Kokrajhar, July 24: Niketu Iralu, a social activist and peacemaker from Nagaland, was today conferred with the Upendranath Brahma Soldier of Humanity Award 2011 at a function organised in Kokrajhar Commerce Auditorium Hall. The award was given by the Upendranath Brahma Trust.

Iralu, 75, a recipient of the Gopinath Bordoloi Award 2005, is the chairman of the Naga Reconciliation Committee and convenor of the Naga National Reconciliation Committee which is working for reconciliation among Naga groups and is facilitating the peace process between the NSCN and New Delhi.

Speaking at the function, Iralu said, “With deepest appreciation for your friendship, goodwill and vision for us that the award symbolises, I am humbly accepting what you have bestowed on me. I take this award to be your call in trust and pain to search and fight together.

“You all know how touched I am, but I am also profoundly challenged to come to the heartland of the Bodos to accept this most prestigious award established in the memory of Bodofa Upendranath Brahma, the torchbearer and model of the people. The award represents extraordinary generosity of thoughts and vision on the part of Upendranath Brahma Trust.

“But I am keenly conscious that nothing I have done or achieve deserves such an award. The award is also to my people,” he added.

Speaking on the present crisis in the Northeast and other neighbouring countries, he said, “The aspiration and dreams of the people and struggle to achieve them are two separate issues but each of them is incomplete without the other. Without aspiration and dreams there will be no struggle and without struggle, aspirations are not achieved. The examples are many. The Bodo crisis and the Naga crisis and all the other crises in our region and beyond in Myanmar where the ethnic nationality wants a separate identity. The crisis can no longer be ignored. We have to address it,” he said.

On the Naga crisis he said, “The reality that had reduced all Nagas to helplessness is why has the Naga political struggle for our aspiration started to destroy itself and the people for whom it was started. The same thing can be said of the state government of Nagaland. Why is the state also destroying itself and the people for whom it was created? That is battling reality about the Naga crisis.”

Urging all to take responsibility in building a better society, he said, “If we care for the proper healthy creative growth of the society we cannot irresponsibly ignore or treat lightly the internal truths and principle that governs life on earth.”