DIMAPUR, Apr 11: Prominent Naga author, columnist and human rights activist, Kaka Dierhekolie Iralu, passed away at the Christian Institute of Health Science & Research here on Friday, following ill health. He was 64.
Iralu was a prominent commentator on the Naga political movement. He is the author of books like The Naga Saga and Nagaland and India: The Blood and the Tears.
Several organizations have mourned the author’s demise.
The Forum for Naga Reconciliation in a condolence message described Iralu’s life as “an epic and grand tale of uncompromising Naga spirit.”
“In a world of differing stances, Kaka remains undisputed as a voice of Naga rights, the sturdiest of nationalism, and the firmest of friends. In his Tears and Blood, Kaka remains the voice of the voiceless and reminds the readers the humiliating and untold suffering of the Nagas, all because of loving one’s motherland. His record as one of the champions of Naga nationalism will remain an inspiration,’ it stated.
The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) termed Iralu’s demise a great loss for the Naga people.
“A man of strong integrity and commitment in voicing the Naga political movement, he exercised his intellectual power to defend the sovereign identity of the Naga nation and stood his ground unwavered. Notwithstanding our differences in political perspective, we respect his integrity in upholding the political struggle of the Nagas,” read a statement issued by the MIP, NSCN/GPRN.
The Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti in a message said Iralu’s death leaves “an immense void in the intellectual and political world of indigenous communities of our region.”
“His commitment to the Naga cause was exemplary. In his brief lifetime, he documented the horrors of state violence and resistance in the Naga territories. In doing so, he also served as an example for others in the region. He reminded us of the need to document and archive our resistance to oppression by a powerful state,” a message from the Assam-based organization read.
“Further, in his defence of the right to self determination of the Naga people, he reminded all indigenous communities of the region that ours was a world to win and that the fight against oppression was universal,” it said.
