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KOHIMA — In a shocking incident, the office of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) housed at the historic Naga Club Building in Kohima was vandalised by unidentified miscreants in the early hours of Saturday, triggering furore and condemnation from various quarters.
The building also houses the offices of the All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) and Kohima Press Club (KPC) and 10 business establishments, including three printing presses, one hotel, one advocate chamber and shops.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]However, the offices of ANCSU and KPC were not vandalised.
The estimate of losses caused by the incident is yet to be ascertained till the time of filing this report.
Speaking to journalists, president of Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) Kegwayhun Tep said that they received the information about the incident at around 3 am on Saturday and reached the spot around 5 am but the miscreants had left the scene by then.
He informed that important documents and records of the student union and the entire Nagas, including those stored in the computers were destroyed.
Read: Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) flag hoisted amid heavy downpour
It’s reported that a mob numbering around 30, armed with daos (machetes) and sticks, used an excavator (JCB) to pull down the NSF’s office.
The NSF president informed that a first information report (FIR) was filed at the North Police Station in Kohima around 5:30 am.
It may be mentioned that the Naga Club Building has been at the centre of controversy for some time now with the Naga Club having served eviction notices to the NSF to enable reconstruction, while the student body argued that the present Naga Club was formed only in 2017 with an ulterior motive.
The apex student body has served an ultimatum to the government of Nagaland to arrest the individuals responsible for attacking the heritage site, which is a common treasure of the Naga people, within 24 hours w.e.f from 6 pm, May 27.
The NSF said that it will be compelled to take actions it deems befitting if the government fails to act.
“The barbaric and cowardly act has led to the irreparable loss of priceless historical records of the Naga people and destruction of the common Naga Heritage Building and properties worth lakhs of rupees which the NSF has been zealously preserving for the last 75 years,” read the ultimatum addressed to the chief minister of Nagaland.
The federation decided to take the move through a resolution passed at its ‘Extra Emergency Presidential Council Meeting’ held on Saturday.
While disclosing that some were against serving the ultimatum to the government if it (Govt.) had done nothing against the NSF, he said the move was made after much deliberation to ensure timely delivery of justice as the incident has shamed the people; and that the federation is not against the government, but rather has complete faith on the authority.
The president said that the federation can neither express nor mention any particular individual or suspect at the moment.
‘Lot of people are asking as to who will be held responsible for the act. But the issue is in the hands of the authority concerned and they are on the job to nab the culprit,’ he told Eastern Mirror.
He also acknowledged the administration headed by the deputy commissioner (DC) Kohima, SP Kohima, Additional SP Kohima and other subordinate officers for their diligent efforts (in the investigation process).
While condemning the act of vandalism and deciding to serve ultimatum to arrest the culprits, it was resolved during the Extra Emergency Presidential Council Meeting to protect the Naga Club Building with the collectively support of all the federating units and the sub-ordinate bodies.
The house thanked the Naga people, political leaders and civil society organisations for extending solidarity during this difficult time. It also resolved to expedite the process of reconstructing the Naga Club Building and that Naga youth and student should contribute towards the same, for which the federating units and subordinate bodies were delegated the responsibility to ensure the success of the endeavour.
Further, the house also resolved to forward the matter of extension of tenure for the NSF incumbents 2021-23 to the Federal Assembly, for which the Speaker was requested to summon an emergency Federal Assembly (FA) on May 27, 2023 after the Extra Emergency Presidential Council meeting.
Meanwhile, office of the Superintendent of Police has constituted a 5-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by Addl. Superintendent of Police, Kohima, to investigate the matter upon receiving information about the damage of a building presently occupied by the NSF.
“In this connection, a case has been registered at North Police Station, Kohima under relevant sections of IPC,” read the update.