Common issues affecting the Nagas of Nagaland in focus
EMN
Zunheboto, July 21
The civil society of the Sumi Naga and the Central Nagaland Students’ Association (CNSA) share a common opinion about the myriad adverse issues confronting the people of Nagaland today–the deteriorated law and order in the state and the accompanying maladies of corruption and manipulation of welfare policies, among others.
In all the stated issues, the Sumi Naga and the recently-floated CNSA are understood to be tacitly warming up to each other in support toward fighting for common welfare objectives that the people of Nagaland are seeking.
These common concerns and their assimilation in the minds of the community and the students’ leaders as common struggles came to the fore during a recent interaction in Zunheboto between the two sides. Following their meeting with community leaders of Wokha district, leaders of the CNSA were in Zunheboto on July 21, Tuesday, to meet with the Sumi Naga community as well.The apex organizations of the Sumi community led by the Sumi Hoho, Sumi Kukami Hoho (and organization of the Gaon Bura) and the Sumi Totomi Hoho(women organization) “endorsed the Central Nagaland Students’ Association and assured of their cooperation and gave their ‘blessing’ on the initiatives being undertaken by the association,” the association stated in statement on Tuesday.
After a healthy and productive meeting with the frontal Lotha community organizations a day earlier, the leaders of the Central Nagaland Students’ Association held an ‘intensive’ meeting with leaders of the apex Sumi organizations. The meeting was conducted in the Sumi Hoho Ki in Zunheboto town. The meeting was hosted by the All Sumi Students’ Association.
During the meeting, the Sumi Hoho leaders highly appreciated the formation, the aims and objectives of the CNSA and expressed hope that the organization would bring positive changes in Nagaland.
The Sumi Hoho leader encouraged the organizations to take up the issues ailing Nagaland University, and to take up the matter with the higher ups so that the university’s headquarters in Lumami “becomes the centre of education, which is expected of it”.
Likewise, the Sumi Hoho leaders highlighted the issue of petroleum and natural gas exploration in Nagaland that the state’s government is currently pushing hard to undertake. The community leaders have asked the CNSA to work closely with the stakeholders, especially the Lotha Hoho and the government.
CNSA’s president Charles Lotha assured the Sumi leaders that the association will be taking up the matter with the appropriate authorities and the “stakeholders” in concern. The issue of oil and natural gas exploitation affects not only the Lotha community but also the Sumi Naga and the Ao Naga, he said. For that matter, he said, the whole of the Naga of Nagaland in general.
The president of the CNSA, Charles Lotha, also apprised the community about the various happenings in Nagaland especially with regard to the law and order situation after the recent promulgation of the Disturbed Area Act by the government of India in the entire state.
In this connection, the CNSA president briefed the Sumi frontal organizations that the association will be taking up a concerted campaign against the promulgation of the Disturbed Area Act in Nagaland. The act is threatening the very lives and security of the innocent public, the leaders agreed.
“The CNSA solicited the strong cooperation and support of the Sumi community towards the different activities which will be initiated by the Association for the revocation of the Disturbed Area Act. Towards this end, the Sumi organizations assured their fullest support,” the organization stated in its statement.
Representatives from the Sumi Kukami Hoho and Sumi Totomi Hoho also spoke during the meeting and encouraged the CNSA officials to work for the benefit of the people of Nagaland.
After the meeting, the visiting students’ leaders visited the government college of Zunheboto and interacted with the members of the institution’s faculty.
