KOHIMA — The new Naga Students' Federation (NSF) office bearers for the tenure 2023-2025, led by its president Medovi Rhi, took over the office on Saturday at the NSF office in Naga Club Building, Kohima.
Rhi, the incoming president, told the media after the handing and taking over ceremony that the new office bearers had taken over the office but had yet to hold an official meeting. He assured that he assumed office with a clear vision of unity, trust, and patriotism.
Outgoing president, Kegwayhun Tep, highlighted various issues taken up and achievements made during the tenure of 2021–23. The tenure faced a lot of challenges, but despite those, with faith in God and support from all leaders, the tenure could come to a close, he said.
Concerning the NSF office in the Naga Club building, which was ‘vandalised’ on May 27, Tep stated that it is up to the Naga people and Naga leaders to judge and bring justice. He further called upon all the parent organisations and civil society organisations to come together and bring a solution to this ‘pending’ issue.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The NSF ‘cannot agree to certain points’ of the measures brought out by the Kohima Village Council and Angami Public Organisation. On the other hand, the Naga Club has ‘accepted’ them.
He said that the NSF had no ‘further communications’ with the Naga Club after that.
"But NSF is very clear that until and unless the Naga Club is mandated by the Naga people, the NSF cannot hand over this sacred building as well as cannot recognise the existence of this organisation," Tep maintained.
He also appealed to the leaders of the Angami Students' Organisation to join NSF to strengthen the federation and looked forward to their cooperation with the new leadership in place.
He thanked the government of the day and the chief minister for honouring and respecting the voice of the students and introducing the NSSB. The NSF will continue to extend the fullest cooperation to the NSSB as well as to the government in order to ensure that meritocracy and fairness are always there in the process of examination, he said.
Tep added that NSF will continue to demand that AFSPA be ‘completely removed,’ particularly from the Naga homeland.
Ultimate goal of NSF is sovereignty of Naga nation— Philo
Supuni Ng. Philo, the outgoing general secretary, reminded the people of the NSF's standing resolution that until and unless AFSPA is repealed or removed from the Naga homeland entirely, the Naga people will not extend any cooperation towards the Indian armed forces nor the para-military forces.
This resolution still stands, and it will be taken forward by the new team.
With regard to the Indo-Naga political issue, he said the federation will remain steadfast in its approach towards ensuring that an 'inclusive, honourable, and acceptable solution is brought about at the earliest'.
"However, the final and ultimate goal of the NSF remains the sovereignty of the Naga nation, and this inclusive, honourable, and acceptable solution should not be misread by the Naga people," he added.
He informed that over 2,000 delegates from across the Naga-inhabited areas attended the recently concluded NSF general conference held in Ukhrul amid the 'civil unrest' and a 10-member team was elected as the new team of NSF office bearers for the tenure 2023–25 during the general conference held from August 24 to 26.