As the apex student body, Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) ought to strive for shaping and building Naga society and go beyond what was “honourable and acceptable solution” before a final solution was arrived at, said former NSF president and Editor Tir Yim Yim, K. Temjen Jamir.
Addressing the 68th foundation day of the NSF held at its conference hall on Thursday, Temjen also sounded a note of caution that “honorable and acceptable solution” should not cause bloodshed in society.
He appealed to the NSF and other organizations to define and redefine what was honorable and acceptable solution adding “we need to go beyond acceptable and honorable, work together pro-actively which would be honorable and acceptable to us”.
Temjen also said merely keeping fingers crossed and waiting for the solution to arrive would only expose a shortage of wisdom. He opined that NSF should seek opinions of people over “shared sovereignty, solution within Nagaland and an alternative arrangement.”
Also speaking on the occasion, Imkong L. Imchen MLA and former NSF general secretary(1983-85) felt that instead of having two parallel student bodies– NSF and ENSF– in a small state like Nagaland, it would be wiser for both to come under one platform as it was seen as being weak by those outside.
Imchen renewed his criticism on the 16 Point Agreement which was the framework for Nagaland state. He said the government of India had “ unilaterally abrogated the 16-Point agreement of 1960 in 1989 without informing nor consulting the Nagas.
Imchen argued that instead of implementing the clauses, the government of India had removed Nagaland from external affairs ministry (Clause 2) and placed it under the home ministry without the consent of the Nagas. Further, he also said in 1989, the government of India withdrew the special funding for the state to be borne out of the consolidated fund of the government of India (Clause 11).
Imchen also said that even on Article 371A (Clause 7.d) on ownership and transfer of land and its resources was being infringed. Therefore, concluded, Article 371A held no more substance for the Nagas.
Parliamentary secretary planning Neiba Kronu and former president NSF said division provided an opportunity for Nagas to contribute towards rectifying the system.
Kronu asserted that the election system did not suit Nagas and therefore, there was need to discuss the matter. He also stressed on a passport system to deal with the issue of illegal immigration
On prohibition act, Kronu termed it as a pretension and that any society that was pretentious was not healthy as it only encouraged mafias. He felt that prohibition should be lifted otherwise it would only harm society.
On unemployment issue, he said the concept itself was wrong because it meant that unless one was employed under the government, one was considered unemployed.
He asked, when Nagaland was not a producing but consuming state, how can it prosper when all money went outside? In this he cited the 2011 survey report which showed that Nagaland spent Rs.1017 crore annually on meat. He also said all the money was spent on government salaries totalling around Rs.9000 crore of which the home department alone spent Rs.800 crore annually.
Unless the imbalance was rectified through change of mind-set, the state cannot progress he said.
Naga Hoho president, P. Chuba Ozukum reiterated that the August 3 framework accord signed between the government of India’s interlocutor and NSCN (I-M) leadership should be the basis for the final solution. Ozukum asked NSF to contribute its mite for solution.
NSF president Subenthung Kithan in his brief address lauded the former f NSF leaders for their vision and also paid tributes to the departed NSF leaders. He sought the support of the seniors to strengthen the federation. The programme was chaired by former speaker NSF R.S. Jollyson.