EMN
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 2
IMBIBING the economic ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and applying them to the local context of Nagaland has the potential to offer a self-reliant, sustainable and viable market system Nagas can benefit from. This assertion was one of the points of discussions during Gandhijayanti celebrations in Nagaland University’s Lumami campus on Wednesday.
The Post Graduate Students’ Union of Lumami celebrated Gandhijayanti and joined nationwide tributes today celebrating the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and his legacy. The event was held under the theme “Remembering Gandhi”.
As part of the program, 60 students marched from Akuluto to Lumami as a reenactment of the ‘dandi march.’ The march was flagged off by TL Kiusumong Tikhir, the sub divisional officer of Akuluto.
Prior to the event, the official exhorted the students. The second session of the program was held in Lumami campus under the peepal tree in the premise planted by the late Rajiv Gandhi, former prime minister of India.
Economics Professor MK Sinha, Registrar Professor Lanususang,
Deputy Director of Sports Blajit Singh, RS Cynthia and Political Science Professor AK Singh spoke about Gandhi’s philosophy, his lifestyle, his achievements and the relevance of his ideas in today’s era.
Prof. AK Singh approached the students with his suggestion of incorporating the economic viabilities contained in Gandhi’s ideas about economic self-reliance and local markets. He suggested starting a cottage industry to ‘revive the small scale industry’ as propounded by Gandhiji in Nagaland. The cottage industry can manufacture school uniforms from the resources for the local communities. This economic divergence would not only ‘eradicate unemployment’ but also help in the economic growth of the state, he said.
Professor Singh observed the Nagas’ culture of hospitality and generosity and said Gandhi still lives in the heart and mind of the Nagas. ‘It is the beginning of a great change,’ he said.
Prof. MK Sinha empathized that there should be harmony ‘between the words we speak’ and the ‘actions that we do.’ Without following Gandhi’s principal ‘we will not reach the desired economic rate,’ he explained.
Also, Registrar Prof. Lanususang encouraged the students to strive to create legacies that would be relevant to the future. “Starting a trend this big and useful to the society is important and may be the result of what has done now might be seen only after some period of time but hope must not be lost and the trend should be followed in the years to come also,” he said.
