There is a report in The Morung Express today about a murder case in Bhandari and the controversy that has cropped up over a ‘compromise letter’ whereby the accused murderers who had been arrested have been set free. Stupefying, isn't it? This can happen only in Nagaland!
If you read the news report you’ll find so many things that
are just so wrong with the entire murder investigation, if you can call it
that. But this is not about that particular case per se. It just brings to the
fore all the ‘compromising’ and ‘forgiving and forgetting’ that we Nagas have
become so dangerously fond of.
The ‘compromise letter’ currently in the spotlight is said
to contain words and phrases like ‘mutual understanding’, ‘spirit of forgive
and forget’ and ‘amicable settlement’. Of course, it does. All cases in
Nagaland, big and small, are ‘amicably settled’ with ‘mutual understanding’ in
the spirit of ‘forgive and forget’ – even very serious murder cases such as the
one reported which, in other societies, is punishable by life imprisonment or
even death.
All too often we find clans and communities negotiating an
‘amicable settlement’ or a ‘forgive and forget’ solution and culprits being
allowed to walk scot-free without ever facing the consequences of their
actions. Forgiving those who have wronged us is a very fine and Christian thing
to do, but a line has to be drawn between matters that can be dismissed on that
premise alone and those where wrongdoers have to be punished even if the victim
chooses to forgive.
I remember an alleged rape case that had emerged in Dimapur area
a few years ago wherein a young college student had been accused of raping a
girl. Very soon, concerned clan and village organisations had jumped into the
matter, one side contending that it was consensual sex and the other adamant
that it was rape. Press releases flew fast and furious for some time and then
there was a lull when negotiations were apparently being held. Then came a
final press release from a ‘neutral tribal body’ of the concerned area stating
that the matter had been ‘amicably settled’ and that no party would be allowed
to issue any further statements on the matter. It was a police case and the
accused had been arrested but was presumably released on the back of this
‘amicable’ solution.
There was absolutely no clarity on whether it was rape or
not, no punishment of the guilty – the boy if he was really guilty or the girl
if she had falsely accused - but the matter was laid to rest on a solution
which did no resolve anything at all. It only managed to ensure the
perpetuation of such wrongdoings.
Then we have the ever increasing cases of rash driving or
DUI accidents where victims are either killed or seriously injured and even
maimed for life. However, guilty drivers are rarely, or even never ever,
suitably punished. Instead, we again find family members, clans and villagers
frantically working to save the skin of the person who had recklessly snuffed
out or irreparably ruined a life. Very soon there would be a settlement and the
matter would then be declared closed. Again, there is no punishment whatsoever
of the guilty.
No wonder accidents due to rash driving and driving under
the influence of liquor and other substances are increasing at an alarming rate.
There is no deterrent to potential offenders, especially young drivers. They
know, from example, that someone will save them from facing any consequence.
Concerned families and communities coming together in order
to ensure that no simmering resentments or misunderstandings remain which could
lead to future problems is a good thing in itself. However, this practice of
altogether ‘settling’ all matters in this manner and allowing wrongdoers to
walk away without paying for their crimes is doing us absolutely no favours.
Rather, it is compounding the growing ills plaguing our society.
We are ‘amicably settling’ our way to complete and total
degeneration.