NSF vs Naga Club: Was compelled to act, says Naga Club President Kuolachalie Seyie

By Sarah Konyak

The Naga Club said on Friday that they were forced to demolish the Naga Students Federation (NSF) office operating out of the building that is a Naga Club property because even after several requests for meetings over the past seven years, NSF did not respond.

Naga Club President, Kuolachalie Seyie speaking to Northeast Live said, “We were Compelled to act because, in spite of serving meeting requests, NSF has not talked to us for the last 7 years. Naga Club was helpless to issue eviction notices to NSF many times, but they neither spoke to us nor sent a reply.”

The Naga Club president said that they were compelled because they wanted to set up a new monumental kind of building.

“Naga Club property, or Naga Club, is for the Nagas without borders. We are trying to build a multi-story monumental building with all modern facilities, a library, and a museum. We would like to accommodate all Naga communities coming from remote places like ENPO, the Nagas of Burma, Assam, and Manipur. If possible, some major associations will be given free accommodations, like our forefathers did. Through this, we will get to know each other, and the communication gap will be bridged,” Kuolachalie Seyie said.

Seyie also alleged the NSF was obstructing other tenants in the Naga Club building from vacating.

The president, issuing an apology to the NSF for destroying their belongings, said, “The NSF are our children. Whatever we are doing, we are doing it for our children. We are not angry with anyone, we are at peace. Whatever we are doing is for our coming generation.”

Responding to the club carrying out the demolition at night to hide the incident, the Naga Club President said, “the people were there at the site by 4:30am and done the job by 5am. That was to avoid traffic congestion and public inconvenience. We have not done it secretly. A mediator body was created to mediate between NSF and NC, but probably this body was very much influenced by the senior student leaders of NSF.”
The president said they were not expecting any action from the state.

“We have already gone to the police to record our statement. We have signed the bond that we will cooperate with the law-enforcing agency and that we will never abscond.”

Speaking on the mandate of the club, Seyie said, “I think mandate is not a question here. When the Naga Club was formed in 1918 on January 7, we didn’t know whether they had a mandate or not. But to unite the Nagas and to develop the Nagas, I don’t think you had much of a mandate at the time, as the situation was different. However, on January 7, 1982, the Naga Club was resurrected. That time, they got an absolute majority mandate. All the communities came. They were very active until 2008.”

“The question of a fresh mandate does not arise, and most of our office bearers are selected by the tribal bodies except Ao and Angami.”

Responding to next course of action, Seyie said that there is any room to settle outside the court as some of Naga club executive members are not happy with some proposals coming so far.

Also Read: Nagaland: NSF resolves to “De-recognise” Naga Club