The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), on the advice of its seniors, on Tuesday decided to suspend its ongoing agitation to protest against the State government’s failure to arrest the culprits involved in vandalizing its office on May 27. However, NSF said that the federation would continue to press for justice to be delivered at the earliest.
In a statement, NSF president Kegwayhun Tep and general secretary Siipuni Ng Philo said that the decision was made at the emergency seniors consultative meeting of NSF held at Angami Public Organisation (APO) conference hall, Kohima on Tuesday.
The meeting also resolved not to recognise the unmandated group of individuals claiming to be Naga Club and sole ownership of Naga Club building, which the federation had been zealously guarding as its custodian. It contended that the present Naga Club was formed recently by some individuals with vested interests by roping in few descendants of the original Naga Club members.
The house also resolved to let the Naga people decide as to whether the Naga political issue, history and their rights could be owned and inherited by some individuals. As the Naga Club belonged to all Nagas, the meeting decided that no individual or group could claim ownership over it. In the best interest of all Naga people, the NSF asserted that it could not allow few individuals to usurp the legacy of unity and Naga nationhood, insisting that the Naga must not be exclusive but inclusive of all Nagas without borders. It further resolved to place in public domain and let the Nagas decide whether there was a need to revive Naga Club and also whether it was relevant in the present context. The Nagas should collectively decide on the fate of the club and not be misled by narratives and half-truths.
“If need be, every tribal hoho must come together under one roof and decide on the fate of the Naga club”, to which NSF said it would extend its full cooperation and support.
The seniors and members present also resolved that NSF would be agreeable if the Naga Club was properly restructured with the collective mandate of Naga people, but insisted that the club’s ideology and principles should be grounded in the memorandum submitted by the then Naga Club to the Simon Commission in 1929.
The meeting decided to recommend the incumbent office-bearers of NSF to restart the normal functioning of the federation’s office by setting up a makeshift pandal from May 31.
The meeting was chaired by NSF president Kegwayhun Tep and former NSF general secretary Esther Rhakho invoked God’s blessing for the meeting.
In a ‘public declaration’, NSF said that even after having perpetrated the heinous crime of vandalising the NSF office, which was also a Naga Heritage site, “some individuals were busy with smear campaigns through ‘half lies and half truth’ without any remorse whatsoever.” (Full text on p-6)
Day 2nd of sit-in protest: The NSF sit-in protest held outside the vandalised office in Kohima entered the second day on Tuesday.
Host of former NSF leaders and well-wishers also visited the protest site.
Former NSF president Vikheho Swu after witnessing the destruction of the NSF office, stated that “Nagas should not look at who was right but what is right for every Naga then we can find a solution.”
He lamented that it was disheartening to see the NSF institute being treated with such heinous act and termed it “crime to the Naga identity”.
While highlighting the history of the NSF, former NSF president Phushika Aomi said that Naga Club was a body which could not be inherited nor privatised on a whimsical note. He also pointed out that overnight, few members had claimed to be members of the Naga Club.
Short speech was also delivered by former NSF speaker G. Vashum.