Kevichusa Foundation, a charitable foundation of the family of A. Kevichusa, organized the presentation of the A. Kevichusa Citizenship Award and Chalie Kevichusa Memorial Lecture on Saturday here at DBIDL Hall, Don Bosco Campus, River Belt colony.
Founder of Nagaland’s Eleutheros Christian Society (ECS) Rev. Chingmak Chang, was the recipient of the A. Kevichusa Award 2018. He was presented with a citation, a medallion and Rs. 3 lakh cash.
The medallion was given away by last year’s recipient Moamenla of Mother’s Hope, Rev. Dr. Wati Aier gave away the citation and cash award was handed over by a family member.
Rev. Chang, who was introduced by Dr. Kethoser Kevichusa, was awarded for pioneering social work in the field of healthcare, education and livelihoods in the Eastern districts of Nagaland. In his acceptance speech, Rev. Chang spoke about the challenges and hardships he had to go through during his involvement with drug users and drug traffickers. He also mentioned the love and support he received from his friends and family members, for which he said he was very thankful for. Visasier Kevichusa, son of late Chalie Kevichusa, highlighted about the Chalie Kevichusa Memorial lecture, and also introduced the speaker Rev. Dr. Wati Aier.
Delivering the annual lecture, Dr. Aier described late Chalie as a rare individual– one among a handful of lucid and luminous individuals invested in safeguarding Naga rights.
He dwelt on the topic: “Beyond Tribal Seduction – A Personal Reflection.”
According to Rev. Dr. Aier, the challenge for a Naga was to look beyond the singular use of the term “tribe” and the ensnarement that follows it. He stated that tribalism lurks as a notorious seducer of the community which acts as a tool of self-exclusion and communal division. He mentioned that the Nagas should not look backward trying to resurrect the past. “Within this backward-looking view of history, the Naga narrative has been seductively immobilized, often to the point of tragedy” he asserted.
He also said that Nagas want to see wisdom in our leaders, “a wisdom that assures us that our lives and communities will not be used as mere objects of interest.”
Dr. Aier said throughout our modern history, politics of divide and limit and subtle domestication has only led to one group scapegoating the other, and has only fanned the flames of mistrust and violence. “This kind of politics is the fastest way of isolating oneself from the whole. It has not worked in the past and it will not work in the future,” he added.
Rev. Dr. Aier called for forging an alternate history, one that rises “above the prevalent defeatist frames of our cultural ethos.”
Khekiye K. Sema (IAS Retd), who also addressed the gathering, released a linguistic book titled– ‘Relative Clause Formation in Tenyidie’ authored by Dr. Mimi Kevichusa Ezung.
Later in the program, musical pieces were presented by Nourhe Khate and Chathavi Vupru. The program was chaired by Bano Haralu, where she also delivered the opening speech and led the gathering in a responsive reading.