The Phom Students’ Conference (PSC) is shocked at the heinous murder of late Khoney Chang, father of four innocent school going children and also the sole bread earner of the family. The crime is cowardly, senseless and barbaric. The act is utterly beyond sanity because there are many ways of resolving disputes or misunderstandings but not by murder.
Crime of any kind in itself is against humanity but what is more terrorizing and shocking for us is the revelation of the identity of the murderers as “respectable” student leaders. We are ashamed to learn that of the five accused three are student leaders: Rukhravolie Rulhou, President, Northern Angami Students’ Union (NASU), Roukuohelie Mere, Auditor General, ASU and Vingutuo Rutsa, NASU representative to Angami Students’ Union (ASU) and General Secretary of All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU).
This is nothing but an absolute disgrace to the students’ community and in a more serious manner the mentioned respectable student bodies. Crime is a crime but it turns vicious when such acts are committed by none other than law enforcers and leaders in a society. No words can describe such an anomaly except blatant ‘madness’ and ‘foolishness’. The act of murder in itself is denigration to our society but it is all the more unimaginable when a crime is committed by students themselves who are the future leaders. The present impasse demands for radical introspection of our Naga tribal mentality itself which includes our approaches to the understanding of justice, such as: Are Nagas revengeful by nature? Or is taking revenge, justice? Another pertinent need that Nagas must evaluate thoroughly is our understanding of Christianity because everything that we do seem to be opposite of what is being said in the Bible. This must be done in all seriousness if we, at all, desire to put an end to such follies for a harmonious better morrow.
Phom Students’ Conference condemns the mentality of revengeful attitude of these individuals because it will not solve any problem and for smearing the sacred name of the student fraternity and call for awarding most stringent punishment to the culprits as per the law of the land. We also convey our deepest sorrow and sympathy to the orphaned children and relatives.
Y. Longly Phom,
General Secretary
P. Shanthong Phom, President
Phom Students’ Conference (PSC), Longleng, Nagaland
