The newly elected leaders of the Naga Students’ Federation, who took over on May 10, are seen here at the NSF office after their interaction with the media on Thursday in Kohima. (Morung Photo)
Kohima, May 16 (MExN): The first press conference of the newly elected team of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) was held today at the office of the NSF in Kohima. In their first interaction with the media since the official handover on May 10, newly elected President Tongpang Ozukum expressed gratefulness for the support to the team by the public.
Tongpang stated that the Federation will submit a memorandum to the Government of India for the setting up of an engineering and a medical college each in the State through the initiative of the State government. The NSF pledged to initiate and take up the task of looking into infrastructure development of government schools and the mid day meal schemes in addition to a review on the progress of the State government in the implementation of the various SSA and other educational schemes which have been made available to government schools in Nagaland.
Aware of the deplorable road conditions, irregular power supply and water scarcity in Nagaland, the NSF will take up issues of social concern. “It is high time Nagas have good roads, we will try to analyze reasons for the deplorable road condition and approach the government for better workmanship and material for better roads all over the state,” Tongpand stated, adding that members of the Federation will visit various hydro projects in the State. Commenting on the Likimro Hydro Project, the NSF promised to look into the leasing of the project for 10 years to a private corporation by interacting with officials of the Power Department. The Federation also promised to address the issues faced by students in Naga inhabited areas outside Nagaland.
In addition to the new agenda, the Federation promised to take up pending issues, particularly a memorandum that was submitted to then Governor of Nagaland, Nikhil Kumar in 2012. The Federation as per that memorandum had filed RTIs regarding backdoor appointments in almost all departments of Nagaland, of which some departments had sent their reports to the NSF. Briefing media persons on the Federation’s decision to press the government for implementation of the memorandum submitted to the former Governor of Nagaland on May 9, 2012 on the Assam-Nagaland border issue, which includes construction of foothill road stretching all of the Assam-Nagaland boundary, improvement and development of road connectivity within bordering villages and categorising the border belt as underdeveloped areas, restoration of all NAP outposts in the border areas with necessary infrastructural facilities, revocation of the 1979 agreement between the Chief Ministers of Assam and Nagaland, removal of all the CRPF camps and check gates along the public inhabited border areas, development of the border areas through special package funds which would provide the basic amenities and requirement for human development and deputation of high ranking bureaucrats in the rank of Joint Secretary as Border Magistrate. The President stated that the memorandum had been examined by the former governor who had advised the state government to look into the matter while awaiting orders from the Supreme Court. Speaking on the Naga political issue, Tongpang said, “The Naga political issue is a prime concern for the NSF, and the Federation stands firm and requests the GoI that the peace process be expedited; the NSF supports the peace process and supports any stand that is agreed upon by the whole society.”
The Federation has urged for redeployment of teachers attached to different departments to their own schools. Esther Rhakho, General Secretary, reiterating that NSF is committed to pursuing issues that will benefit the students’ community in particular and the society in general, “We will not shy away in matters that concerns the welfare of our society.”
