Christian reconciliation can be defined as reunion of the wrong with the right through love, forgiveness, and acceptance of each other unconditionally. If Naga factional groups can reconcile without giving a room for suspicion, apprehension and hostility, there is nothing we cannot do. All is possible because God is with us. He wants us to be free from sins and guilt, living out His purpose and plan in our generation. Knowing God’s purpose for our people and accepting His bidding to come together and live in unity is to be our beginning of great day. Accepting each other no matter what other have done to us is reconciliation in action. Forgiveness makes this possible. So is reconciliation possible.
Naga Reconciliation is a people awakening movement prompted by the truth gained through past failures, blood sheds, wrongs actions, and is moved by pains, sufferings the Nagas have faced in the past since 60 years ago. The time has come for the Nagas to understand, see and energize our spirit for great decision to take amidst the raging storms and clouds of doubts. We cannot deny this time. We cannot wait for a better time than this. The journey toward realization of the dreams our founders, forefathers and bygone patriotic leaders have cherished, sacrificed and induced upon the running generation is within our reach. We must grasp the time or we lose the game.
The price for our freedom is paid by precious blood and lives of our own people. Now require no more blood and lives but bold tolerance, Divine forgiveness, and common acceptance of the reality we are into. This understanding, this decision is right and we must put it into action together we can call it our peoples’ action for mass transformation. I appeal to all the Naga National factions to surrender all factional spirits, ideologies, philosophies or whatever that stills holds you back from taking this great decision; A DECISION TO TRAVEL TOGETHER, MARCH UNTO THIS FINAL STAGE. Our common purpose of reconciliation should be to make our people travel with confidence on the road to freedom. Let us leave aside our personal interests, gains, ill feelings, or grudges because that will never build our Nation strong. Rather these will destroy the binding fiber and factors that binds us together as a people and Nation. What gain will be your gain if you lost your Nation? Where can you live? What freedom to live with? Living will not makes sense if we don’t live to make this world a better place for each other. My appeal is, Let us come together, work together and live together today and enter together into a new era of freedom, Peace and prosperity. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations gone. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today at our crucial game. Let the world know that we are a people with strong sense of truth, unity and understanding. Let the world witness that we can forgive even our bitterest enemies because our cause is greater than any meterial gain, fame or position we may hold in life.
We are the keepers of the legacy that our past leaders have bequeathed us. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding from among us and with our neighbouring people and Nations. We will begin to responsibly act and value a hard-earned peace and treasured.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength to live by and not a weakness to falls short of. We are a nation of Christians called and chosen to shed the light of truth as torch bearer to the world around us. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every part of our land that have been once divided by imaginary and arbitrary boundaries; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of head hunting wars, factional killings, and foreign confrontations. We have merged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that we must play our role in ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity from now on.
We understand well that we are in the midst of crisis and confusions. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. We are also facing consequences of greed and acts of irresponsibility on the part of some, but also we admit our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. And each day brings further evidence that the ways we use our energy and resources have strengthen our adversaries and threaten our society. People are living in fear because we have benumbed our sense of brotherhood and love for each other engaging in our own fighting only thinking to kill the other being and escape ourselves. That Notion is now obsolete and we are now in the light. We see that the ultimate good is to accept each others as one and own blood and flesh.
Today the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, that they will be met and we will stand above the problems and say to ourselves, “We have fought our battle together and now we are free”
we are coming closer because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. The day is not far off when we shall settle for what we have long been aspiring.
We remain a young nation, but the time has come for us to set aside childish things. The time to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from past generations to present generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness as enshrined in the universal declaration of human rights. While reaffirming our spirit to come, work and live together, we understand that greatness or victory is never freely given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things , the creator of victory that we who are living today witness this grand commitment inspired to march and move ahead daring to face, risk and die that we may live for the better tomorrow for those who will come after us. I salute and humbly honour my leaders and true patriots living today who have handed down to us the courage, the banner of truth and Rights that our founders leaders have passed on to them. Now our enduring joy, will be the price and reward of our forgiveness, tolerance and acceptance of those hurts, pains and sufferings given, faced and endured by the past and present leaders.
This article is published with an intention to bridge the gaps of understanding, building peace and creating a common interest among the Nagas, for early end of confusions, misunderstanding and shortsighted killings prevailing in our society all in the dear name of the Naga Nation. For any query, please contact the author through the given No.9612848686 or write to fitawelfaremin@yahoo.co.in. Kuknalim.
Gwangphun Gangmei
Member Nagaland Peace Centre
