Naga Club observed its 102nd Foundation Day on January 7 at M.C Hall, Red Cross Building, Kohima with Medoselhou Keretsü as the guest speaker.
A press release by Naga Club information and publicity section said Keretsü recalled that Naga Club was formed by Naga visionary leaders on January 7, 1918 at a time when Nagas were living in an age of “political unawareness without any knowledge and sense of responsibility about neither sovereignty nor national consciousness”.
He said the Naga Club was already in existence and has been working to consolidate the various Naga tribes into a distinct Naga Nationality under the leadership of Rheichalie Pienyü when the British Statutory Commission from Great Britain headed by John Simon with Atlee and E. Cadogan visited Kohima, Naga Hills District, Assam in 1929.
Keretsü recalled that it was during this critical juncture that the leaders and members of the Naga Club submitted the famous Naga Memorandum to Simon Commission on January 10, 1929.
On August 14, 1947, he said Naga National Council declared independence of the Nagas as being an independent nation, consistent fully with the position Naga Club had declared eighteen years earlier in 1929.
Keretsü said the subsequent all-out struggle waged by all Naga tribes, starting with the Naga voluntary Plebiscite in 1951 reaffirming their stand, the boycott of the first two Indian General Elections, and the enormous price Nagas have paid up to this day for their declared aspirations, have shown that the Nagas believed their position was fully justified, valid and legitimate legally, morally and from all other considerations.
Keretsü further said, “The objective of Naga Club framed by our forefathers 102 years ago was to realise the need of coming together as a people. At that point of time in history, Nagas had very few educated members; we barely had any knowledge about politics let alone about our human rights. Yet, in spite of all our short comings, we were known for our honesty, bravery and such other age-old values.”
He regretted that despite the sacrifices made by the pioneers for unity the same has elusive for the Nagas. Keretsü lamented the present “sad reality” that any organization which bears the nomenclature “Naga” attract the malicious eyes of the external forces and attempts of such forces trying to divide such organizations.
Keretsü concluded by saying, “I would like to implore all present here today that we should, at all times remember that we are one people, one race, one family. And sooner or later, it is the destiny of the Nagas to live together as one people under the same administrative umbrella. No force on earth should deter us from uniting and so we should turn back to our Creator once again for unity.”
Earlier in the programme chaired by Naga Club general secretary, KN Mhonthung Lotha, the invocation was pronounced by Rengma Baptist Church, Kohima pastor Dr. Kenyeseng Tsela while Naga Club treasurer, Vixepu Swu, extended greetings.