Angami apex agrees Naga names only for Nagas

Dimapur, April 9 (EMN): The Angami Public Organisation (APO) has expressed agreement that Naga names and surnames should be used only by “true original” Naga persons and not by anyone else. The organisation has warned advocates and public notaries too, against ‘taking up such cases of usage of Naga names and surnames’ by non-Naga persons. The APO was referring to a recent upheaval on social media, and a consequent caution that was issued by a community organisation, against a non-Naga person and his father adopting a Naga name. The Angami organisation issued a press release on Tuesday lamenting the infiltration of non-Nagas into the Naga society which it stated had “increased a thousand-fold and keeps increasing day by day.” ‘The APO appreciates and gives full support to the Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) for taking bold steps regarding the use of Naga names and surnames by the non Nagas,’ the organisation stated. “As mentioned by the WSH our names and surnames should be used only by true original Nagas. There was a time when we Nagas embraced even non Nagas into our society. But now the infiltration of non-Nagas into the Naga Society has increased a thousand-fold and keeps increasing day by day.” The APO has called for action to keep the ‘dangerous trend’ in check and to stop it completely to safeguard the social, cultural and economic existence of the Naga people. The organisation declared: “We are all aware of it now and unless this dangerous trend is checked or stopped completely before it is too late, not only our businesses and properties would be totally taken over by them but our very own identity, traditions and culture including our land will be lost and swallowed completely by these non-Nagas.” The APO lauded the WSH for taking stringent action and for ‘standing firmly in maintaining the Naga identity and protecting our heritage.’ The APO urged all tribal ‘hoho’ to give solidarity to the WSH ‘at all cost’ in safeguarding ‘our Naga names and surnames now and in the future.’ Also, the APO has warned advocates and public notaries against ‘taking up such cases of usage of Naga names and surnames’ by non-Naga persons in the near future ‘as rightly pointed out by the WSH.’