Naga Students’ Federation suspends protest, resolves not to recognise ‘un-mandated’ Naga Club

KOHIMA — The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Tuesday suspended its agitation until further notice in connection with the vandalisation of its office located in the Naga Club building, Kohima in the early hours of Saturday.

The apex student body has been staging a sit-in in front of its vandalised office to express its dissatisfaction over the failure of Nagaland government to arrest all the individuals involved in demolition of its office.

The decision to suspend the protest was made on the “advice of the seniors”, with whom the incumbent NSF office bearers had a meeting at Angami Public Organisation (APO) Conference Hall on Tuesday.

Several resolutions were adopted at the emergency seniors’ consultative meeting of the NSF.

NSF President Kegwayhun Tep said the suspension of the agitation at this crucial moment doesn’t mean the federation has stopped or withdrawn the movement but the situation has “compelled” them to withdraw.

The NSF “never claims” that the building, which also houses the offices of ANCSU and Kohima Press Club, belongs to them; rather, the federation as the custodian of this heritage resolved to continue to protect it.

He said the federation has been seeking the authority to deliver justice but doesn’t understand it can’t be done in Kohima Smart City. The officers are equipped with all the technologies. The federation was informed that those who were involved in vandalising the office were ‘all registered’, he said.

‘Fortunately or unfortunately, the case is now under the jurisdiction of the law. But whatsoever it is, NSF will continue to fight, to ensure that justice prevails and those involved in vandalising the office be punished as per the law,’ he added.

Not to recognise “un-mandated” Naga Club

The NSF stated that it has resolved at the ‘Emergency NSF Seniors’ Consultative Meeting’ not “to recognize the un-mandated group of Individuals who claimed themselves to be the Naga Club and has been claiming sole ownership of Naga Club building which the NSF has been zealously safeguarding as its custodian. The present Naga Club, as we know, was formed recently by a few individuals with vested interest by roping in some descendants of the original Naga Club members”.

It resolved to ‘let the Naga people decide as to whether the Naga issue, the Naga political history and the resulting rights of the Naga people can be owned and inherited by some individuals. The Naga Club belongs to all the Naga people. No individual or group can claim ownership of the same’.

“The NSF in the best interest of all the Naga people cannot allow some few individuals to usurp the legacy of unity and the Naga nationhood.  More so, the Naga Club must not be exclusive but inclusive of all Nagas without borders,” it stated.

The house also resolved to let the Nagas decide “whether there is a need to revive the Naga Club and also whether the club is relevant in the present context. The Naga people should collectively decide on the fate of the Naga Club and not be misled by narratives which are barely even the half truth”.

If need be, every tribal Hohos must come together under one roof and decide on the fate of the Naga Club, it stated, adding that the NSF will extend “fullest cooperation” and support towards achieving that end.

“It was also resolved that NSF will be agreeable if the Naga Club is properly restructured with the collective mandate of the Naga people. Its ideology and principles should be grounded in the contents of the Memorandum submitted by the then Naga Club to the Simon Commission in 1929,” read the resolution.

Makeshift office from today

NSF General Secretary Siipuni Ng Philo informed that the seniors and members present in the meeting had resolved to recommend the incumbent officials of NSF to resume the normal functioning of the office by setting up a makeshift marquee starting today, May 31.

“On the advice of the NSF seniors, the ongoing agitation of the federation will stand suspended until further notice. However, the Federation shall continue to press for justice to be delivered at the earliest,” he said.

Federating units and subordinate bodies of the NSF, students, well-wishers, legislators and former NSF leaders participated in the two-day sit-in, which concluded on Tuesday with a prayer.

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