Nagaland needs more technical universities, research institutes, says Governor in his Independence Day speech

DIMAPUR — Nagaland Governor La. Ganesan on Monday said the citizens should prioritise the state’s most precious resource – human resource – and “build a network of robust and strong health and educational sector to ensure a healthy and well-educated citizenry.”

In his address to the people of Nagaland on the eve of 77th Independence Day, a copy of which has been made available to Eastern Mirror, the governor extended his greetings to the citizens.

He said Nagaland has also come a long way since 1947, along with the rest of the country. He added that the initial decades were shrouded with turmoil, which affected the pace of development in the state, but the relative peace over the last couple of years has resulted in economic growth.

While stressing the importance of strengthening the health and education sectors, Ganesan said the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR), ‘which will be inaugurated very soon’, will give a big boost to the health sector by ensuring the availability of adequate health care professionals.

On the education sector, he said the state has four universities but ‘requires many more technical universities and research institutes to empower the citizens, especially the youth’.

Maintaining that modern connectivity infrastructure is necessary for equitable development, he said the state is progressing well in terms of road construction and many more projects are in the pipeline. He added that the Dimapur Railway Station will be transformed into a world-class station under the Amrit Bharat Scheme, which in turn will “immensely boost tourism and infrastructural development in the state”.

He also said the state has “really good at showcasing our rich culture, dance and music etc. and promoting our state to the world” but the underlying truth remains that peace is a pre-requisite for progress and prosperity.

Urging the people of the state to maintain the hard-earned peace, he said they can’t afford to derail the development process initiated with the onset of the peace process.

The governor also said it is an occasion to remember and show gratitude to the freedom fighters and common citizens who sacrificed their lives for India’s independence. He mentioned that Nagaland too had valiantly resisted the mighty British, with the battles of Khonoma and Kikruma considered to be among the fiercest battles fought against the colonial powers in Northeast India.

He called upon everyone to pay homage and respect to the countless heroes and personalities who have zealously worked for the progress of the country and to express gratitude to the armed forces for keeping the country safe and secure.

Independence Day celebration to be live streamed

The state-level function for the celebration of 77th Independence Day celebration is to be held at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza, Kohima on Tuesday, August 15, from 9 am onwards. The event will be live-streamed on DIPR’s YouTube channel. You can watch the live telecast of the event below.