Dimapur, July 31 (EMN): The Naga Club on Sunday responded to the allegations made by the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on the eviction notice and formation of the organisation, terming it “ignorant” and “impertinent.”
A statement issued by Naga Club clarified that it was formed by some Govt. servants serving in the DC’s office, Kohima on Jan. 7, 1918 under the chairmanship of Rheichalie Pienyü, peshkar, and his team served the Naga Club from 1918 to 1942.
The club was on a ‘hiatus’ for a brief period from 1969 to 1981 due to hostile military operations by the Indian security forces. It stated that on Jan. 7, 1982 at Kohima Village Panchayat, the Naga Club was revived with Azüto Rengma as the chairman, Vilavor Liegise as the gen. secy. and Kewezü Mero as joint secy., Kewezü Mero held his post as joint secy. till the new team of Naga Club took charge of office headed by Krurovi Peseyie as president and KN Mhonthung Lotha as gen. secy. on August 17, 2017.
‘The former office bearers such as Kewezü Mero and Ex-MP Khyomo Lotha are our Naga Club advisors till today,’ it said.
Furthermore, it said that prior to World War II, the Naga Club building was situated below the Mission Compound and was used as a Morung as well as guest house with cooking facilities for travelers coming from remote villages. However, during the war, the building was completely destroyed and the present Naga Club building in its current location was constructed in 1946 on the land provided through the goodwill of Kohima village.
“A Kevichűsa in 1983 had categorically stated that he personally supervised the construction of the building. The materials were brought from Dimapur after dismantling a British Officer’s Club which was transported to Kohima using the DC’s pool vehicle. The CGI sheets were purchased by him from Kohima. As for the ownership of the building, A Kevichűsa stated (quote) ‘It does not belong to the Angamis in particular. Neither does it belong exclusively to the Kohima people nor to the Christians. It belongs to the Naga people as a whole’ (unquote). It is for a Pan-Naga community without borders,” read the statement.
It went on to state that in 1963, the Directorate of the Forest Dept. occupied the building till the early part of 1983.
“On learning that the Forest Dept. were to vacate the Naga Club Building by the end of March 1983 and that the Govt. is contemplating to hand over the building to the Directorate of Education, a prominent concerned Naga citizen, alerted Peselie Suokhrie, Chairman, Naga Elders Conference and Azűto Rengma, Chairman, Naga Club of the impending taking over by another Govt. Dept,” it read.
A sum of INR 600 was also given to the NSF ‘which facilitated in the transportation and mobilisation of youths and to purchase an oversized lock to lock the building’.
On vacating the building by the Forest Dept, the NSF wrote a letter addressed to the Gen. Secy, Naga Club with the subject “Application for renting the Building of Naga Club”, it said.
The Naga Club allotted some rooms of the building to NSF under the condition which states “with the good consent of mutual understanding under rental basis with effect from the date of issue of this order”.
“The urgent and imperative need to revamp and rebuild the building which has undergone the severest of depreciation and stand dilapidated without proper amenities projecting our Naga people particularly Naga Club and all that it represents, in a very poor light, has necessitated the need for tenants to vacate the building,” it stated.
It further clarified on the allegations made by NSF that “the building then was being claimed by another group of individuals, in the name of another NC, and the dispute matter was lying under the court of the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima for hearing”.
‘The Naga Football Association (NFA) on Sep.8, 1979 had claimed to form a Naga Club to stake claim as the legitimate Naga Club. On revival of the Naga Club on Jan. 7 1982 at Kohima Village Panchayat under the auspices of the Naga Elders’ Conference, there ensued a claim of ownership by the so-called Naga Club formed by the NFA and a case filed in the Court of DC. Subsequently the two contending parties met on Aug. 20, 1983 at the initiative of Angami Public Organisation (APO) and resolved the dispute. The NFA was dissolved and the old Naga Club revived under the patronage of the Naga Elders’ Conference bestowed the legitimate rights of the Naga Club,’ it said.
The Naga Club also clarified to all concerned that it did not stop any organisation in celebrating the existence of 100 years of Naga Club.
“The NSF as a separate entity has the full freedom to celebrate the 100 years of Naga Club and as a matter of fact, the NSF organised and celebrated the 100 years of Naga Club in Oct. 2018 and had even raised a monolith to commemorate the NSF celebration of 100 years of Naga Club at NSF Solidarity Park, behind Nagaland Govt. Secretariat, Kohima. The Naga Club as an Organisation that had survived and existed a hundred years, celebrated its Centennial Celebration on Nov. 29 2018 at Jotsoma village.
“The Naga Club is deeply concerned with the historical significance of the Club and its building and the historical relevance to the Nagas, rather than the commercial returns that the building may yield. It is on this account that a reconstruction of the Naga Club building is imperative and thus gains significance,” it added.