Dimapur bodies oppose plans to relocate the Government Hindi Training Institute, urging the state to upgrade the long-standing facility instead.
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DIMAPUR — The Oriental Colony Council (OCC) and the Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) have opposed reported plans to relocate the Government Hindi Institute from Dimapur, demanding that it be upgraded instead of shifted.
Addressing a press conference in Dimapur on Thursday, OCC chairman Imtikumzuk said the council had verified reports that the Government Hindi Training Institute, located in Oriental Colony, was being shifted. The council has submitted a representation to the Principal Secretary and Director of School Education, and also informed the Dimapur district administration and civil society organisations.
He said the institute, established in 1968 and functioning from its present site since the mid-1980s, has operated without disruption for over four decades. He questioned the rationale behind the reported move, stating that no prior information had been given to the public or stakeholders.
“We are left wondering what the reason is for this shifting programme and why it is happening. If developments are continuously taken away from Dimapur district to other districts, won’t the public of Dimapur be left with nothing?” he questioned.
OCC executive member T Lotha said the council learnt from a “reliable source” about plans to relocate the institute to another district or township, and termed the move unacceptable. He said a representation had been submitted to the Principal Director of School Education, but no response had been received.
Describing the institute as possibly the only government Hindi institute in the state, Lotha questioned why relocation was being considered instead of upgrading it. He urged the government to introduce degree-level and B.Ed courses, stating that students currently have to travel outside the state, including to Agra, for higher studies.
He also alleged that there could be “vested interests or hidden agendas” behind the proposed move, and warned that the colony would reclaim the land if the institute is shifted.
“We want to state clearly, in the worst-case scenario, if they insist on taking it away, let it be known that the land belongs to the colony council. If the institute is shifted, the colony council will reclaim the property and we will open a youth centre there. We will not allow any individual to take over this property,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, DUCCF president Zasivikho Zakiesato expressed support for the OCC, stating that the institute has been functioning for more than 50 years and questioning the lack of official communication on the issue.
“We simply do not understand how the department planned a shifting programme without any prior notification,” he said.
He said the DUCCF met the District Education Officer on April 29 regarding the issue, and that even the DEO had no knowledge of any such plan. He questioned whether there was a lapse in communication, lack of transparency or a hidden agenda, and demanded clarification from the department.
Zakiesato also pointed to the deteriorating condition of the institute’s infrastructure, including termite-damaged ceilings, and said that the focus should be on strengthening educational facilities rather than relocating them.
He further questioned the need for relocation, noting that student intake has remained low over the years, and said shifting the institute from a prime location next to the Dimapur Government College made little sense.
He said there has been no official communication on the proposed relocation, although a board meeting was reportedly held on December 19, 2025 regarding the issue. According to “reliable sources”, the proposed relocation site is Pherima, though no official notification has been issued.
The OCC, in a letter dated April 21, had appealed to the department to reconsider the proposed relocation to Pherima, stating that the institute occupies 32,464 sq. ft. and has adequate infrastructure and accessibility. It also said that shifting it would disrupt functioning and inconvenience students and staff.
The council maintained that there is no justification for relocation and that shifting the institute would disrupt its functioning and inconvenience students and staff. It urged the government to allow the institute to continue at its present location for the benefit of Hindi education in the state.