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Dimapur, July 5: Minister for Higher and Technical Education, and Tribal Affairs, Temjen Imna Along on Sunday said that time has come to talk about opportunities for non-Naga students while taking into consideration the fact that the ‘population of Nagas is small and there are certain things that needs to be protected’.
Speaking as the special guest at the 4th annual felicitation of HSLC and HSSLC toppers, organised by Dimapur Bengali Students’ Union at St. Mary’s Montessori Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, the minister said that there is a need to think about the ‘placements of not just Nagas’, but also non-Nagas who call Nagaland their home.
He was referring to a statement made by the president of NPF Minority Wing, Bishnu Bhattacharjee, who had suggested the state government to think about the non-Naga students ‘who cannot appear in any entrance exams’.
Along stressed on the need to remove the walls of confinement in the way Nagas think, ‘as even when people from Nagaland go out of the state, they prefer to stay together and would not be comfortable to adapt to the different foods; and though it might take years, the change has to come’.
Acknowledging the contributions of the Bengali community to the progress of the state, he said that the people of Nagaland will have to work together for a future where, beyond the walls of divisions, everyone will dream and aspire together.
He also proposed that instead of there being a Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU), it would be great if there is a Dimapur Students’ Union.
Earlier, Bishnu Bhattacharjee, who is also the DBSU advisor, asked the students to work hard, knowing that they have a challenging future, and make their families and nation proud.
The president of DNSU, Sedevilie Angami, said that he was impressed by the hard work and performances of the students and congratulated all the successful candidates.
Altogether, 12 students were felicitated during the programme. This year, there were two new awards introduced namely Late Chandan Mazumdar Memorial Award, which was awarded to Abhi Chakraborty (first rank holder, HSLC) and Late Ashutosh Paul Memorial Award which was awarded to Anushka Bhattacharjee (first rank holder, HSSLC, Science).
Besides these, Temjen Imna Along also gave INR 3,000 to each of the toppers as well as INR 50,000 to the Union and Bishnu Bhattecharjee gave INR 5,000 each to the two Bengali subject toppers.