Our correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 7 : A total of 55 scouts and guides from across the state were awarded Rajya Puraskar or the Governor’s award in a glittering ceremony at Durbar hall, Raj Bhavan, by Nagaland governor P.B Acharya, chief patron of NSBSG, in the presence of Zale Neikha, Advisor, Youth Resources and Sports and president NSBSG and other dignitaries.
The governor, in his speech, said empowerment through education is not only to get degree certificate but should also imbibe life skills in the students’ life during their academic years.
He further added that the scouts and guides movement for young people comes into the picture to fill this gap where young people are taught self empowerment by tapping in their physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials for the positive growth of the society.
Encouraging the students, he said the empowerment attained through their active participation with the scouts and guides movement should not be left to wither but utilize it for the betterment of their tribe, their village, state and the nation as a whole.
Coming to the unemployment problem in Nagaland, the governor stated that there are five universities with barely 20 lakhs population in the state, which was adequate enough to churn out many enlightened young people to be self reliant and be in the service of the state.
While commenting that the Nagas are disciplined, loyal and hard working - a trait instilled from the lifestyle and customs of the land; the governor, however lamented that of late, all these fine characteristics are slowing waning as they cannot come out from the mentality of serving under the government and the jobs it entails.
“With three lakhs graduates in the state and with that rich human resources, we should be able to serve the state through entrepreneurship and make Nagaland an economically stable state and become a job giver, not a job seeker”, he added.
Zale Neikha, Advisor, Youth Resources and sports and president, NSBSG in his presidential address said the Bharat Scout and Guides is a social service educational organization open to all young people in accordance with the purpose, principles and method conceived by the founder Lord Baden Powell in 1907 with the purpose to develop young people as responsible citizens and as members of the local, national and international communities.
He congratulated all the award winners and encouraged them to strive for the president’s medal, which is the highest recognition a scouts and guides member can get in the country.
He also shared his hope to see the growth of the movement in the state so that respectable, humble and strong willed personalities will come forward to take the Nagas to a better position.
It may be mentioned that the Rajya Puraskar is an award for a scout or guide who have qualified for the said award by undergoing a series of tests conducted at the state level under the guidance of experienced and qualified examiners.
Altogether, 32 guides and 21 scouts from Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung were awarded for the year 2018.
