Perhaps for the very first time ever, the Naga People’s
Human Rights’ Movement (NPMHR) has called for acknowledging the fact that the
purview of Human Rights does not limited itself only to traditional antagonist
alone.
It also encompasses “wrongs and hurt committed by
individuals or groups in the name of the people for which the struggles were
first launched”, a leader of the NPMHR told a recent seminar that was conducted
on the subject of Human Rights in the region.
A local college in Dimapur hosted a so-named “national seminar”
on the topic “Human Rights in North East India: Issues and challenges” during
July 24 and the 25th. The two-day long seminar was hosted by Tetso
College and sponsored by the Union Grants Commission.
During the seminar the intellectuals concluded that while
public awareness and education have a good part to play in understanding one’s
rights, it also required the support of the state government to address issues
such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and “practices” infringing on the
welfare of its citizens. Another imperative they felt was “to help bring a
desirable solution to the Naga peace talks, which is currently the root cause
for unmitigated suffering and injustice among the people” the organizers said.
Long time secretary general of the NPMHR, Neingulo Krome,
addressed the gathering with the significant speech highlighting “wrongs and
hurt committed by individuals or groups in the name of the people” although not
naming any group or organization. Nonetheless, it is understood that the
meaning was not lost on the gathered intellectuals including media
persons.
The NPMHR – among one of the old Naga vanguards–had also
been the focus of a growing perception and criticism from the state’s community
for overlooking excesses and assault on the rights of the common people
committed by individuals and organizations in the name of cause or movements.
Krome spoke on the topic “The future direction of Human
Rights in the current political scenario”, in which he passionately highlighted
the reason for the rise of the Human Rights movement in Nagaland to address the
atrocities that occurred during the Indo-Naga war, the organizers informed in a
late press release issued on July 25, Saturday.
“The formation of the NPMHR in 1978, which was in response
to the strongly felt need to protect and further the rights of the Nagas, has
since then undergone changes in its course of direction while trying to act as
an intermediary between leaders of different Naga political groups as well as the
government of India,” the organizers stated.
“He stressed on the need for the future direction of Human
Rights to address the wrongs and hurt committed by individuals or groups in the
name of the people for which the struggles were first launched”.
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| The Human Rights logo has its origin in the international "Logo for Human Rights" initiative, which was started in 2010. Its goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement. The logo was created by Predrag Stakić from Serbia. |
During the first day’s event, papers were presented by Dr.
Toli Achumi, assistant
professor of Political Science department of Yingli Government College, on
the topic, “Human rights in North-East India, issues, challenges and strategies
with special reference to Nagaland”. She examined how internal conflicts in
India led to Human Rights abuse and the incessant abuse of the Armed Forces
Special Powers Act as a weapon of the state.
Likewise, Shitio Shitiri, assistant professor of the department of Political
Science of Tetso College a paper on the topic “Human Rights: A glance at Violation of Rights in
Nagaland”. He reviewed the citizens’ right to education, health, and
examined the ‘lack of awareness of rights among individuals in society to seek
what is rightfully theirs’.
ThepfusalieThenuo,
assistant professor of the department of Sociology of Sazolie College in Jotsoma
presented a paper of the topic, ‘The Questions on Women’s Rights to Landed
Property and Customary Law in Nagaland: A Study of Angami Community.’
Thenuo
attempted to give a “critical reflection on the gender land questions and to
understand and explore the rights, privileges and power relations that is
constructed through the un-formalized or uncodified customary male
dispossession of land control and ownership.”
Likewise,
Charles Mhonthung Ezung, vice principal of Immanuel College presented a
paper,
“The Naga customary laws and human rights”. The question of women’s role
in decision-making in the state or civil policy mechanism is a necessary step
toward a progressive society, the speaker stated in his presentation. ‘It was
felt that customary laws need to be redefined to give equal opportunity, voice
and inheritance to women’, the organizers quoted him as having stated.
On July 25, the second day of the seminar, key-note speaker Kaini Lokho, assistant professor
of Political Science spoke on the topic “Is human rights for all?–Challenges
of human rights in North-East India”. In her discourse, the speaker said that
the north-east region was overlooked by the centre and that the north eastern
region states’ governments should work together and come up with a solution.
Another topic, “Inclusion of Human Rights Education in the
Indian School Curriculum” was presented by Daniel M Khan, in which the Indian
constitutional and fundamental rights were cited to point out the provisions of
Human Rights for all. It needs to be adopted in the school education
curriculum, or even through celebration of Human Rights Day, Women’s day,
Children’s Day etc, the speaker said. The purpose in making them a part of
school institutions is to also educate children on the greater issues and challenges
behind the observed days, he said.
The session for the day concluded with assistant Professor of
Pranabananda Women’s College, Anil Kumar Das’, presenting his paper titled “A
critical study on gender inequality in North-Eastern states”.
Nagaland, AFSPA, and UGs
The organizers said that deliberations from out of the seminar
brought “some important steps” that they felt were needed “to be taken in order
to address the challenges of violation of Human Rights faced in Nagaland and north-east
India”.
A re-look into Naga customary practices and the role of
women in Naga society was also suggested.
The gathering also
concluded that while public awareness and education have a good part to play in
understanding one’s rights, it also required the support of the state
government to address issues such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and “practices”
infringing on the welfare of its citizens.
A similar need was for a more “transparent communication
between the centre, the state” and all non-governmental organization and the Naga
underground groups “to help bring a desirable solution to the Naga peace talks,
which is currently the root cause for unmitigated suffering and injustice among
the people,” the organizers said.
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