Unless we give our concerted efforts, things don’t work: Sano Vamuzo

Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | January 31

“Gradually following statehood in 1963, external influences came like a floodgate into our land, and numerous social evils began to appear which we had never heard of before, such as the use of alcohol abuse and slowly, drug abuse, rampant destruction of forests, etc. Women also had to rise up and help. Our children were being destroyed…the social evils were spreading…”

This was precisely the time Sano Vamuzo began to take interest in social work— the very reason she was recognised for and awarded the prestigious Padma Shri 2024. On receiving the fourth highest civilian award, she also realised that there are “endless challenges” before her even while underscoring that, “I, alone can do nothing, no one can work alone. Unless we give our concerted efforts, things don’t work.”

Individually, she said, “I don’t deserve it. I didn’t ask for it and I don’t deserve it, I’m well aware of that. But I didn’t work alone; with our numerous concerns, we all gave our concerted efforts, and that’s why this has come about. When human beings encourage one another, we realize we have to do more; it is an impetus. We realize we shouldn’t stop, but that there’s so much to do. That’s why I’m concerned with this.”

“I realized that I have to accept this award because of the others with whom I have worked, and because I believe it will encourage the younger generations,” she underlined.

In an exclusive interview with The Morung Express, she also recalled what prompted her to eventually become a social worker. “The church at that time was the main agency for education of the people and schools had come, but when the floodgates of social evils were opened, it was going to swallow our children.”

The fact that the church couldn’t handle everything further led her to the realisation that “our women should not keep quiet, but act, and it had to be a platform through which women could voice out our concerns.” Subsequently, she founded the Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) with few concerned mothers in 1983 to fight social evils and uplift the status of women, with the motto: “Human Integrity” wherein she also served as its first President for seven consecutive years from 1984-1991.

Especially known for “spearheading peace campaigns and championing women’s representation”, she also recalled how “in our people’s struggle for our political rights, our minds began to differ, and if we continue to fight with might over one another, we’ll kill each other and everyone will die.” In this context, she strongly felt that “mothers have a very important role to play because they are all our children, irrespective of any faction.”

“Humans having differing opinions are quite natural, but fighting and shedding blood will not bring any solution. That is why I gave NMA’s slogan, “Shed No More Blood”, she emphasised. “We may have differences of opinion, but through sharing our concerns, interacting with each other through peaceful means, our differences can be dissolved/resolved”, she underscored.  

Women’s representation
While it has taken more than 20 years for women’s representation, Padma Shri Sano Vamuzo remarked that, “our people have cited our tradition as the reason for opposing women’s representation” when it is actually not the tradition but the ignorance of our people. In this regard, she went on to say that, “nowhere in our tradition does it say that women should not speak” while elucidating that, “when it hurts, we say, Aah! When we’re happy, we laugh.” “How can these things be stopped?” she questioned.

“Today excluding her in decision making is not right. Times have changed. There are too many problems, and women cannot keep quiet. And because of that, NMA decided that women too should voice out our concerns,” she underlined.

Coming to women’s representation of 33% reservation, she asserted that, “it is a God-given right and our constitutional right. That is why we have continued with this fight, even if it took us 20 years.” “It needn’t have taken this long, but because our people weren’t willing to listen, that’s why it took that long,” she added.

Alcohol, drug abuse, tribalism,disunity plaguing Naga Society
According to Sano Vamuzo, the most crucial social issues plaguing the Naga society are “alcohol and drug abuse, tribalism, disunity/divisive forces, such as different political ideologies, differences of opinions, pride, unnecessary criticisms against one another, politicising things – not for the welfare of the people but to please political leaders.”

Towards this end, she affirmed that humans have no wisdom of their own while emphasizing that, “God’s wisdom embraces everything” and further underlined that, “we must differ in our stand, so that the truth can be determined.”

She firmly believes that “when Nagas come to the obedience to God, our talks with each other will become smoother and easier”. In this regard, she also put across that, “as long as we are on earth, problems won’t end, but our problems will reduce significantly.”

Source: https://morungexpress.com/unless-we-give-our-concerted-efforts-things-dont-work-sano-vamuzo