Kenye urges country’s youth to learn NE issues

Dimapur, Nov. 11 (EMN): Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Nagaland, KG Kenye recently reminded students that the Northeast region was home to “extremely tribal and one of the most complex and diverse citizens” of India. Addressing Indian International Model of United Nations, Nagaland Chapter at Living Stone Foundation Higher Secondary School in Dimapur, Kenye challenged the students from across the country to get themselves acquainted with issues concerning the NE region. The event was held from Nov. 9to 10^th. According to a statement on Sunday, Kenye told the students that the Northeast states were have many ethnic groups with their own peculiar history whose ‘connection’ with the world was through “destructive events”, unfortunately. The people from the region had participated in the First World War and “the second contact with the world” was through the Battle of Kohima—voted as Britain’s greatest battle—he said, concluding that “the two major connections that we ever had with the world” were of destructive outcomes. ‘Unfortunately, we have never participated in any progressive activities benefitting the region and the state (of Nagaland) in the older days. The social political aspect is one major area which impacts the daily life of an individual or the nation. There are certain social political issues which need to be addressed which has its root in the Northeast region,’ Kenye said He however cautioned not to make the wrong move that might lead to ‘inheriting issues.’ Kenye cited the instance of 2191 people being killed within six hours in Assam in Feb. 18, 1983 that led to the implementation of NRC in Assam; and warned against revisiting such violence. Such issues have the potential to disintegrate the country, he said. Reminding that Article 371 (A) of the Indian Constitution has special provisions for the state of Nagaland, Kenye hoped the “young intellectuals” would ensure that those provisions were not infringed upon but upheld in letter and in sprit. Also, Kenye said that any leader refusing to accept the diversity of India was not qualified to be a leader. According to him, secularism is ‘one of the most beautiful characters’ of the country. “Today if these characters of the Constitution are infringed upon, if they are encroached upon, it has potential of leading this country into second partition.” In this vein, he said, it is dangerous of “the RSS chief openly stating time and again that this country belong to the Hindus.” When the Constitution guarantees and upholds of secularism, Kenye said, such statements do not “go well with the unity of the country.”