Dimapur: The Peace Tour on Bikes with the motto “Peace for all”, organized by the North East Students’ Volunteers, Jorhat concluded today with a formal function at Hotel Saramati. Speaking as the Chief Guest on the occasion, Alemtemshi Jamir expressed hope that the Peace Tour program would touch the hearts and minds of the people of North East that would yearn and work together for a peaceful society. He asserted that the uproar in the society is not simply the absence of violence but a lot more complicated and that “we” need to understand the intricacies of the social, political, economical and other impacts on a society that would nurture a peaceful society. “The past has been difficult and the present and future could be more difficult if we do not try to understand it,” he stated. He reminded of the relativity of ethical values by recollecting that head hunting was once glorified in our society. “We consider it a vice in this age. The greatest unrest in the past was head hunting. The present being the different political aspirations or the insurgency problem.” He also observed that another dangerous trend emerging in our society is the ever increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots.
Earlier, report on the “Peace Tour on Bikes” was briefed by Rev. Dr. Woba James (Convener). Members of the team comprised from the four North Eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland. The team started off the peace tour from Jorhat on April 14 and had toured the four states meeting different people promulgating for a peaceful society. James emphasized that “peace has to start from you and me” and appealed one and all to give effort for peaceful co-existence in our society. The team covered over 2000 kms in the four states promoting peace.
Miathou Krose, General Secretary, NCP Nagaland, in his short speech stated that violence is a part of the system and that there is a proper means to check it. He felt necessary that a strict and strong authority to check the violence, crime, misdeeds etc would give us a peaceful society. He also believed that “politics and religion are two sides of the same coin”. President of Rengma Naga Students’ Union, Karbi Anglong also spoke on the occasion. He strongly stressed that there can be no peace as long as the gun culture in our society is bred. Solomon, General Secretary, ACAUT Nagaland asserted that the desire for a peaceful society is inside each of us and that we need to foster the mutual feeling if we want to see and live in the peaceful society that we all wish for. Joel Nillo Kath, Finance Secretary, ACAUT Nagaland, who was the Guest of Honor, stated that issues like the ethnic conflict, rampant corruption in all sectors etc are the anti-thesis to peace. While observing that the Peace Tour on Bikes was at its initial stage, he expressed hope that the initiative of the team would become bigger and that the aspiration of the team members and the people would come true.
