Nagaland: NSF celebrates pre-Christmas at Naga Solidarity Park

Former NSF President Y. Vikheho Swu, in his Christmas greetings, delivered a message of reflection and challenge at the NSF pre-Christmas celebration at Solidarity Park in Kohima.
He highlighted the unique spiritual position of the Naga people, stating, “More than any other group of people in the world, we Nagas are one of the most privileged people. We are a chosen people.” He added, “God chose us, a small group of primitive tribal people to be called His own.” He noted that today, almost all tribes have attained 100 years of Christianity and are all mature Christians today. He further pointed out that Nagaland is often described as having the second largest concentration of Baptist Christians in the world after the United States.
Taking all of these facts into account, he asserted that Nagas should be in fact one of the best practicing Christian people.
He urged the gathering to be reminded by what Billy Graham had shared about how Christians should be. According to him, Swu recounted, a Christian must have a fixed time to pray, must read the Bible, and change their life for good.
He then posed a critical question: “Even in the celebration of Christmas, do we as Christians really celebrate Christmas in its true sense?” He emphasized that Christmas is not about how grand our celebrations are, but about God’s greatest gift to humanity. Christmas, he said, is about God’s Love, Grace and Salvation.
Swu then addressed broader societal issues, stating, “Whether we admit or deny, the long standing, protracted Indo-Naga political issue has been taking its toll on the Naga people. This has led Nagas to ‘improper growth’ in many aspects of our life.” During one of his recent interactions with Niketu Iralu, he quoted Iralu’s observation that “What Nagas have in abundance is ‘problems.’”
He said Nagas must realize that one way to overcome all these problems and move to a solution is to exhibit togetherness and restore back rich Naga values.
“Despite the hurdles, obstacles and challenges, we have made advancement in various aspect of our life,” Swu noted. “However, there are still many grey areas that need our attention and care.” This, he declared, leaves us with a big challenge for an organization like the NSF, that has always acted as the guardian and custodian of Naga society.
“And therefore,” he charged, “NSF must be able to act as a ‘think tank’ to guide and shape Naga people to live an upright life, to ensure fairness, justice and integrity based on true Christian principles. It will do us good if NSF can continue its task to enable and empower Naga people to walk the talk. It will do us good if NSF can continue to guide Naga people to shy away from the present ‘money centric’ life to appreciate and respect, and define a person by the quality and character he or she possess.”
Vishü Rita Krocha, General Secretary of the Kohima Press Club, also addressed the gathering. She said as Christians, Christmas, for us Nagas, is not merely a season of celebration, but a sacred reminder of God’s immeasurable love, humility, and grace. The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, she stated, calls us to live lives rooted in truth, compassion, forgiveness, and peace—values that have long shaped our Naga identity and way of life.
She commended the Naga Students’ Federation, stating it has consistently played a vital role in nurturing responsible citizenship, unity, and leadership among the youth, especially in the lives of thousands of students across the state and beyond.
The programme was chaired by Veze Tunyi, asst. general secretary of the NSF. An invocation was offered by Kezhaletuo Yano, associate pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Kohima. Welcome and opening remarks were delivered by NSF president Mteisuding Heraang. The event featured a special performance by Mhonchumo Shitio, a rendition of ‘Last Christmas’ by Münulü Tunyi, and the congregational hymn “Silent Night.”