Delhi pays homage to “Mahatma of Nagas”

New Delhi: Hundreds of people on June 29 attended a condolence service for Isak Chishi Swu, chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM), at Nagaland House in New Delhi.

Swu died a day earlier following multi-organ failure in a hospital in New Delhi. He was 87.

One of the speakers at the service was Igato Chishi Swu, the deceased leader’s eldest son. “I met my dad for the first time when I was 15,” he said. Recounting the early life, Igato said as kids, the children (five sons and a daughter) were scattered at different places and grew up with different families as Swu busied himself with his peace mission.

The entire family members had lived together under one roof for only four years, which Igato said was a crucial time as during this time Swu taught them the principle of life.

The emotional service saw NSCN-IM General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah on the verge of breaking down while narrating his close association with ‘the man of integrity’ for over 40 years.

Muivah in his speech credited Swu with bringing ‘fundamental change’ to the Naga struggle and said Isak was “a leader who have proved himself in the right time. Our history will be proud.”

In a statement the representative of the Sumi tribe summed up the late leader as ‘the Mahatma of the Nagas.’

While reminiscing the past history, Mizoram Governor Swaraj Kaushal noted, “We should have settled the Naga Issue with Phizo, but we closed our door on him.”

Angami Zapu Phizo, who died in 1990 aged 87, was a Naga leader and militant under hose influence, the Naga National Council sought secession from India. The Naga groups regard him as the “Father of the Nagas.”

R N Ravi, interlocutor of the peace talk hailed Swu as a visionary and stated that the mission of peace he started should be completed. He also remarked that Swu showed remarkable statesmanship during his peace journey.

The late leader’s only daughter gave a befitting end to the service with an emotional and very personal song: I guess heaven was needing a hero, somebody just like you, brave enough to stand up for what you believe and follow it through. When I try to make it sense in my mind, the only conclusion I got is, heaven needs a hero like you. I love you epui.”