Kohima, July 24 (MTNews): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Sunday issued a public statement on the “issue of dispute” with regard to the Naga Club Building in Kohima by, according to the statement, “some individuals who recently formed a Naga Club and are now not only laying claims as the ‘sole owners’ of the Naga Club building in Kohima,” and the eviction order issued to the federation “to vacate the premises in toto on or before 27.08.2022.”

 

Clarifying on the “Notice to Vacate” issued by Naga Club and its claim that the NSF had not paid house rent since May 1983 till date, the federation questioned how it would pay rent to an organization which was formed “only in 2017/2018.”

 

“It may be noted that in 1983 Late Vizolie Sorhie, the then President NSF and his General Secretary Eno. Imkong L Imchen among other officials, were approached by Naga Club office bearers and Naga Elders Conference to reclaim the Naga Club building which was then occupied by the Forest Department,” NSF said. It stated that despite several attempts to reclaim the same, the department refused to hand over the building to the rightful owner- the Naga Club.

 

“Subsequently, NSF led by Late Vizolie Sorhie President NSF, Late Mechimvu Ritse Finance Secretary NSF, Eno. Neingulo Krome Member- Action Committee NSF and Eno. Kewezu G. Kenye President ANCSU went and broke the lock and occupied the Naga Club building. Following which, Mr. Neivor Rutsa volunteered his vehicle bearing Registration No. NLT-309 to assist in shifting NSF office to the Naga Club building,” NSF narrated.

 

“Even when the rent for the month of April 1983 was paid and received by the General Secretary of the then Naga Club, Late Vilavor Liegise, it was clearly mentioned as; ‘with the good consent of mutual understanding’, which was to facilitate and legitimize that ‘Naga Club’ was the owner of the same building which at that point in time was also being claimed by another group of individuals, in the name of another Naga Club, and the dispute matter was lying under the court of the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, for hearing. And this receipt of Rs 500/- for the month of April 1983, paid by NSF became evident of proof and the court ruled in favour of the Naga Club, which was never ever contested again. Otherwise, there was ‘mutual understanding’ that the building will always belong to Naga Club and NSF will only be the guardian and custodian of the building according to demands of situations,” read the statement. It said that ever since the building was taken over in April 1983, NSF has been repairing and renovating the building and its premises, including additional construction, it said.

 

NSF also appealed to the “conscience” of all Nagas and particularly, those claiming to be leaders of the Naga Club, to kindly desist from creating further embarrassments to themselves as well as projecting Nagas in very bad light, which is already a serious cause of concern even from the uncontrollable fratricidal divisions in our national political struggle for our rightful place as envisioned by the collective pioneers and leaders of the Naga Club.

 

Further, the NSF alleged that when it decided to celebrate “100 Years of Naga Club” in 2018, “the Naga Club was formed suddenly to hijack our celebration.”

 

“This time around, as the NSF recently launched the celebration of its 75 Years of Existence, under the theme ‘Call to Oneness’ for all Nagas to come together, this same Naga Club is now issuing “Notice to vacate the Naga Club building in toto on or before the 27th of August 2022, in the middle of our 75 years celebration, which is turning our ‘celebration’ into ‘nightmare’,” NSF said.

 

“The present incumbent who also has only occupied the office of the NSF from our predecessors and will be passing our responsibilities onto upcoming leaders, have nothing to gain or to lose from such disputes, but history will be unkind if we are to let ‘greed and falsehood triumph’ knowingly, without any prejudice to anyone,” the NSF clarification read.

 

Further, NSF also furnished a statement titled “NSF AND THE NAGA CLUB AS WE KNOW” appended by former NSF Presidents from 1983 “till the formation of a new Naga Club which has ushered in this most unfortunate crisis, in 2018, for all to understand the reality.”

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