Naga Club not formed by mandate of all Nagas, says rejoinder to NSF’s statement

DIMAPUR— Naga Club has accused the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) of tarnishing its image, history and legacy by spreading “propaganda” that the incumbent members of the club are claiming the plot of land as their own without the mandate of the people.

In a rejoinder to NSF’s statements, the Naga Club (NC) stated that it was formed in 1918, laying the foundation of the Naga peoples’ rights to self-determination.

“It was not formed by a mandate of all the Nagas, but that did not deprive anyone from partaking and becoming an equal member of the NC and all that it represented,” read the rejoinder.

The Naga Club remained in hiatus from 1969 to 1981-82 due to hostile military operations by the Indian security forces against the Naga National Movement (NNM) but was revived in 1982 during a general public meeting with the Naga Elders’ Conference, leaders, several tribal Hoho representatives, Naga Club members and descendants of Simon Commission signatories, it stated.

It went on to say that “a general public meeting was convened at Red Cross Building Kohima with the representatives of almost all the tribes including Naga Club members and descendants of Simon Commission signatories” on August 17 2017 and a new team headed by Krurovi Peseyie as president and K.N. Mhonthung Lotha as Gen. Secy took charge of Naga Club office.

“The present incumbent office bearers are duly elected and are a part of the succession of the office lineage of the NC to protect and preserve the legacy of the NC and to proactively work for the period of time they have been elected to hold office. Therefore, it is absurd, ignorant and misplaced to assume that the Naga Club was formed only in 2017/18 as had been alleged by NSF,” it stated.

Maintaining that the building belongs to Naga people without borders and will continue to belong to the Naga people as a whole irrespective of tribes, communities and domiciles, it said some were made to believe the Naga Club is trying to gain possession of the land with commercial interest.

It said that “the recent Executives of NC have undertaken the burden, the daunting task and responsibility of demolishing the dilapidated old Bldg, to rebuild a befitting building”.

‘It was imperative and inevitable to demolish the existing building in its entirety and build a totally new building, well-equipped with modern amenities for the welfare of all the Naga communities,’ it said adding that several request letters were served to vacate the building before demolishing it.

“The demolition of NC Bldg has been misinterpreted and sensationalized with emotional rhetoric for vested interest by the tenant/NSF officials,” it added.

Sharing about the reconstruction of the Naga Club building, it said the structure once completed envisions to house a large museum to preserve and display the Naga traditional artefacts and a library.

“In consonance with the old tradition where the NC Bldg served as an amenity for the Naga public, it will also house an office as a morung, a conference hall and also make provisions to house the people coming from the remote Naga inhabited areas as was done in the past and various representation of all the Nagas encompassing an inclusive Pan-Naga community to foster unity and to pave way for better understanding so as to usher in progress, development and peace,” it said.

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