Empowers Naga people to decide ownership of Naga issue and political history
Kohima, 30 May (MTNews): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) adopted some significant resolutions regarding the ownership and fate of the Naga Club today in the backdrop of the ongoing legal tussle between the two following the demolition of the Naga Club Building that housed the NSF office.
The resolutions were adopted in an “emergency seniors’ consultative meeting” held today at the Angami Public Organization (APO) conference hall, Kohima. At the same time, following the counsel of the NSF seniors, the ongoing agitation carried out by the Federation has been temporarily suspended until further notice. However, the Federation remained resolute in its commitment to press for justice to be delivered at the earliest.
In the meeting, the NSF, through the “informed advise” of its seniors whom they consider as their “light, guide, and pride,” resolved to maintain its stance of not recognizing an un-mandated group of individuals who claim to be the Naga Club and asserting exclusive ownership rights over the Naga Club Building, which the NSF said it has been “zealously safeguarding as its custodian.”
“The present Naga Club, as we know, was formed recently by some few individuals with vested interest by roping in some few descendants of the original Naga club members,” the NSF maintained.
The meeting also resolved to “let the Naga people decide as to whether the Naga issue, Naga political history, and the resulting rights of the Naga people can be owned and inherited by some individuals.”
The meeting emphasized that the Naga Club belongs to all Naga people, and no individual or group can claim ownership of it.
“The NSF in the best interest of all the Naga people cannot allow some few individuals to usurp the legacy of unity and the Naga nationhood. More so, Naga Club must not be exclusive but inclusive of all Nagas without borders,” it said.
The Naga Students’ Federation further resolved to place the question of reviving the Naga Club and its relevance in the present context in the public domain. The meeting emphasized the importance of allowing the Naga people to collectively decide the fate of the Naga Club, ensuring they are not misled by incomplete narratives which are “barely even half-truth.”
“If need be, every tribal Hohos must come together under one roof and decide on the fate of the Naga Club. NSF will extend our fullest co-operation and support towards achieving that end,” it stated.
The meeting also resolved to agree to the restructuring of the Naga Club, subject to the collective mandate of the Naga people. The meeting emphasized that the ideology and principles of the Naga Club should be grounded in the contents of the Memorandum submitted by the then Naga Club to the Simon Commission in 1929.
The meeting concluded with a recommendation to the incumbent officials of the NSF to restart normal functioning at the NSF office. This recommencement will be facilitated through the establishment of a “makeshift Pandal” from 31 May.
The Meeting was adjourned sine die by the chair, K Tep, President NSF. Esther Rhakho, former general secretary of NSF earlier invoked God’s blessing for the meeting.