issue right up front before the people of Nagaland, new Governor K. Sankaranarayanan has rightly pointed out that it is the combined responsibility and the bounden duty of everyone to make use of every resource available in creating peace. His argument that peace is too important an issue to be left in the realm of debate is a paradigm shift from conventional thinking. While many hold the view that economic development requires peace, others say that with development comes peace. But unless issues of conflict are appropriately addressed and differences resolved, no amount of formulation will be able to secure peace to a given situation. Therefore what Sankaranarayanan has said is a welcome change of political mindset and the peace call given to political leaders, the NGOs, the Church leaders, the intellectuals etc. to redouble their efforts for bringing about a qualitative improvement in the prevailing atmosphere is a challenge that should be taken up with all seriousness.
For achieving qualitative transformation towards real peace, an out of the box thinking is required. Clinging on to such cliché as peace for development or development for peace may only provide escape routes while ignoring the root causes leading to conflict and thereby leaving the question of peace unresolved. As the Governor has rightly understood, it is the bounden duty of the Naga society to employ all its ingenuity in creating peace and also reminding that the democratic way of resolving issues is by the power of argument and the art of negotiation. Without a doubt, this is the most relevant point of the Governor’s message to the people of Nagaland on the occasion of assuming his new office as the Constitutional head of the State. And hopefully Sankaranarayanan will himself use whatever ingenuity and resource at his disposal to help in this peace building exercise, which is the need of the hour for the Nagas.
The new Governor with his political background will hopefully be in a much better position than his predecessor to show more zeal in initiating peace efforts. Being a Governor without the tag and baggage of a former Army General or an Intelligence Officer, Sankaranarayanan will be better adapted to know the true value of ordinary people’s aspiration and mandate—which is the cessation of armed hostilities among the warring factions and generation of peace for all round development of the State. In that sense, Sankaranarayanan’s responsibility will have to go beyond just being a ‘Peoples Governor’. While fulfilling his constitutional mandate he has to apply his mind judiciously for securing peace and security for his subject. And for his effort, the Naga civil society groups should be a willing partner to work for the aspiration of the people i.e. to live with peace, harmony and dignity. Once this is achieved, the rest of the jig jaw will fall into its rightful place.
