The stage is all set for commencement of celebrations to mark 100 years of Naga Club with the theme “Celebrating the legacy” under the aegis of Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) at Naga Solidarity Park here on Wednesday. United Nations’ consultant for peace building & dialogue Philippus Petrus Visser would be the honoured guest and unveil a monolith at 9.45 am.
In this regard, a lead-in public meeting was held at RCEMPA, Jotsoma on Tuesday. Delivering his keynote address, Naga Club (NC) president Krurovi Peseyie remarked that seeds of righteousness were sown by those who desired peace, even as he paid his tribute and gratitude to the club’s founding members and signatories of the Naga National Political Memorandum of 1929.
He announced his commitment to remain firm on the principle of NC’s founding members that “Naga Club belongs to the Naga people as a whole” and reiterated that the club would serve as fountain of Naga unity and aspiration. He added that it would strive for what was right and just.
Peseyie recalled that NC had submitted the Naga Political Memorandum to British’s statutory commission led by John Simon on January 10, 1929.
The memorandum had stated “We have no social affinities with Hindus or Mohammedans … leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times.”
He added that in the process the signatories had created the most important and famous political history of Nagas with great wisdom.
He said they had founded a great legacy of Naga national political foundation and passed on it to the future generations, a legacy that even the more civilised neighbouring countries could not imagine then. Peseyie said NC records clearly proved that the club was never defunct, but only remained inactive for some time.
He mentioned that with the centenary year drawing close, some well-meaning and concerned Naga elders, after having a consultative meeting of Naga tribes on June 2, 2017 at the club, elected new officer bearers on ad-hoc basis and that this was regularised on August 17 by tribal representatives.
He remarked that the noble deeds of NC founders and signatories of the famous memorandum were worthy of honour and remembrance for all times in the journey towards self-determination.
In his brief address, Patkai Christian College founder and principal emeritus Rev Dr Tuisem A Shishak said the memorandum to Simon Commission submitted in 1929 by the 20 members on behalf of all the Nagas in Indo Myanmar was a profound political expression.
Stating that one of the 20 signatories, which included returnees from the First World War Labour Corps, was his own father, he mentioned “to that extent I can claim a small link to the memorandum.”
He paid rich tribute to the original NC members and all those Nagas who had kept the memory of the club alive thus far, stating that had it not been for NC, the memorandum to Simon Commission would never have seen light of day.
He explained that because of Naga Club and the memorandum to Simon Commission, Naga National Council (NNC) was founded in 1946 as a cultural and political institution for all the Nagas.
Shishak said amidst much suffering in the hands of Indian Army, NNC grew as a political institution in the 1950s and 60s as the Nagas then were united in their commitment to achieve political freedom.
Though NNC had become a formidable force then for the Indian government to reckon with, he regretted that today, with all the wealth and education at its disposal, the BJP government in Delhi was simply playing politics as it knew that Naga Christians had only a form of godliness devoid of spiritual power.
He lamented that today Nagas were as divided as ever with each group pursuing its own selfish agenda, adding “Today the Indian rupee can buy and sell Nagas for any purpose as everyone (both underground and over ground) have become lovers of money”.
Referring to Bible, Matt. 6:24 that said “You cannot serve both God and Money”, Shishak said today Nagas were pursuing the political battle without God and were defeated on all fronts.
He reminded everyone that simply observing or celebrating NC centenary would do no good to the Naga cause and that there was a need to beg for God’s mercy, or else the future of both the church and Naga society as a whole would be at stake.
In his address, activist for change, healing and reconciliation Niketu Iralu said NC had rightly started celebration of centenary year of its formation, while lauding younger generation of Nagas led by Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) for celebrating the club’s legacy.
He said it was commendable that all Nagas were commemorating with gratitude the precious achievement of Naga Club.
He cautioned that the legacy could destroy the Nagas, if it was thoughtlessly polluted and damaged by selfishness and ill-will against one tribe by another. He maintained that it was the common duty of every Naga to nurture health of the Naga tree and not fight over its fruits that could lead to destruction.
Iralu observed that Nagas were loosely related groups of people, becoming a nation with determination, settled in a beautiful and resource-rich land in deep interior of the Asian continent, surrounded by some of the most ancient societies, nations and civilisations.
Earlier, NC caretaker (1964-69) Khyomo Lotha reminisced briefly about Naga Club.
Joint Christian Forum Nagaland vice-president Rev Dr N Paphino and leaders of various tribal bodies and civil societies also spoke at the meeting.
Theja Therie announced that the centenary celebration would be held at the State Capital’s local ground on November 29.