Melbourne, July 2 (MExN): A memorial was observed today for Late Isak Chishi Swu in Melbourne, Australia. The Naga community of Melbourne came together at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne to hold a memorial for the recently deceased leader, Isak Chishi Swu, who passed away in New Delhi on June 28.
A press communiqué from Inotoli Zhimomi informed that the event was organised in solidarity with the Naga people and their neighbours.
Rev. Ruth Redpath opened the memorial with a prayer, where she expressed sadness at the loss that the community had gone through. She said she saw “gentleness, peace and kindness” in the portrait of Isak Chishi Swu that was displayed at the cathedral. Sharing her condolences with the family and community, she hoped that there would be other leaders who could take the message of peace and justice that the deceased leader had upheld all his life.
Expressing sorrow, Athili Anthony Sapriina of the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) said that he remembered the occasion when he met the leader in 2002. He was deeply moved by Swu’s commitment to “uplifting the lives and dignity” of all Naga people and hoped that the new generation would learn from the spirit of sacrifice that he had exemplified in his life. Echoing his sentiments, Xonzoi Barbora of Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS), Assam, said that he hoped the occasion would be a reminder for all the indigenous communities and working peoples of the region to “encourage voices of dialogue and respect for one another.”
Kakheli Chishi, a relative of the deceased leader became emotional as she told the gathering about Isak Chishi Swu’s life. “He was like a father to me, to our family and to the community,” she said, adding that his life was full of struggles and sacrifices. She remembered the post cards that he would send her family as moments of excitement.
She also said that his collection of devotional vinyl records was a source of entertainment and wonder for people in her village.
Concluding the speeches, Dolly Kikon hoped that in commemorating the life of Isak Chishi Swu, the Naga people of Melbourne as well as their comrades and colleagues would always “espouse the spirit of community and dialogue.”
In her concluding prayer, Rev. Redpath hoped that the occasion would prompt people to retain their commitment to faith, peace and overcoming all struggles. This, she said, would be the most appropriate way to pay homage to the life of Isak Chishi Swu.
