The 81st annual session of Mopungchuket Senso Mungdang was held on January 12 and 13 at ARSA Hall, Mopungchuket, with Rev Dr Wati Aier, convener, Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), and emeritus professor, Oriental Theological Seminary, as the chief speaker.
Addressing the Mungdang on January 13, Aier, who hails from Mopungchuket, urged the villagers to work collectively for the flourishing of the village. He said that while the past could not be changed, the future could be shaped with courage, responsibility and faith. Aier said a leader must learn to release oneself from the various chains that bind them, adding that a “released self” knows how to accept criticism and acknowledge weaknesses. He said leadership should encourage mutual existence, respect for the rights of others, inclusivity, and openness to new ideas, including the participation of youth and women. Speaking on restoration and rebuilding of Mopungchuket, he said a society was not built by leaders alone and that it was the duty of all right-thinking citizens to contribute to its growth. He noted that culture was ontological and alive, and therefore required change.
“You cannot go forward by looking backward,” he said, adding that a culture which resists change was a “dead culture”, while one that embraces change was a “living culture”.
Aier also asked the villagers to reflect on what Mopungchuket should look like in the next 25 years. Emphasising the importance of sociological imagination, he called upon the people to do away with self-righteousness and recognise a shared identity, saying, “We are all from Mopungchuket.” He urged leaders to introspect and citizens to work together for the village’s future.
Earlier, on January 12, the Additional Chief Engineer (D&R) and Team Leader of the Nagaland Solar Mission, Department of Power, Er. R Lobosang Jamir exhorted the Mungdang. The session included a SWOT analysis of Mopungchuket, tabling of agendas and reports, adoption of resolutions and appointment of new office bearers.