The deliberate and brutal attack carried out by mob elements at Wungram Colony, Purana Bazaar Dimapur on Sunday April 22 targeting homes and property belonging to a particular community has left a bitter trail of misgiving in its wake. Violence in whatever form or manifestation, whether through mob fury, armed cadres, police high handedness, individual recklessness etc. cannot be condoned under any circumstances and needs to be out rightly condemned. For the Naga people, it is a cause for deep shame and disappointment that society has for whatever reason started producing citizens capable of such acts of violence along tribal lines. As Christians it is required that one has the highest respect for all life and in protecting life itself, which is the need of the hour. Rather than beget hatred, this tragic incident should be used to strengthen the Naga people’s resolve towards harmony and peaceful co-existence. The aggrieved community members on their part should display wisdom and maintain outmost restrain and not provoke the situation but to remain calm.
For the Naga people as a whole, it is a loss of face in the eyes of the world and exposes the underlying ‘tribalism’ that lurks beneath the surface, waiting to explode anytime. Like communalism that threatens the very social fabric of Indian nationalism, tribalism too in the Naga context cannot be simply brushed aside as a mere aberration and requires urgent attention of civil society groups in order that a cure be found to this deadly disease, which is posing a threat to the peaceful coexistence of Nagas tribal based society.
While it is time for the Naga people to speak up loudly against violence and hate speech of any form, it is of utmost importance that people are educated against casting aspersions along tribal lines. Perpetrators whoever commits any crime should be personally held accountable rather than trivializing the issue along tribal lines. No tribal hohos, organizations and even the Naga underground groups should stand by nor harbour such kind of communal elements in any manner. Rather, every Naga irrespective of tribal lineage should in a united manner, voice their disapproval against the increasing level of violence that is threatening to destroy the social fabric that sustains peaceful co-existence of the people.
The failure of the State machinery to respond to the crisis of April 22 comes as no surprise and only confirms the worst fear that public faith in law enforcing agencies is slowly waning. The poor level of public confidence on the state machinery to ensure their safety and the latter’s complete inability to respond to such crisis situation is a cause of concern and needs to be rectified. The April 22 incident was clearly a case of lawlessness and confusion. Both the district administration and police in the State need to be properly trained and sensitized on dealing with such untoward crisis such as mob violence and riots. What is cause for even more worry is that crime and violence are no longer uniquely underground problems but rather it has penetrated public space and therefore requires immediate interventions by the people themselves who undoubtedly remain the most powerful factor to bring about a sense of reasoning and moral changeover in a society ridden by hurt and mutual animosity.
