Mokokchung Lotha Students’ Union marks Golden Jubilee blending Tokhü Emong
“Who is losing by practicing tribalism, villageism, clanism, and regionalism?” asked Elias T Lotha, Transport Commissioner, Government of Nagaland, addressing the gathering at the Mokokchung Lotha Students’ Union’s (MLSU) Golden Jubilee celebration at the Mokokchung Town Hall on November 7.
His question – both rhetorical and urgent – echoed beyond the hall, where the MLSU marked fifty years of education, coexistence, and change under the theme “Golden Past, Intelligent Future.” Alongside the jubilee, Tokhü Emong, the Lotha Naga’s traditional festival of harvest, was also observed.
Within Mokokchung town, the Lotha Nagas comprise around 120 households. The MLSU brings together students studying in various institutions – Fazl Ali College (FAC), Clark Theological College (CTC), General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM), Institute of Communication and Information Technology (ICIT), and several schools across Mokokchung.
According to the jubilee souvenir, the student strength under the union includes 24 from CTC, 25 from FAC, 16 from GNM, 4 from ICIT, and 70 from town schools.
The Golden Jubilee was not merely a moment of celebration but of direction. A key announcement made during the event was the launch of the Jubilee Educational Support Endowment, a scholarship fund aimed at aiding students from economically challenged backgrounds. The fund will be sustained through contributions from alumni and well-wishers.
Delivering the theme address, Peter Libenthung, Principal of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Tuensang, urged the students to look at their roots even as they adapt to a rapidly changing world.
“It is an era of change,” he said. “We must learn to adapt to these changes.” Libenthung emphasized the importance of self-awareness – of knowing not just one’s own identity but also understanding others. “We must have the ability to face and use the sufferings of life to progress,” he remarked, reminding students that “there is no substitute for hard work.”
In his address as Guest of Honour, Elias T Lotha drew a strong connection between education and moral responsibility. He urged students to use knowledge “to voice out for the voiceless – for those who are suppressed, threatened, in fear, and oppressed.”
“Knowledge can be used for such,” he said, “so as to build the future together as equals.”
Encouraging students to share knowledge rather than merely accumulate it, Lotha spoke of the need for wisdom that transcends age. But his most powerful appeal was social and emotional – a plea for unity across the many divisions that continue to define Nagaland’s public life.
Referring to the growing prevalence of inter-tribal marriages between Aos and Lothas and among other Naga groups, he described them as a natural evolution of society. “Let’s start bonding,” he said. “Only then will we be able to strengthen Naga society. Only then can we say we are building a new society. Let us be bonded by the blood amongst us.”
Lanutoshi Aier, President of the Ao Students’ Conference (AKM), joined the celebration and offered words that showed Mokokchung’s character as a town of many communities. “We may not be the best host,” he said, “but we would love to learn from you and would happily accept your feedback.”
Aier urged the gathering to use education as a means of standing for truth, warning against the distractions of the digital age. “Do not follow the trends of memes and trolls,” he said. “Use education to stand for truth.”
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