MLA and Secretary General, Naga People’s Front, Achumbemo Kikon unveils the commemorative monolith dedicated to the 50th Golden Jubilee of Yimkhiung Akherü Arihako (YAA) and the 60th YAA General Conference Shamator headquarters on January 6. (Photo Courtesy: NPF Press Bureau)
Shamator/Kohima, January 8 (MExN): Nagaland legislator and Naga People’s Front (NPF) leader Achumbemo Kikon called for greater emphasis on education, unity and adaptability, asserting that confidence rooted in learning is essential for the Naga community to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Addressing a conference on “Bridging Traditions and Innovations” held as part of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Yimkhiung Students’ Association on January 6, Kikon said traditions must be preserved while being creatively adapted to contemporary realities.
“We cannot part ways with our traditions, but we must innovate and adapt to changing times,” he said, citing the reinterpretation of traditional cultural designs in modern forms as an example.
Emphasising education as the foundation of confidence and social acceptance, the MLA urged students to move beyond what he described as a “backward mindset” and reject notions of inferiority. “None of us are forward or backward. We are equal and must progress together,” he said, while cautioning against excessive dependence on mobile phones for knowledge, which he said was affecting serious learning and reading habits.
Kikon also appealed for unity and reconciliation within Naga society, cautioning that prolonged mistrust and “cold wars” between communities serve no constructive purpose. Drawing from history, he said conflicts could not be resolved through force but only through dialogue and negotiation. “No community can finish another by waging war. History has taught us that,” he remarked.
Referring to local reconciliation initiatives, Kikon said such efforts must be sincere and sustained so they could serve as a foundation for broader Naga unity. He further highlighted environmental concerns and urged citizens to plan Shamator as a model township with proper roads, sanitation systems and waste segregation, keeping climate change impacts in view.
Calling upon the youth to think beyond village and tribal boundaries, he said meaningful progress lay in education, adaptability and collective responsibility, enabling Nagas to stand “no less than any other community” in the wider world, stated a press release from NPF Press Bureau.
