The Legacy of a Statesman - Niketu Iralu In Memoriam
Niketu Iralu’s extraordinary life and contribution to peace-making is a valuable legacy for Initiatives of Change, people of Nagaland and beyond. How did he become a noted statesman without ever holding public office?
Niketu Iralu - a Naga elder, statesman, thinker, peacemaker and social activist - passed away on 18 August 2026.
The part of South Asia - an area of amazing ethnic diversity, but also known for conflict - that Niketu Iralu belongs to, is Nagaland in the Northeast region where India, China, Myanmar converge.
Niketu's has been a voice of moral and spiritual authority and of sanity in a region that has seen great strife and violence. People of every conceivable group, generation and across every boundary trust, respected his opinion and would turn to him.
He has been described as a "prominent intellectual and towering advocate of non-violence" who has "worked closely with stakeholders to bring about peace and harmony among warring Naga clans".
From the mid-1950s Niketu, served selflessly on every continent with Moral Re-Armament/Initiatives of Change. While reaching out to humanity, he also remained committed to his own people, their aspirations and identity, and true to his convictions and his conscience.
His personality and generous spirit inspired generations and remained a respectful influence for people of all walks of life, including the state leaders in Nagaland and beyond.
Yet, he did that without ever holding a public office. How did he achieve that?
Niketu has worked tirelessly to build bridges of understanding, to heal bitter divides.
Through his challenge to, and friendship of, key persons in potentially explosive situations, Niketu has played a vital role in potentially volatile situations that have resulted in peaceful political change. In one case where there had been talk of "rivers of blood flowing", a major constitutional change was achieved peacefully and through dialogue.
In another situation, a commitment by key players was made to create a "gun-free culture" and political change achieved after a long-drawn-out struggle.
Substance abuse - addiction to drugs and alcoholism - have destroyed countless lives in the region that he comes from. Working with the Naga Mothers'Association and Kripa Foundation, Niketu had a key part in the setting up of a centre for rehabilitation, which has saved many lives.
He played a key role as Chairman of the Naga Reconciliation Committee, formed by the Naga Hoho, a federation of Naga tribes.
"Kerunyu Ki" or "house of listening" - Niketu and his wife Christine's home for the last many years - is the go-to place where all kinds of people turn up to reflect, seek hope, inspiration, encouragement, wisdom and strength for the very difficult situations they come from, knowing that they will be heard, and their pain will be shared.
Niketu's life-long dedication to peace and contribution to trustbuilding have been honored with:
- Bhupen Hazarika Integration Award - which is given to "personalities who have made significant contribution to the society, the work having impact across cultures".
- Upendra Nath Brahma Soldier of Humanity Award - "for his support and involvement in the non-violent peace process in Naga society".
- Senior Citizens Award from the department of social welfare, Nagaland.
- Peace Award by Peace Channel.
- Lifetime Achiever Award - 2025 Initiatives of Change Trustbuilding Awards.
Get inspired and discover more insights about Niketu's life and legacy in this selection of recent reflections and obituaries from close friends and the Indian media.
Niketu Iralu: Son of Nagaland, Brother to the World!
"He never took sides. Peace was his purpose in everything he did, small or great. Yet his message often carried a challenge: to turn the searchlight inward first, to see where we ourselves have wronged others, and to listen and face up to truths about ourselves that we would rather not hear. ..."
"He loved to sing, and three songs, above all, stayed with him. The first was the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, whose words so perfectly captured Niketu's life and mission. The second was "The Telephone Song," about the telephone within one's heart — the voice of the soul that we must listen to at all times. The third song, "Kehvira," was one we learned to sing with him, about the longing for his homeland while in exile."
- Rupa Chinai, IofC India
"I believe the deepest honour of his life was the invisible one – the trust placed in him by people who found courage, reconciliation and hope through his presence. ...
The ideas he shared with me, and the values I have tried to share with others, will remain with me as a guiding spirit for the rest of my life."
- Pramod Boro
“He was a deeply human man who spent decades asking Nagas to… confront their failures, resist hatred and recover the courage to listen.” Niketu did not see reconciliation as weakness, he wrote, adding that to him moral courage also involved “telling one’s own side what it does not want to hear”.
- Neerja Chowdhury
"He had lived through some of the deepest fractures of modern Naga history and had become one of the region’s most respected voices for reconciliation. ... He remained willing to enter rooms where trust was scarce and where speaking to one side could invite suspicion from another."
- Markson V Luikham
Lamjai - a new multilingual webzine from Assam
"He came to believe that the greatest service he could offer his people was to allow himself to be changed first—to face his own share of wrong, to listen for the “ still small voice ,” and to build trust through personal honesty rather than through power or grievance alone. That decision took him across continents for decades of quiet work."
- Allen Brooks
Note: Most of the content for this post was sourced from information provided by Usha Gandhi during the IofC 2025 Trustbuilding Awards nomination of Niketu Iralu.
Celebrate with us Niketu's life and legacy
The Initiatives of Change global fellowship and all interested, are cordially invited by IofC India to a very special zoom gathering on August 29, 2026 at 11:30am UTC (05:00 PM India Time) to remember and celebrate the life of Niketu Iralu.
Mark your calendars and join this online gathering of family and friends to give thanks, to share memories, and to hold one another in reflection, and prayer.
Please register using the link below to receive the Zoom details!