The august house in its emergency Presidential council meeting held at the NSF Conference Hall, Naga Club Building, Kohima on the 16th November, 2018 acknowledged the pioneers and elders who had selflessly contributed to the cause of the Nagas through various forums and in particular the Naga Club and also thoroughly deliberated on the newly formed Naga Club. The house also expressed its deepest appreciation and gratitude to all the schools, colleges and educational institutions, including the various Naga peoples organizations, non-Naga communities and all who participated in the recently concluded 100th Year Commemoration of the Naga Club held on the 31st of October 2018, under the theme; “Celebrating the Legacy” and making the event a grand occasion and a very successful Celebration.
We hold no malice or any ulterior motive except to uphold and show our sincere respect and honor the glorious deed of our forefathers who clearly envisioned the destiny of our people. As per the undeniable history and records which are known to the Nagas, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has being upholding the rights and aspiration of the Nagas in general and the students and youths in particular since its inception and for that matter, the NSF for all this many years have been protecting the legacy and properties of the Naga Club till date.
It is an established fact that the Naga Club was officially reformed through the Naga Elders Conference and reposed the Naga club office bearers under the Presidentship of Eno. AzutoRengma as the legitimate body of the Naga Club. History is clear that they were elected on the 7th January 1982 at Kohima Village Panchayat Hall by representatives from the various Naga tribes. This reformed Naga Club of 1982 presently exists with only one surviving office bearer (Joint Secretary) who is also the Caretaker of the Naga Club. However, this lacunae seems to have encouraged certain individuals or group of people to take over this precious legacy of our fore fathers, who now claim that; (Quote)“some concerned Naga Elders comprising of various tribes, understanding and realizing the sacredness and historical significance of the club in regard to the Naga National Movement and Naga nationhood, came together and held a meeting on 27th March 2017 at a Hotel in Kohima through the initiative of Mr PelhouruoSuokhrie and discussed on the need of reviving the Naga Club; several rounds of meetings followed. To crystallize the objective a meeting of concern elders was held on 14th May 2017 at Hotel Ozone café, Kohima which decided to hold a further meeting comprising all the Naga Tribes of Nagaland. Accordingly, the meeting of the representatives of Tribal Hohos of Nagaland was held on 16th June 2017 at the Naga Club Building which elected a Team of 5(five) Ad-hoc Office Bearers. Realizing the need to regularize the ad-hoc office bearers for full swing activities on the forthcoming centennial celebration of the Club, the general meeting of the Tribal Hoho representatives on 17th August 2018 regularized the ad-hoc body by voice vote”(Unquote). The quoted statement also clearly mentions only some Naga tribes of Nagaland and hence such appointments are questionable and for which such appointments should be subjected to the endorsement and mandate of all the various Naga tribes
While our biggest desire is for mutual understanding and acknowledgement of each others efforts, the meeting resolved that, till such time Nagas come together in consensus and give mandate to form the Naga Club with new office bearers, it is being held that, in the larger interest of the Nagas to strengthened our unity and maintain the legacy of the Naga Club, one should avoid distorting the factual history by abstaining ourselves from further self-defeat but instead give all our effort so as to enable Nagas to remain as one people. We are also clear that the voice expressed by the Naga Club through the submission of the Memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929 was on behalf of all the Nagas, wherever they are.
And in so far as the Celebration of the 100 Years of Naga Club at Khuochiezie, Kohima Local Ground on the 29th of November 2018 is concerned, we wish the organizers all the very best as it is the bounden duty of all Nagas to pay our respect and homage to the pioneers of the Naga Club in any befitting manner.
To our fellow Naga public, please accept our unqualified apologies for the confusions that have occurred over the Naga Club Celebration for sometime in the recent past, but now that the pictures are clearer, we are also reminded of the saying that; “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality” as stated by Dante Alighieri, the great Italian Poet and writer.
President General Secretary
