The Moyon Naga students are seen performing a cultural dance during the 25th General Conference of the Naga Student’s Federation at Dimapur, Nagaland on Friday. (Photo by Caisii Mao)
Distinctiveness versus Modernization, the dialogue continues
Dimapur, April 26 (MExN): The 25th General Conference of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) ended today with positive news. This is the second time in the Federation’s 66-year history that a woman has made it to a top decision making position—Esther Rhakho has been elected as the General Secretary, alongside Tongpang Ozüküm as President. The 11 incumbent officials of the NSF’s 2013-15 tenure were sworn in this evening at the valedictory session of the general conference at the Dimapur Agri Expo.
While outgoing NSF president Kelhouneizo Yhome thanked his team, tribunals, seniors and the Angami Students’ Organisation for the cooperation accorded to him during his tenure (2011-13), the incoming President, Tongpang Ozüküm acquired the baton with the message, “we assure the Naga people that we will uphold the NSF constitution with honesty and integrity, and use this platform to raise Naga issues, not individual ones.”
Earlier this morning, students attending the general conference were treated to a cultural regale. Speaking at the event, “cultural guest” and Parliamentary Secretary to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Y Vikheho Swu, also a former NSF president urged the NSF to keep its focus with renewed vision to fulfill its commitment for a unified Naga lim. Asserting that culture is what defines the Nagas, he said, “As people with unique identity of our own there is a need for us to maintain, apply, adapt culture in our daily life.”
Culture, Swu said, does not end with people being able to sing, perform or display, rather “real culture” is when people are able to live life with honesty, truthfulness, bravery, hospitality, respect for people, and able to deal with both people and nature. Expressing hope that Nagas could bring change and positive development in the society through “our ability to choose good leadership fairly,” Vikheho underlined the need to achieve the NBCC’s campaign for clean elections.
“Clean election campaign is achievable and within our reach if NSF puts its hand in support.”
Stressing on the need for the Nagas to pursue “Soft Power,” a concept coined by a Harvard academician, which means the ability of a country to attract or influence others through its culture, policies or values, Swu expressed, “We should invest in our uniqueness to make a mark in the world.” Stating that Nagas need to change in a certain way, he emphasized to this entailing giving “our best to others, to society, not to take the best from others or from the society.”
In contrast was the speech of the evening valedictory session’s guest, Alemtemshi Jamir, Chief Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, insisting on surviving in a “flat and competitive” world. “While political aspirations are important, it is also necessary to re-define our concepts of freedom and rights in terms of survival and existence,” he said.
Jamir focused on “reforms and restructuring” as a way to “survive as a people” in the 21st century’s market economy and its “principles of survival of the fittest”. Justifying this, he quoted India’s liberalization policy and the 1980s East Asian “miracle” as “spectacular” examples that were based on “reforms and restructuring”.
To grow and prosper, according to Jamir, the Naga society has to “redefine and modernize” land ownership and transfer. Based on this model, he has written the 12th Five Year Plan. The plan includes the development of foothills of Nagaland on urban lines that envisage a futuristic four or eight lane highway and a railway line from Tizit to Dimapur and Jalukie.
The last session of the 25th general conference also saw attendance from the Vice Chancellor of South Korea’s Vision University who is here to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Nagaland which will enable qualified students from the state to get an opportunity, among others, to study in South Korea. The event was chaired by Mutsikhoyo Yhobu. The closing ceremony of the conference consisted of a musical night, termed DNSUVAGANZA.
