Rejoinder to NSF’s Letter dt. 5th Aug.23 to APO & NSF’s Attempts to Obliterate and Usurp The Naga Club

The NSF claims to be the sole custodian of the Naga Club building. If that were so, it so turned out to be a classic case of ‘Chowkidaar-Chor’. Not only was the NSF trying to distort the facts of Naga history by parroting a concocted false narrative of the Naga Club formation, the NSF was also found indulging in a criminal act of attempting to steal the Naga Club’s physical assets by attempting to obtain a Land patta registered in favor of NSF. Having learnt of such attempts, the Naga Club officials vehemently opposed such criminal act.

However, unbeknownst to the Naga Club, the NSF constituted a fictitious Naga Club Building Committee and obtained a land patta in favor of ‘Naga Club Building’ setting probably a world record of issuing land patta in favour of a Stone or a Building with borrowed 420 culture and is now known to unlawfully possess one, which is an act of fraud, criminal impersonation of the Naga Club and misuse of the name of the Naga Club. An FIR has already been filed against this criminal act of NSF to fraudulently usurp the Naga Club building and the plot of land.

When the attempts of NSF to usurp the Naga Club Building and the land failed, the NSF launched a propaganda campaign to delegitimise the successive Naga Club officials who were duly elected to shoulder the office of the Naga Club and execute its many contemporary visions and objectives to preserve the unquestionable rich legacy of the Nagas.

This dishonourable act of the NSF to delegitimise the Naga Club began after the NSF Federal Assembly at Senapati, wherein prior to the Assembly, the NSF had happily embraced the Naga Club and expressed its readiness to jointly celebrate the 100 years Centenary of the Naga Club formed on 7th. Jan. 2018 by Peshkar Rheichalie Pienyü and some of educated DC staff, Kohima. The Naga Club is determined to ensure that misguided insolent youths of the present young generation with little or no knowledge of history or possessing a distorted knowledge of history, are not allowed to obliterate the Institution of the Naga Club and the history of the Nagas associated with the Naga Club by misusing the office of the NSF, and that it is the bounden duty of the Naga Club office incumbents to protect the illustrious legacy of the Naga Clubfrom being distorted, diluted or destroyed into oblivion, but to preserve it for posterity.

As also admitted by the NSF in its letter to the Angami Public Organisation (APO), (quote) “the spontaneous continuity of the Naga Club by its pioneers and their successors could not be maintained due to various circumstances mostly conditioned by the turmoil unleashed by the occupational forces” (unquote), the Naga Club lay hiatus from Dec. 1969 to 07.01.1982 due to political turbulence.

The Naga Elders’ Conference under the Chairmanship of Peselie Suokhrie took the responsibilities of Naga Club in such times, they were partners as a family. How the NSF occupied the Naga Club Building as a tenant had been narrated in other press releases and rejoinders and shall not be further discussed here.

During the period when the Naga Club lay hiatus, the Naga Football Association (NFA) formed a Club on 8th Sept 1979 and staked claim to be the legitimate Naga Club. This so-called Naga Club was actually a Naga Football Club and had no relation to the socio-political Naga Club formed in 1918.

After the revival of the Naga Club on 7th Jan. 1982 at Kohima Vill. Panchayat under the auspices of the Naga Elders’ Conference who took the responsibilities of Naga Club when it laid hiatus, there ensued a claim of legitimacy of the Naga Club by the so-called Naga Club formed by the NFA and a case was filed in the Court of DC, Kohima.

However, at the initiative of the APO, the two contending parties met and resolved the dispute amicably in favour of Azüto Rengma’s Team as the legitimate one revived on 7th. Jan. 1982 and dissolved the NFA Club of 1979. The amicable settlement of the tussle however, failed to satisfy the Naga Elders Conference, who resolved to publicly condemn the 1979 Naga Football Association for their unfair games. As such, the dispute continued.

The DC through an order tried to dissolve both the Naga Clubs and reorganise the Naga Club, but the Naga Elders Conference led by its Chairman Peselie Suokhrie strongly objected and rejected the DC Lima’s order and prevented the dissolution of the Naga Club duly elected under its auspices in 1982. This objection and rejection was also widely published in local papers and announced in All India Radio.

A subcommittee was also constituted by the DC Kohima with WC Krome as the Convener. On 26th Oct. 1984, the Convener of the Sub-Committee convened a meeting in the Kohima DC conference hall, and in the presence of the then DC Kohima S. Lima Aier, the meeting unanimously passed the resolution that the office bearers of Naga Club who were duly elected on 7th Jan. 1982 under the supervision of Naga Elders Conference shall remain to be the legitimate and recognised body.

The so-called new Naga Club formed by the NFA was dissolved and the original Naga Club which was revived under the patronage of the Naga Elders’ Conference on 7th Jan. 1982 was bestowed the legitimate rights of the Naga Club. The matter of the two Naga Clubs were thus laid to rest. The claim of NSF that the Naga Club was dissolved by the then DC S Lima Aier is not true.

Mr Kewezu Mero who was apart of the 1982 Naga Club Azüto Rengma’s Team has kept the flame burning and the spirit of Naga Club alive since 7th Jan. 1982 and handed over the mantle to the new team in 2017. Mero was part of the Naga Club office Team that allowed the NSF to occupy the Naga Clubbuilding on a rental basis. The NSF has been trying to delegitimise the rightful Office of Naga Club so as to stake claim of the Naga Club Building and the plot on which it stands.

