Kohima, December 16 (MExN): The Kohima Village Council (KVC) has stated that the Naga Club was formed on January 7, 1918, by a few salaried people comprising of school masters, interpreters, clerks, potars, chaprasis etc., of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office under the then Naga Hills District.
Against the backdrop ofcontestations over the history and ownership of the Naga Club in the past fewmonths, the KVC reiterated the above details based on “written documents ofNaga Club which held its traditional Annual Meetings on that particular daysince time immemorial.”
A committee of the KVC history onNaga Club consists of Dr. Neiphi Kire, Chairperson of the KVC, PheluophfelieKesiezie, Chairperson, Advisory Committee APO, Khriehutuo Sekhose, son ofRuzhükhrie Sekhose, and Prasielie Pienyü, grandson of Rheichalie Pienyü,informed a press release from the KVC today.
“It is also a fact thatRheichalie Pienyü of Kohima Village was the first President and at the initialstage, held multiple posts of Presidentship, Secretary and Treasurer till 1942.Later on, the Presidentship was handed over to Krusiehu Belho and the post ofSecretary was held by Mr. Ziekro-o Theünuo in 1942,” the KVC maintained.
The men who were recruited in the21 Naga Labour Corps for World War I came back from Europe in batches, thefirst in June 1918, the second in October 1918, the KVC informed. “The NagaClub was already in existence by then and they also formed the Naga Eldersconference,” the Council maintained.
While acknowledging that “thereturnees of the Naga Labour Corps influenced the Naga Club and played animportant part in the Memorandum of the Simon Commission which was consideredas the beginning of political consciousnessof Naga Nationalism,” the KVC noted that signatories of the Representation to the Simon Commission on January 10,1929, after 11 years of the formation ofNaga Club, “mainly included the staff of Deputy Commissioner and Mr. Khosa, who was a returnee from Labour Corps. The letter to Simon Commission wasdrafted by Ruzhükhrie Sekhose as requested by the Dobashis of the DeputyCommissioner office.”
The KVC presented this pressrelease hoping that “none should distort the history of the Naga Club to suittheir own interest but let historical facts remain as pure facts so that truth may be preservedfor posterity.”
It also brought to attention that“despite the best efforts and appeals of the KVC, reconciliation could not bebrokered between the Naga Club members and Naga Students Federation.”
Consequently, the KVC decided not to participate in either of the celebrations in order to “maintain a neutral apolitical stance as well as to express dismay over the tragic disunity between two mature and respected organizations.”
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