Our Correspondent
CHIEPHOBOZOU, MARCH 14
Noted activist, Niketu Iralu talked about rising up to meet challenges adequately. He lamented that the Naga society has become so destructive that the people are creating a society where there are too many leeches and no Nagas.
Niketi Iralu was addressing the inaugural session of the 26th Biennial General Conference of the Angami Students’ Union (ASU) at Chiephobozou, 23 kilometres away from the state capital.
“We are meeting at a time when problems are not being solved,” Iralu said. Referring to the recent Dimapur incident, he expressed concern that the society is losing hope and underscored the need for the people to understand what needs to be done. “We have to claim ownership of the crisis and decide,” he said, and added that it is in governance where positive changes can be brought about, where people can hope.
We have to take the field of education, health, agriculture etc where the life of every Naga is touched and challenge it in all the villages. He also pointed out the need to focus on what the funds given by Centre are doing to the Nagas. When a village decides to use the fund honestly, if it were to start honestly and truthfully, change will come, he opined stating that meeting challenges has to be brought down to this level.
Laying emphasis on changing for the better, Iralu said, “We must become a people others can respect. If we are not respected, our people will be destroyed… We will be at the mercy of their games.” Quoting Socrates, he said, “When you examine and take responsibility, you begin to see what you are exactly going to do”.
The social activist pointed out that the people are agitated and deeply angry, but lamented that no one is ready to come out and admit the mistakes truthfully.
Citing the ongoing wildfire that is threatening Dzükou- “our most precious asset”- again, he said that unless somebody steps forward and say, “I’m sorry, I did it”, Nagas will not be able to answer such crisis.
“We have to see ourselves as much as we can and let others see us in areas where we cannot,” Iralu asserted. He challenged the people to look within and ask themselves if they are intelligent enough in making decisions.
Exhorting the gathering, Angami Public Organisation (APO) president, Vilhousa Seleyi stated that the Angamis have many good values, but two of these which he views that the youth should hold on to are the value of “Menga ho” (It is a shame) and “Kenyü ho” (It is a taboo). He explained that the value of shame enables a person to respect and love himself/herself and disciplines the person. Whereas, the value of taboo should be a guiding path in a person’s search for knowledge and wisdom, he said, adding, this value helps a person to stay pure and disciplined.
Stating that these two values should be used as armours which discipline the people from making mistakes and creating trouble in the community, he urged upon all parents to guide their children to live with such values.
Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) president, Tongpang Ozukum who delivered greetings on the occasion, acknowledged and congratulated the Angamis for their works and for shaping the student body into what it has become today. He hoped that it will continue to preserve its legacy and sanctity.
He pointed out that the Angamis have contributed immensely in various social reforms and they were the pioneers in many fields, however, talking about past glories and taking pride in the achievements of ancestors will lead nowhere if the people are to compete with the rest of the world. He also expressed sadness that many principles and traditional ethos and values are left behind.
The student leader admitted that today the Naga society is afraid to speak the truth and the people are becoming more selfish and lethargic. Naga society is in a great mess, at this rate our society will disintegrate from the rest of the world, Ozukum stated. He observes that a paradigm shift starting from the grassroots is the need of the hour. “Can’t we sacrifice a little for the future… Let us break the barriers of tribalism,” he stated.
Later in the afternoon, an academic session was held wherein, academicians Dr. Vizovol Mekro, Pheluopfhelie Kesiezie and Kekhrielhoutuo Nakhro were the panellists.
