YAA Golden Jubilee urged to focus on retrospection and forgiveness
Morung Express News
Shamator | January 19
Nagaland Minister for PHE, Tokheho Yepthomi, today said jubilee is not only a time of celebration but also a time for retrospection, forgiveness and rectifying past shortcomings.
“The significance of celebrating golden jubilee should be far reaching to enhance understanding and build better relations within the community and the rest of the Nagas,” the Minister said in his address as chief guest at the inaugural function of the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Yimchungrü Akherü Arihako (YAA) here at Shamator town public ground on Tuesday.
Tokheho said celebration of golden jubilee would be meaningless without forgiveness and peaceful co-existence with other tribes and communities and added that “if Nagas cannot live together, then we will all perish together.”
On the theme of the conference “Honoring our past, charting our future”, he said the theme should be the guiding light of YAA “because our yesterday defines our tomorrow.” “The best way to chart your future is to be a contributor to our society and not a liability to the society. At every given opportunity, do good works to others without expectations of praise and laurels”, the Minister exhorted the students.
Reminding that good deeds are never easy to achieve but can be undone in no time, Tokheho said the younger generation has to decide whether to carry on the good works of the past and go from strength to strength or choose a course of action that would undo half a century of hard works built on the sweat and toils of past leaders.
The Minister also said it is high time for the students to change the mindset of the people on the “backward tag”, especially in ENPO areas. “It is true we are all responsible for the present condition of inadequate development (in ENPO areas) but you are also directly responsible. Remember. No one will come and take us forward; it is ‘we’ who have to move forward with the changes of time and build our own future”, Tokheho said.
He also suggested that privileges of ‘backward’ quota in employment even among the ‘backward’ tribes should be given only to the needy and downtrodden section so as to help create a more equitable society. On the occasion, Tokheho also reminded of the close bond between the Sumis and Yimchungrüs and said such bond-ship should embrace Nagas as a whole. Tokheho also released the jubilee souvenir of YAA.
Parliamentary Secretary for Horticulture and DBs & GBs, Kejong Chang, urged the students not to meddle in politics but to focus on their first priority –education- if the Eastern Nagas aspire to be at par with rest of the Nagas.
Parliamentary Secretary for Municipal Affairs, R Tohanba, who also represents 58 Shamator - Chessore assembly seat, expressed gratitude to the chief guest and other dignitaries for attending the “epoch-making” event.
President, Yimchungrü Tribal Council, also greeted YAA on the occasion. Earlier, president, YAA, Akiuba TS delivered the welcome address.
Among other dignitaries, Parliamentary Secretary for IPR, Khekaho Assumi; Commandant 15 Assam Rifles, Col. Chalal; Director, NEC Pvt Ltd. S Bhattacharya, and former Minister, K Zungkum, and central NPF leaders also graced the inaugural ceremony.
