Neidonuo receives Kevichusa Citizenship Award

Neidonuo Angami, one of the founding members of Naga Mothers Association (NMA) was awarded the A Kevichusa Citizenship Award 2022 by The Kevichusa Foundation at a programme held at The White Owl, Chümoukedima on Saturday.
It may be noted that Neidonuo a Padma Shri awardee, one of the founding members of Naga Mothers Association, and was also amongst the 1000 women shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
The chief guest for the event was Dr Joyce Zinyü Angami.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Joyce spoke on her association with the awardee, and spoke on how Neidonuo with her indomitable spirit in handling and taking care of chemical and drug users since 1984.
She mentioned that during those time, majority of drug users were jailed, to which she added that Neidonuo took up what the society could do for the drug users and their wellbeing.
Dr Joyce stated that this led to the formation of NMA’s Scientific Rehabilitation Centre at a rented house at Zubza, which later came under Kripa Foundation.
Dr Joyce said that they visited chemical abused and HIV patients in the jail, and also took the initiative to meet the HIV patients which broke the stigma against HIV patients.
She said under Neidonuo’s leadership, AIDS Hospice Care was set up where people even from far places came to stay.
Dr Joyce also spoke on how NMA was institutional in the peace process between several underground parties and also how the members would visit their camps without fear to instill peace and harmony in the state.
Meanwhile, delivering her speech, Neidonuo Angami thanked the Kevichusa Foundation for awarding her the A Kevichusa Citizenship Award 2022.
She highlighted on how she was traumatized as a child after seeing the skull of her father. She shared that during 1956, Naga fight was so strong against the Indian Army that they had time take shelter in forest for few months, and had also witnessed many killings between Indian Army and Naga Soldiers.
She stated that her father, a Dobashi, was beheaded by unidentified miscreants in 1956, while adding that it was only on 1957, his skull was brought to Kohima by her grandparents, which made her traumatized and admitted her anger and hatred against the Nagas.
She stated that she lived a disturbed life, in the sense that the consequences were so strong that she developed anger, shame and negative feelings against the Nagas for so long, and in the form of taking revenge, and favored more of non Nagas during that time.
She also spoke on her association with NCC and how her separation with her husband (Indian Army) which made her realize to work for the welfare of Naga society.
It can be noted that A Kevichusa Citizenship Award was instituted in 2017 by The Kevichusa Foundation, to celebrate and promote the idea of an ideal citizen.
The foundation annually recognizes indigenous individual or group that consistently championed, demonstrated and embodied ideal of citizenship and sought common good of the people.