Dimapur, December 11 (MExN): Over the withdrawal of the Naga Students’ Federation from the North East Students’ Organization on August 4, 2007, the two students’ organizations today sat down for consultations at Tourist Lodge, in Dimapur. In the meeting, the NSF tabled a good number of what NSF chief Imchatoba Imchen said are “technical differences” and “communication gaps”. The NSF said at least twenty “grievances” were listed out to the NESO.
The meeting was solely to understand the issues involved and the matter and no specific resolutions or decisions were undertaken. The matter would be pursued by the NESO during its general session and the NSF during its oncoming federal assembly, Imchen said. Only after this, the NSF said, a decision would be taken whether or not the apex Naga students’ organization would rejoin the NESO.
The NSF had withdrawn membership from the NESO last year following a reported “technical difference” between the two over issues of executive capacity and quota of appointment in the organization. Last year, NSF president Imchatoba explained the reasons for withdrawing the membership. He had said that the NESO rejected two NSF representatives to the NESO executive. The NSF had back then reportedly recommended a former NSF president and a general secretary for the posts. However the two were reportedly rejected on grounds that only one was permitted according to the NESO’s constitution.
Speaking to the press after today’s meeting, which lasted almost three hours, leaders of the NSF and NESO, said the meeting was convened because of ‘the need to fight as one, the many political and social injustices in the north eastern states’.
Talking of the problems like the chronic influx of illegal immigrants and operation of fundamentalist groups into the porous north eastern states, NESO chairman Dr. Samujjal Bhattacharjee termed it a threat to the indigenous people. The AASU advisor also talked of the problems faced by students of the region, due to the lack of new professional courses and those of manpower planning and management. These sectors need to be addressed by the Government of India, the NESO said. “Only through a united struggle can we get justice from Delhi leaders” Dr. Bhattacharjee said.
Meanwhile, it was disclosed that the two students’ bodies had trashed out a number of issues during today’s meeting, particularly on the organization’s proposed ‘working principle’ which was the bone of contention. While the chairman of NESO communicated to the press that the said working principle would be amended, NSF leaders said that the NSF-NESO issue would be tabled in the NSF Federal Assembly schedule from December 13 at Senapati.
