Empowerment only through education — Along

Our Correspondent

Mokokchung, Oct. 5 (EMN): Minister for Higher and Technical Education and Tribal Affairs, Temjen Imna Along on Saturday maintained that true empowerment comes only through education.

He was addressing a programme to mark the inauguration of a ‘tribal hostel’ at Senayangba Government Higher Secondary School (SHGSS), Ungma in Mokokchung district on Saturday. Along inaugurated the hostel in the presence of Deputy Speaker, Sharingain Longkumer.

The minister asserted that “empowerment of the people can only be achieved by the right knowledge imparted to the future generation”.

He opined that a society that acquires the right knowledge is humble and permeates the attitude of positivity all around. However, a society that is not imparted with the right knowledge will produce crooks and lazy people who will expect everything they do not deserve, he said.

Along further added that Nagaland should not be a land of bandhs and agitation and that people should not seek development at the cost of losing ‘our indigenous heritage’.

“If we accommodate indigenous heritage as a lifestyle, and bring the pursuance of knowledge and development then we will be able to survive in the midst of mass globalisation. We are afraid because we are not knowledgeable, not knowing that our defendant is God,” he added.

The minister also acknowledged the visionary leadership of SC Jamir, whose leadership gave birth to the institution. He said that Nagaland has grown by leaps and bounds and that the growth of Nagaland would not have been possible without institutions like SHGSS.

The deputy speaker, while speaking at the event, said that the school establishment is the ‘cradle of civilisation’. He also asserted that a school institution is not a ‘business institution’; rather it is a social business where the social growth of each and every student outweighs the profit motive.

“It is a social responsibility to mould the students to become knowledgeable, responsible citizens and informative citizens of Nagaland,” he asserted.

Longkumer said that SGHSS, established in 1972, is perhaps the only higher secondary school in Nagaland at the village level. He added that the school was established in recognition of, and acknowledgement to, Senayangba, father of SC Jamir.

He said that the vision of the pioneers of the school lives till today and that he hopes to see the students fulfil the vision.