'Defining moment to either come together or perish as fools'

Our Correspondent Kohima, Nov. 29 (EMN): Noting with regret the fragmented Naga community in all fronts, a cleric said that Nagas have chosen to be dominated by ‘being politically correct rather than morally-ethically upright’ giving birth to negative influence viz. muscle and money power that have become the cancer in our Naga society. In his centennial message at the celebration of 100th years of Naga Club at Jotsoma, Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho, president of Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF) expressed deep pain on the divisions among the Nagas. "Perhaps, we are at the defining moment, either to come together in unity and exist in harmony as Nagas or to allow others to walk on us and crush us and we perish as fools," said he said. Paying deep honour to the leaders of the past for their farsighted vision of what Nagas were and should be in pressing moment, Keyho also admired their spirit and fortitude for giving the Nagas a history where we can always turn to no matter where the world takes us. Daring to speak the truth, Keyho stated “we have fought over a real historical event making it to appear as if it never was, the truth of history refuses to die.  A history that is supposed to be narrated over and over again to our hearing and to the generations here after is torn apart. And this is a sad commentary for the generations to come.” However, he was optimistic that the construction of history on this day, a hundred years after, is an achievement and that Nagas must make a resolute decision to keep the flame of our leaders burning from here on. Stating matter of fact that “a kingdom divided against itself will be ruined”, Keyho was of the view that while no one expect the union to be dissolved, no one either expect the house to fall or expect it will cease to be divided. “Either the opponents of this celebration will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become acceptable to all the Nagas be it in the south, north, east, west and central” stated Keyho. However, until such time, he frankly stated that “leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times” will be a "contemptuous phrase". Towards this, he maintained that ‘we’ cannot allow the generations to come to inherit a distorted history- which is our identity as a people and a nation and it will be theirs as well. Therefore, he cited three things that he felt are necessary for the Nagas viz. humility, reason and love. “Those who feel they are right must humble themselves without opposing those who are wrong. And those who feel otherwise must exercise their will power to reason without influence” said Keyho and added that Nagas must learn to love each other as brothers and sisters but we can only learn to love right when we learn to forgive. “If we believe what the forerunners have done is right we must stand united even if outside forces try to tear us apart that is what a nation must do. And Nagas must do likewise” he added.