Kohima: The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Tuesday night announced its decision to immediately withdraw the FIR filed against unknown miscreants after its office at the Naga club building in Kohima was vandalized on May 27.
The student body’s decision comes after the Angami Public Organization (APO) and the Kohima Village Council (KVC) made a joint appeal asking NSF “to withdraw the FIR soonest possible as a good gesture to find an amicable solution”.
“The Federation, after due consultations with the seniors and its Federating units and subordinate bodies have decided to withdraw the FIR with immediate effect. NSF therefore, request all concerned, not to misconstrue this decision as a sign of weakness, but rather of upholding the resolution adopted at the Emergency Senior Consultative Meeting held on the 30th of May 202,” it said.
NSF said that the decision was taken with the deepest faith and trust in the wisdom of the APO and KVC to whom it reposes full trust and confidence.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio and several other legislators, civil society organisations and tribal bodies condemned the act.
The NSF said that it has always been honoring its ancestors who laid the foundation of the Naga nationhood, for which NSF is a proud descendent. “Hhowever, the present Naga Club which is not recognized by the Naga people was formed suddenly in 2017/18 with ulterior motives to hijack a certain planned celebration of the NSF which was not even in their thoughts then,” a statement from the student body said.
It said that the NSF is uncompromisingly of the view that the present Naga club is unmandated. Nagas as a whole, the NSF said, should decide the relevance of the existence of the Club in the present context.
In this regard, it reiterated that the Naga club belongs to all the Naga people and that no individual or group can claim ownership of the club. The Naga issue, the Naga political history and the resulting rights of the Naga people cannot be owned nor inherited by some individuals, the NSF said.
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“A proper Naga Club should be re-constituted, based on the foundation of the Memorandum that was submitted to the Simon Commission in 1929,” it said.
It also informed that the NSF and the All Nagaland college Students’ Union (ANCSU) will resume its normal functioning at the Naga Club building.
“Nevertheless, with God and the Naga general public as our witness, we leave the matter to the best wisdom of the Nagas and the APO as the messenger of Peace to uphold the legacy of the Naga club and bring the Naga people together in the true spirit of the memorandum submitted to the Simon commission by the Naga Club in 1929,” it said.
Also read: Naga club vandalism: Angamis urges NSF to withdraw FIR