In 2017 the following persons shouldered the responsibility to revive the Naga Club: – 1. Dr. Satuo Sekhose 2. Krurovi Peseyie as adhoc Chairman 3. Pelhouro  Suokhrie 4. Khymo Lotha 5. Dr. Dietho-o Yhoshü 6. Dr. I Tushi Ao 7. Kewezü Mero 8. Dr. Vinito Chishi Sumi 9. Z Lohe Chakhesang 10. C.R. Lothaas adhoc Secy. 11. Peter Trakha Pochury 12. Khinyi Woch Rengma 13. Adv. Diswang Zeliang, 14. Thashilo Kat Rengma 15. K.N. Mhonthung Lotha 16. Pankathung Lotha 17. Niketu Iralu 18. Viya Sekhose 19. Pheluopfhelie Kesiezie 20. Viketol Sakhrie 21. Rev. L Suohie 22. Medoselhu Keretsü 23. Kuolachalie Seyie 24. Vipralhou Kesiezie 25. Kethozhapu Angami 26. Kaka Iralu 27. Robert N Solo 28. Vishütha Angami 29. Zakio Metha 30. Hievilhou Metha 31. Dr. Seyiekietuo Zieprü 32. Ariyi Nienu 33. Joshua Newmai 34. Visa Meru Zeliang 35. Vixhepu Sumi. 36. Jonas Yanthan 37. Thunglamo Ovung 38. Theja Therie Chakhesang, etc.

By 2018, the Naga Club received two official tribal representatives each from the following communities: (1) Angami (2) Sema (3) Lotha (4) Rengma (5) Zeliang (6) Pochury (7) Chakhesang  Except Dr. I. Tushi Ao, Francis Archo Mao and Tuisem P A Shishak who serve the Naga Club on their personal capacities.

And the new team of Naga Club took charge of Office headed by Krurovi Peseyie as President and K.N. MhonthungLotha as Gen. Secy, The elderly former Office Bearers such as Ex-MP Khymo Lotha and Kewezü Mero continues to serve as Advisors to the Naga Club till today. The present incumbent Office Bearers are duly elected and are a part of the succession of the office lineage of the Naga Club to protect and preserve the legacy of the Naga Club and to proactively work for the period of time they have been elected to hold Office.

The statement of NSF that the lone rent of Rs 500/-, received by the then Gen. Secy. Vilavor Liegise of Naga Club, was paid to facilitate and legitimise that the Naga Club was the owner of the building cannot be more shallow, frivolous and fallacious, as though the legitimacy of the Naga Club depended entirely on a receipt rather than the facts.

As a matter of fact, this payment receipt of rent is not only a proof that the Naga Club is the legitimate owner of the Building but also further proves that NSF is a tenant. Also in a rejoinder reply to clear the misconceptions and apprehensions of Mr Daniel Shiu, purportedly from Burma who is misguided and misinformed about the Naga Club, he has also been invited to Nagaland for a better understanding of the Naga Club, but who never responded.

Just as the Naga Club firmly maintains that the Naga Club is for all Nagas and not for any individual or group of people, which has been clearly stated by A Kevichusa and also acknowledged by the NSF, then how could the NSF claim to be the custodian of Naga Club on the ground that EnoVilalhoulie Angami, Retd Deputy SP had (quote) ‘requested that the NSF take over charge of the Naga Club’ (unquote)?

He doesn’t own Naga Club, neither was he an official of the Naga Club at any point in time nor was entrusted nor has any authority to dispose off the Naga Club and its physical assets as if it were his personal property. This claim of NSF not only contradicts its own statement that the Naga Club doesn’t belong to any one, but also exposes the hypocrisy of the NSF. 

The vision of the Naga Club is for all Nagas at large just as it is also purportedly of the NSF. Why then is the NSF apprehensive of the Naga Club and determined to delegitimise the successive Naga Club Officials if not for its own vested interest to obliterate the existence of the Naga Club and usurp its building for commercial interest, just as it had financially profited by renting the remaining part of the building for the last 40 yearspurely for commercial gains? For the love of our people and our homeland, the NSF is requested not to weaken the Naga History and the legacy of our erudite forefathers for commercial interest. Whereas, the vision of the Naga Club is not for commercial gain, but to build a monumental buildingthat befits the tall stature of the Institution of the Naga Club and its legacy.

It is envisioned to house a large Museum to preserve and display the Naga traditional artefacts such as antiques, ornaments, tools and equipment, alongside a Library where all the literature referring to the Naga people, its history, social, political, economic, literary, and important aspects of the Nagas are made available so as to exhibit and preserve the illustrious history, culture, heritage and legacy of the Nagas for posterity.

In consonance with the old tradition where the NC Bldg served as an amenity for the Naga public, it will also house an Office as a Morung, a Conference hall and also make provisions to house the people coming from the remote Naga inhabited areas as was done in the past and various representation of all the Nagas encompassing an inclusive Pan-Naga community to foster unity and to pave way for better understanding so as to usher in progress, development and peace.

The Naga Club shall not allow the NSF to keep pushing beyond 40 years for the construction of a respectable Naga Club building, or continue to wait beyond 7 years just to hold talks. For if we allow to let the NSF hold our goodwill in hostage, we would be failing the Nagas. The Naga Club will not allow the NSF to continue to hold the Institution of the Naga Club to ransom.

It is clear as to how the NSF prefers to consider the Naga Club as a dead organisation of the past and not as a vibrant, alive and active institution from the past, surviving into the present and thriving, and striving for the future. It is unfortunate that the NSF had been trying to dissolve any remnants of the Naga Club in order to usurp the Naga Club property for petty gains. The Naga Club shall resist any such attempts by anyone misusing the office of the NSF to sabotage the endeavour of preserving the Naga History which had been fostered by the wisdom of the pioneers of the Naga Club, and whose vision for all the Nagas had been clearly immortalised in the principles stated in The Simon Commission. The Naga Club of today, as it was in the past, shall continue to uphold these principles.

Information and Publicity Cell

Naga Club