Ambassador of Ireland to India Kevin Kelly and academic and Royal Irish Academy member Professor Jane Ohlmeyer with participants after an event held at The BookHome, Kohima, on December 3. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Kohima | December 4
Drawing parallels between Ireland and Nagaland - its history, aspirations for self-determination and struggle for a future shaped by Naga people and values, Ambassador of Ireland to India, Kevin Kelly, noted that Ireland, too, had once been part of the “machinery of empire” when it was a colony, describing it as “a very complex history.”
He was speaking at The BookHome Library in Billy Graham Road Kohima as part of a conversation organised by PenThrill Publication House in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland on December 3.
Professor Jane Ohlmeyer, historian, academic and member of the Royal Irish Academy, was the other resource, who threw light on her book titled, Making Empire, which explores how the Irish were colonised.
It also examines how “Ireland helped to unmake empire, because Ireland was critical, especially in the 20th century, of helping the British Empire to collapse,” she said.
Taking the audience through the book and its relevance, Prof Ohlmeyer exuded hope that it would speak to “the history of the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th century, but also can help us explore some of the thorny issues around legacies of empire today.”
“Ireland is a useful prism for exploring what people around the world are experiencing,” she articulated, in the conversation moderated by Vishü Rita Krocha, poet, author, journalist and publisher.
On conflict resolution, the historian cautioned against assuming that a political settlement alone is sufficient, asserting that “it’s not enough.”
“You also need to think about hearts and minds. In other words, there has to be a cultural settlement that sits alongside it. And that’s exploring these issues around identity and building respect amongst people for the other, whatever that other may be,” she added.
She further pointed out that issues of identity, whether expressed through literature, art or community programmes, should create spaces where people feel comfortable speaking about their identity, knowing it will be respected.
In this context, Ambassador Kelly observed that “the young people in Nagaland seem to be so proud of their Naga culture,” expressing appreciation for the youth who, he said, are ‘unashamed of their cultural identity.’
On the literary scene in the State, he expressed optimism about collaborating with the Writers’ Collective Kohima to organise the next edition of the Nagaland Literature Festival in 2026. “I’d love to collaborate with you for 2026,” he told members, as well as the audience, which included writers, journalists, researchers and book lovers.
It must be noted here that Prof Ohlmeyer is currently also the Erasmus Smith’s Professor of Modern History at Trinity College Dublin and Chair of the Irish Research Council, which funds frontier research across all disciplines.
Kelly is the Ambassador of Ireland to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and has extensive early career experience of working with civil society organisations in Ireland, UK, Rwanda and Botswana.
