The 57th Nagas Meet under the theme “Lest We Lose Our Collective Future” organized by the Naga Students Union Delhi on the 7th of May 2022 had over 1500 Nagas from across different parts of Delhi and NCR. Since its inception in 1963, NSUD has been ushering unity for all the Nagas with members spread across the National Capital Region in Delhi, carrying out all the welfare movements pertained to the members, nurturing and governing leadership and exemplifying Nagas in all social and cultural events. And after two years of the Pandemic restrictions, the Nagas Meet was held at Shah Auditorium with Niketu Iralu as the Featured Theme speaker and Dr Lanusangla as the Resource Person.
The President of NSUD Isaac Charenamai in his Presidential speech initiated a silent moment in remembrance of those lives lost during the Covid Pandemic where NSUD recorded 48 death cases. He moved on to acknowledge the congregation and all the people who have been of great support to the NSUD and Nagas in Delhi; he also honoured the Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio “for constantly supporting NSUD in all aspects of its functioning and requirements over the many years”. He also presented a token of gratitude to him which the DRC of Nagaland House accepted on the CM’s behalf. He also initiated a silent moment in remembrance of those lives lost from 2021 till date and conveyed condolences to all the families in bereavement.
Niketu Iralu commenced his talk by saying, “It must be made very clear at the outset that all of us are conscience keepers and that is where the whole conviction that we have for the future will come out. NSUD, I believe, has done a very important thing in calling Nagas to converse honestly with one another given the wounding and hurting of one another that we have done. We have provoked the worst out of one another and the revenge and the counter-revenge are going out of control we are all deeply concerned about. Your initiative is a deliberate act of faith and trust in God and the better angels in all of us to ‘diagnose the fundamental crisis from within’ that you have mentioned in your concept note which will provoke or inspire the best to come out of us.”
” If Nagas of the 21st Century continue to conduct our affairs based on old politics of fear, exclusion and negative reactivity towards each other, the dream for a collective future will have difficulties in transcending divisions that separate us”, Dr Lanusangla remarked in her speech. She also urged the gathering by reminding each one that “any transformative and affirmative initiative involves an intentional approach for decolonizing the mind which has to be restorative in nature that would renew and infuse vibrancy and a dynamic culture that pushes us towards critical thinking to identify and reconstitute the cultural base and its values which was fragmented by suppression from different forces”.
The President of the Naga Students Federation, Kegwayun Tep also expressed the harmony of Nagas and encouraged city-based students to be more sincere and cautious of their lifestyles and also become influential ambassadors on behalf of the Nagas as a whole living in Delhi and beyond.
Apart from the various exhortations from the special invitees, the Meet was enthralled by the various artists from Nagaland and Delhi. The NSUD also launched its website (www.nsud.in) in collaboration with Liamtra and President, Isaac encouraged all the Nagas in Delhi to register themselves on the official website.