EMN
Tseminyu, April 17
To ‘safeguard, protect and promote the traditional, cultural identity’ of the Rengma Naga, a rengma youth group called the Rengma Selo Zi (Rengma Youth Organization) was formally launched on Thursday by the president of Rengma Hoho, Sawathang Kez Seb at Town Hall, Tseminyu.
The Rengma Selo Zi asserts to be a social organisation “that consolidates the youths from all Rengma villages and ancestrally-inhabited Rengma areas under one common umbrella to facilitate, support and strengthen solidarity and unity among the Rengma people and beyond”. The new group issued a note to the media on Friday.
The nomenclature ‘Rengma Selo Zi’ is an amalgamation of the two Rengma dialects where “Selo” stands for “Youth” and “Zi” stands for “group/ organization) with its motto, “Akazü, Inyi” meaning “my land, my people.”
Speaking during the launch, president of the Rengma Hoho, Sawathang Kez Seb, said that the Rengma Selo Zi was a composition of senior social leaders, intellectual and officers and welcomed and appreciated this group of people forming to strengthen the five existing frontal Rengma organizations.He expressed optimism that the new organization would bring progress and change in the society.
“I hope this organization is being built to bring in peace, harmony and understanding,” he said.
The organization’s president also announced that from now on, Rengma Hoho as the head of the Rengma organization shall include the new group as one of its official organs in shouldering the responsibilities of the Rengma.
He appealed to all the Rengma to extend cooperation to the organization to forge ahead.
“Considering the circumstances leading our people to economic, political and social suppression, the youths of the Rengma tribe with the prior approval of all the Rengma frontal organizations seek to work together with other organizations on similar principles and beliefs for the common good and welfare of the community,” stated Chenonlo Woch, secretary, during the introduction to Rengma Selo Zi.
The goal of the organization is to ‘respect the individual rights of all people and collective rights of the community, institutions and processes to promote environmentally-sensitive issues for development and conservation of its land, resources and territory’.
It also endeavors to work in close coordination with the Rengma Hoho and its frontal organizations as a vigilant group and to build a network with other organizations maintains relationships with the same for the advancement and welfare of the community.
The Rengma Selo Zi is led by Kenneth Kath as president and Shatilo Kent as general secretary for the tenure 2015-2018.
