Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has said that the time has come for the Nagas to introspect on whether they have lived up to their great traditions of honesty, unity and hard-working abilities.

Addressing the 20th Convention of the Naga Students’ Federation at Niuland, 27 km from Dimapur. Rio said that his Government was ever ready to bring about a perceptible shift in the work culture in the State, but people of the State must develop an attitude of not being averse to any kind of job.

Citing Mizoram’s case, Rio said that Mizos are always ready to do any manual work and, therefore, the State was showing a remarkable degree of progress. He said that if the people of Nagaland do not cultivate the attitude of dignity of labour, Nagas will always have to look up to ‘foreigners’ to do their work. The Chief Minister said that his government is initiating measures to check the influx of foreign national into the State.

Student representatives from Thailand, Canada and Malaysia also attended the Convention, held on the banks of the Dadi River. Students leaders belonging to the Tripura Students’ Federation, All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union and the Garo Students’ Union also addressed the convention.

The Nagaland Home Minister Dr T M Lotha also attended the convention. The theme of the convention was ‘Coming of Age’, and the students welcomed all participants with a song ‘Freedom is coming....’ Indeed, if the mood among the delegates was anything to go by, the theme song might well prove to be true as the Nagas could well be heading for peaceful times ahead

Niuland has a special place in the current Nagaland history. Mr Thuingaleng Muivah and Isak Chishi Swu, general secretary and chairman of the NSCN (IM) visited this place on their maiden visit to Nagaland after calling for the ceasefire.
    
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