After 60 years of brokering peace, N Ardhanari has but one last dream: “I want to propagate Gandhiji’s Shanti Sena (a peace army across the nation). One that will sow the seeds of peace in our children.” As part of the Mahatma’s 150th birth anniversary this year, Ardhanari started a programme titled ‘Gandhi to Schools’, aimed at propagating Gandhian values to schoolchildren across the country.
But the 82-year-old’s journey as a peace activist began with India’s independence. When he was a student of Rural Institute of Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore, he joined in Gandhi’s call for peace and rural development. Then at 29, he became a part of the Peace Observers Team in conflict-ridden Nagaland.
Ardhanari, who lives in Puducherry now, reminisces: “The Nagas wanted to declare their independence from India in the 60s as they felt isolated from the mainland. The government was ready to negotiate but within the purview of the Indian Constitution.” When the government declared ceasefire and created a POT with two army men, two Naga representatives and a civilian team led by Dr M Aram, Director of the Nagaland Peace Centre in Kohima, Ardhanari was part of the group.
“The day they (POT) arrived, underground Naga rebels had ambushed and killed 19 Indian soldiers and the army had retaliated by attacking a Naga village. The POT had to visit a hill between Kohima and Imphal to report. We walked an entire day with no food and by evening, we were exhausted,” he shares. The Nagas were hospitable once they learnt of the peace mission. “They were always happy to see our white jeep. People there wanted peace. The government gave us complete freedom to report on both the rebel attacks and army excesses. We even had a peace camp at Chedema where our army was not allowed and the underground leaders could meet with us and discuss their concerns,” says the octogenarian.
But violence was rife, and both the army and the insurgents took turns to kill each other. “The insurgents were supported by China and Pakistan. But Nagas were mostly Christians so we made them understand that they cannot survive in communist China or in Pakistan. India was secular by Constitution and a place where they could be themselves,” says Ardhanari.
Finally, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Naga representatives held peace talks between January 17, 1966 and October 6, 1967. The team made several recommendations to the Government. “We requested for a separate Naga regiment to absorb the insurgents into the army and an independent tribal way of justice system. The government agreed. Several efforts were taken to embrace the Nagas into the mainstream community,” he says. Finally, the Shillong Accord was signed in 1975 wherein Nagas agreed to the Indian Constitution.
On the challenges of being a peace worker, Ardhanari says, “We often had to walk the tight rope, ensuring that the trust bestowed upon us by both the parties was maintained. But there were exceptions, when there was a tip on an assassination attempt on the Nagaland governor, I was sent to warn him.” Sometimes, the POT was caught in the crossfire, like when a bullet grazed their jeep. On another peace mission during the Bangladesh war, Ardhanarai even escaped a bomb attack near the Agartala airport. But that did not stop him from going on to USA for anti-nuclear weapon protests or to Sri Lanka for inter-religious peace meets.