UKHRUL, AUG 19: Naga organisations, student bodies, scholars and public figures have mourned the passing of veteran Naga peace activist, writer and elder Niketu Iralu, who died in New Delhi on August 18, describing him as a rare voice of conscience, reconciliation, peace and unity.
The Global Naga Forum (GNF), in a condolence message, described Iralu’s passing as a “profound loss” to the Naga people and remembered him as a rare and irreplaceable presence in Naga society. The GNF said Iralu devoted much of his life to building understanding among the Naga people and creating bridges where there were divisions. It highlighted his integrity, humility, empathy and ability to listen, saying he touched many lives through his conversations, thoughtful words and quiet example. The forum said his legacy leaves the Naga people with a responsibility to carry forward the values he stood for — peace without surrender, unity without exclusion, reconciliation without forgetting history, and a future founded on mutual respect and understanding.
The GNF extended condolences to Iralu’s wife Christine, family, relatives, friends and all those mourning his passing. The condolence message was signed by GNF convenor Chuba Ozukum and general secretary Lakpachui Siro.
Also read As We Mourn, Let Us Remember: Knowing Niketu Iralu Beyond the Eulogies
The Naga Hoho, mourning the passing of Iralu, said he was affectionately known to generations of Nagas as “Uncle Niketu.” It described him as a distinguished peace activist, thinker and social worker whose contributions to Naga society were immeasurable. According to the Naga Hoho, Iralu was a towering moral voice, visionary peacebuilder and steadfast advocate of reconciliation who dedicated his life to healing divisions, building trust and fostering understanding among Naga tribes and beyond.
The Naga Hoho further said Iralu’s quiet but powerful commitment to personal transformation, deep listening and bridge-building, embodied in the spirit of his home Kerünyü Ki (House of Listening), made him a beacon of hope and healing.
The organisation said it remembered Iralu not only as a visionary peacebuilder but also as a key guiding force and wise counsellor whose counsel enriched the work of the Naga Hoho and inspired countless individuals seeking peace and understanding. His life, it said, stood as a living testament to the belief that true peace must be rooted in dialogue, forgiveness and reconciliation. The Naga Hoho added that the values he lived and taught — forgiveness, mutual respect and collective responsibility — would continue to guide the Naga people.
The Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) also mourned Iralu, with NNC/FGN kedahge Zhopra Vero describing him as a distinguished Naga elder, scholar and peace activist and a “rare voice of conscience.” The FGN said Iralu devoted decades to the arduous work of reconciliation, particularly during periods when conflict and political differences deeply divided the Naga people. It highlighted his non-partisan approach, courage and willingness to speak across political and social lines.
The FGN further said Iralu’s contribution to the Naga reconciliation process and his efforts to bring rival groups to dialogue constituted an important part of his legacy. It called on the Naga people to carry forward his work by rejecting violence and hatred, overcoming divisions and pursuing reconciliation and unity with humility and perseverance.
The Naga Scholars’ Association (NSA) described Iralu as a revered Naga elder, statesman, peace activist and “proud son of the soil”. The association said he devoted his life to peace, reconciliation, social healing and the pursuit of a better Naga society. It particularly noted that he worked beyond tribal divisions and artificial borders, guided by humanity, compassion and a belief in the shared destiny of the Naga people.
The NSA also recalled his decades of service and efforts to bring communities and organisations together to address difficult social challenges in Nagaland. It said his wisdom, gentle spirit and lifelong commitment to peace and reconciliation would continue to inspire generations of Nagas.
Related In Memory of Uncle Niketu Iralu
The Naga Students’ Union, Delhi (NSUD) described Iralu as a distinguished intellectual, peacebuilder, social activist and advocate of reconciliation, peace and non-violence. It said he had devoted more than six decades to peace and reconciliation, beginning with his association with Moral Re-Armament, now known as Initiatives of Change, in 1957 while studying at Madras Christian College.
The NSUD also recalled Iralu’s work with Initiatives of Change and related organisations across India, Asia, the Pacific region, Europe and North and South America, as well as his association with the Forum for Naga Reconciliation and other peace initiatives. The union described his passing as an immense loss to the Naga family and prayed for the safe and dignified transportation of his mortal remains from Delhi to Nagaland for his final rites.
The Tangkhul Naga Longnao Delhi (TNLD), or Tangkhul Naga Council Delhi, mourned Iralu as a veteran Naga peace activist, elder, peace-builder, writer and tireless advocate of reconciliation. TNLD said he devoted his life to peace, dialogue, reconciliation and healing and became a moral voice for a people seeking peace without surrendering their history and dignity. It said his legacy of dialogue, bridge-building and hope would endure.
The Tangkhul Katamnao Long Delhi (TKLD), described Iralu as a cherished soul and veteran Naga peace activist and said his commitment to reconciliation, dialogue, forgiveness and non-violence had inspired generations. The organisation said his contribution to the Naga peace journey would remain an important part of Naga history.
Also read | Niketu Iralu, Veteran Voice for Naga Peace and Reconciliation, Dies at 91
Meanwhile, Ram Muivah, member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and chairman of the Committee on Estimates, described Iralu as a “Naga Gandhian” and a “Naga conscience keeper”. He said Iralu was one of the most perceptive and deep thinkers who articulated the Naga cause to the world and that his more than six decades of dedication to the peace movement would be remembered by the Naga people and all those who value peace and human dignity.
MLA Ram Muivah said Iralu’s departure would leave a difficult-to-fill vacuum and described his demise as “the end of an era.” He also recalled Iralu’s years with the Moral Rearmament Movement in Australia and his later life and work at Panchgani, Maharashtra. Muivah said Iralu understood Naga nation-building as a work in progress and was deeply affected by divisions within the Naga family.
The Naga Elders Forum (NEF) in Shillong organized a condolence service on Wednesday in remembrance of Lt Dr. Niketu Iralu at the Naga Community Hall in Shillong. Describing the departed soul as a “Veteran Naga Pillar of Peace”, President of the NEF, Lhouvirielie Usou, expressed immense grief at the loss of a pioneer who carried such deep knowledge of the Nagas within him. “Every time we would talk about our issue, Dr. Niketu would question why leaders were unable to apologise, admit to their mistakes and reconcile, to this day,” Usou stated.
Recalling a seminar on the agenda “retrospecting and reminiscing about the Naga culture both past and present”, held in Shillong before the pandemic, in which Dr. Iralu was also present, Usou emphasised the key takeaway of the meeting — the importance of the Nagas coming together as one. “The service that he has rendered, the words that he has spoken, the burden that he carried, this vacuum now is going to be very difficult for us,” he added.
The Tangkhul Khararlong Shillong (TKS), while reflecting on Dr. Iralu’s life and contributions, described him as a “visionary leader with a single-minded commitment to the Naga cause and a lifelong proponent of Naga unity.” While acknowledging the tensions between Dr. Iralu’s work and the political dominance of the NSCN (IM), which “cuts straight to the most painful fault lines in modern Naga history,” the TKS said the widespread respect being expressed today reveals a fundamental conflict — the struggle between moral reconciliation and a militarised political doctrine.
Speaking on Dr. Iralu’s commitment to the cause, TKS stated, “Through moral rearmament and later initiatives of change and eventually the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, he insisted that true freedom could never be built on hidden graves and unconfessed sins. He talked about inter-tribal violence, fratricidal killings, extortion and the moral decay that ate away at both underground groups and state politics.”
Across the condolence messages, the organisations remembered Iralu for his commitment to peace, reconciliation, dialogue, non-violence and Naga unity, while highlighting his ability to work across tribal, political and social divides.
