Jamir urges to look beyond the past and build a progressive Nagaland

Ungma Senso Telongjem Dimapur celebrates  golden jubilee

Dimapur, October 2 (MExN): Former Nagaland Chief Minister and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr S C Jamir on Friday urged the Ao community to make the 50th Golden Jubilee of the Ungma Senso Telongjem Dimapur (USTD) “more than a celebration of the past” and a moment of renewed vision and collective responsibility towards building a progressive Nagaland.

Delivering the greetings at the jubilee celebrations held at Senden Riju in Dimapur, Jamir, who has also served as Governor of Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Odisha, stressed the importance of looking back at the past with honesty and gratitude.

He asked the gathering to reflect on the contributions made by individuals and the community over the last five decades and to consider how those contributions have shaped society.

“The more important question is not merely how we lived in the past, but how we choose to live on in the present and into the future,” Jamir said.

The celebration was held under the theme “Focus on Life and Service to the Naga Community.” Nagaland Legislative Assembly Speaker Sharingain Longkumer was the chief guest, while Tongpang Ozukum, MLA and Advisor, Water Resources Department, was the guest of honour.

Greetings were also delivered by the chairman of Ungma Village Council and representatives of Ongpangkong Senso Telongjem Dimapur and Ungma Senso Telongjem Kohima.

T John Longkumer, in his address, spoke of the deep respect and affection the Ungma people and the wider Ao community holds towards their in-laws (Anukapang). He said the concept was so far-reaching that it merited serious academic study, particularly for understanding traditional values, relationships and social responsibility. He also described Ungma as a cradle and significant source of many Ao Naga customary laws and traditions, and said the present generation must preserve and pass on this heritage.

MLA and Advisor Tongpang Ozukum, reflecting on the USTD’s journey, said the vision and perseverance of its pioneers should inspire the present generation “to continue moving forward with courage and purpose.” He urged the people of Ungma to accept responsibility for the welfare of the Ao community and the larger Naga society, and to be bearers of positivity and goodwill.

NLA Speaker Sharingain Longkumer, in his address, asked what the community’s collective vision should be for the next 25 years, as the USTD looks ahead to its 75th anniversary and Platinum Jubilee. He identified three priorities: human resource development, particularly among the youth; preservation of heritage and identity, without letting progress come at the cost of losing one's roots; and courage in confronting future social, economic, cultural and generational challenges.

He said the jubilee theme conveys that the true measure of a community lies in how it uses its strength, resources and opportunities for the betterment of others. The Golden Jubilee, he said, should be seen not as the conclusion of fifty years of history but as a new beginning.

The Speaker also called on people to live in unity within families, neighbourhoods, colonies and villages, saying it must be nurtured through mutual respect, understanding and forgiveness.