‘Move forward for common destiny’: Prez

Correspondent KISAMA, DECEMBER 1 Inaugurating the 10-day long Hornbill Festival of Nagaland and also addressing the 50th anniversary of statehood here, Mukherjee said “the people of Nagaland and the rest of our nation have a shared destiny and Nagaland must take its due place in our great country”. He called upon the people to reach out to the other States, he said “Let the dark days of violence and conflict be left far behind. Let a new dawn emerge. Let us together move forward with faith in our common destiny”. He also asserted that the Government of India is determined and duty bound to ensure that every Naga lives with dignity having equal rights and equal opportunities. Expressing that it is impossible to achieve development in the absence of peace and security, he urged the Naga people to work towards establishing and maintaining a peaceful environment in the state so that the dreams of the youth can be realized in the shortest possible time. “The traditions and practices of the Naga people are rich and unique,” he said, adding that Nagaland has come a long way since attaining statehood. “Its achievements in human development and industrial growth are praiseworthy. Yet, there remains much to be done,” he said. Nonetheless, maintaining that in a modern globalized world, the expectations of the people are high, the President said there is need for infrastructure and connectivity. Youth should have jobs, he said while there should be visible improvement in the quality of life. “Development should be inclusive, equitable and sustainable,” he said. Mukhejee also said education and infrastructure are the keys which will enable the people of Nagaland to seize these opportunities. “Raising Nagaland to the ranks of leading States in the country is a goal which can be achieved if there is vision, leadership and hard work,” he said while asserting that the Central and state governments must join hands in a collective endeavour supported by all the people of the state and dedicate themselves to the attainment of this goal. He further said it is heartening to note many youth from this region being engaged in hospitality and information technology sectors and working in different parts of the country. He called upon the youth of Nagaland to join hands with the young in the rest of the country and together forge the future of our nation. The people of the rest of India should also discover Nagaland, visit this state, contribute to the local economy and strengthen the bonds that tie different parts of our country and people together, he added. e, shortage of Opportunistic Infection drugs and the absence of Viral Load testing machine” in Dimapur to buttress his case.     Guest speaker of the occasion, Joel Nillo Kath underlined the need for the churches in Nagaland to get more involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the state. “The church is becoming like an elephant in a room (today in Nagaland),” he regretted while pointing out that the church has failed to “play its role” in the fight against unabated taxation, corruption and HIV/AIDS in Naga society.   Fr Joe Ngamkhuchung, the Director of NEDHIV, also called for more active participation from the church, in his brief address on the significance of the day. Dimapur Naga Students’ Organization, social network group The Naga Blog and the Nagaland Motorcycle Club also expressed their commitment and solidarity messages on the occasion.