New NSF team pledges to address issues

Our Correspondent KOHIMA, JUNE 23 The newly inducted team of Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) office bearers on Tuesday announced that the federation will continue to press for several issues that the Nagas are facing, including the set up of technical institutes (medical and engineering), tackling the influx of illegal migrants, the Naga political issue, settling of border issue and strict monitoring of implementation of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS). Addressing a press conference after the conduct of the first executive council meeting at the NSF office in Kohima today, the president elect, Subenthung Kithan said that while Nagaland is one of the oldest states in the North East after Assam, it is yet to have any technical institutions, for which the people are made to suffer. He said the NSF has an itinerary programme scheduled and will be deputing a team to meet the Prime Minister, Union Human Resource Development Minister and the Union Home Minister to take the issue forward. On the issue of influx of immigrants into the state, Kithan said the issue has evolved into a serious threat to the Naga society. Although there could have been a lack on the part of the government, NGOs and every Naga in general earlier, he feels that the people need to rise together now, before the Nagas are made to become “foreigners in our own kitchen”. He informed that the previous NSF team had constituted a commission to look into this issue and the report of the commission is being awaited for the next phase to begin. Meanwhile, on the line that their predecessors have “sacrificed immensely” towards the Naga political issue, the new NSF team has reaffirmed to carry forward the legacy. The new president asserted that the new team will strive to meet all the leaders of the different political groups and carry over their messages to the Centre so as to pave way forward to an “honourable and acceptable solution” to all. On the border issue, especially with the neighbouring Assam, the student leader said the federation has resolved to press the state government to settle the matter so that the Naga people living in border belt areas do not continue to suffer. The new team also stated that they would monitor the functioning of Nagaland Houses in different cities across the country. “It has been brought to our notice that students and sick people were denied of facilities in Nagaland Houses,” an executive member said. He said the federation will be sending out a clear message that these are made accessible to people who are in need. The federation will also strictly monitor the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes under the education sector, the team informed. “We will monitor the implementation of CSS like RMSA, SSA and RUSA and check the balances periodically as well,” they said. When asked if the newly elected president has a plan in the pipeline to carry out what he had declared during the NSF election in May on the revival of abandoned factories in the state, Subenthung said the matter will be pursued by the team “with full sincerity and dedication”.