Our Correspondent
Kisama, April 25 (EMN): Angami Students’ Union (Asu) has published a booklet in honour of its past leaders who have endeavoured all the hardships in order to bring up the union to the present situation.
The booklet was released by the Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, during the 29th general conference inauguration of Asu held on the theme “Reflections” at Naga Heritage Village Kisama on April 24. The three-day conference also commemorated the 75th anniversary of Kohima Sub-division Students’ Conference (KSDSC) and 50th anniversary of Asu.
The handout recounted the formation of KSDSC in 1946 before it changed the nomenclature to “Angami Students’ Union” in 1970. The booklet featured file photos of the past leaders from 1964 as well as those torch bearers who formed Kohima Eleka which subsequently led to the formation of the then KSDSC and the present Asu.
Some family members of the past leaders have expressed gratitude to ASU for acknowledging their legacy despite some of the pioneers are no more today.
Speaking to Eastern Mirror, K Ashi Khieya thanked the union for acknowledging the contributions of his late brother Ase (Kehosel) Khieya and others. It was learned that Ase was an active member until the day he met with an unfortunate accident in 1990 while serving as the president of Asu in 1989.
“Due to the near fatal injuries, he was bedridden till his demise on December 15, 1998,” Ashi said.
Asu secretary of information and publicity Thejalhoukho Thomas Khawakhrie said, “We are acknowledging all the living and the deceased” and hoped that through the jubilee celebrations, God would shower his blessings upon all the past leaders.
This newspaper also reached out to student leaders to learn how they have confronted challenges serving in Asu.
Viranu Ltu, the first lady speaker of ASU, on Sunday shared about the challenges she faced as a lady in the students’ union. Ltu shared how she was denied to contest for the post of Asu president and general secretary citing that women were not treated fairly to lead the union by contesting for their desired post.
“Till now, there is no woman president that’s why I really wanted to try but I’m really discouraged,” she lamented.
Stating that women were in the frontline even in the past to champion the cause for the students, she said “womenfolk are not far behind” their male counterparts, adding “We have even produced Rev. Beilieü Shüya as the first lady vice president in 1946.” She acknowledged the blessings of such women leaders in the past, who has strengthened the position of women in the students’ union today.
Despite the challenges, she said, “I’m not giving up,” and reminded that unless women extend support to one another, they will not have a place in the union as figureheads in the society. “I think we must all contribute towards a just society,” she added.
She also shared that there are still some from men folk who are supportive and encouraging to her to take bold decisions for taking roles in the union despite the majority were still of the view that women should not come in the frontline.
Meanwhile, Kezhazer Angami, student activist and two times Asu president, has conveyed a message to the student community saying, “every executive in a student union or a student activist cannot be regarded as a leader and every leader does not serve in students organisations.” As such, if youngsters want to become leaders, he said that “they should explore, learn and develop their leadership skills, personality, qualities required to be a leader”.
Among various dignitaries, the three-day event also witnessed the presence of Kevisiezolie Suohu, the first president of Asu, who spoke at length reminiscing the genesis of the union and urged the members to be torchbearers for uplift of the students.
