Dr. SC Jamir stresses on education for social transformation

Says leaders of NNPGs can now be treated as honourable Naga leaders

Our Reporter

Dimapur, Dec. 13 (EMN): Former chief minister of Nagaland Dr. SC Jamir on Friday stressed on the need to constantly focus on quality infrastructure, faculty, curriculum content and resources if people want quality education. He added that efficient and highly qualified teachers are a must for fructification of the same.

Dr. SC Jamir was speaking at the annual day-cum award-giving ceremony of Delhi Public School, Dimapur, held at the premises of the institute on December 13. He was the chief guest of the programme.

He started his speech by quoting Lyndon b Johnson’s words: “At the desk where I sit, I have learned one great truth, the answer for all national problems, the answer to all the problems of the world comes in a single word, that word is education.” He said scholars and prominent personalities have described education as the utmost important tool to develop a nation.

Highlighting some of the emerging challenges faced by educational institutions of the country, he pointed out that not a single Indian university could find a place among 200 best universities of the world. He maintained that Nagaland too has this problem (lack of good educational institutions).

Dr. SC Jamir said people in Nagaland should know that they are living in the 21st century; the kind of world they live in; and that they are living in an age of knowledge. ‘We have to keep abreast with this change to survive as a people and the pertinent question before us is how to face the challenge of the time,” he added.

He reminded that education has been recognised as the most important instrument for the social, economic and political transformation of a society; and that a well-educated human equipped with the knowledge and skills is vital for economic and social development. Advising the teaching community in Nagaland to inspire the students, he said the density of a country is shaped in the classrooms and teachers are the foremost in facilitating as well as the building of quality institutions.

Stating that Nagaland today is far from normal, whether knowingly or unknowingly, under the shadow of Naga political movement, Jamir said a total overhauling of the already obliterated machinery of governance is needed in order to get the normal shape of all the organs of the Naga society.

Jamir said all the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) had complied with the October 31 (2019) timeline set by the Prime Minister of India and now they can safely say that the ailments of more than six decades were healed on that solemn date by dissolving all different labels and colours worn by the factions. He added that “now all of them are to be treated as honourable Naga leaders. The people of Nagaland look up to them, not as factional leaders but genuine Naga leaders.”

He went on to say that leaders of insurgency groups in particular “must show political maturity at this very crucial and critical moment when the entire efforts and concentration should be to design what is best for the Nagas within the framework (agreement).” He also expressed hope that Naga people will see the dawn of a new era of peace and normalcy in their respective areas.

During the occasion, Pro Vice chairman Dr. Aotoshi delivered the welcome speech and school principal Bhaskar Kumar Nanda gave the annual report.