All Nagaland College Students’ Union commemorates 37th Foundation Day
Morung Express News
Kohima | August 2
The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) commemorated its 37th Foundation Day on August 2 at Zonal Council Hall here with Pankaj Kumar, Chief Secretary of Nagaland as the chief guest.
“There are three deep rooted isms in Naga society. We are all infested by tribalism, partyism and factionalism in all social strata. Unless we do away with all these evils our society cannot progress as expected,” stated Theja Therie, former president ANSCU. “But the uniqueness of ANSCU is that we are not directly related to any of these evils. Today our society looks at things through the prism of isms and our objects are unclear.”
Unlike other organizations, the ANSCU which was established in 1979 does not represent any tribe, party or faction in Nagaland and has strived without any such negative isms, clarified Theja Therie. The core objective of ANSCU continues to aim towards the promotion of the society through higher education and professional studies. Reflecting at the past and looking forward to the present, Therie noted that ANSCU has seen tremendous changes with one positive change being the increase in the representation of women. Therie further affirmed that ANSCU must play a role model of how society can progress without isms and colours, and must stay focused and be more specific so that the specific needs are addressed.
The students must become conscious keepers of our unique laws, according to Therie, and assist the state to enforce the existing laws to protect and promote our interest. Concerns on backward reservations and influx of illegal foreign immigrants were also highlighted.
“Backward reservation is not a birthright. It needs periodical reviews. Our existing reservation policies are outdated. The policies are void of merit criteria in the reserve categories and no healthy competitions. Roster system compromises the merit criteria and reduces the reserve seats to a mere share of quota,” said Therie, who raised the need to study all the redundant laws and bring out the policy to review and make new laws.
Further positing that “Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants” are foreigners, Therie mentioned that they should be tried under appropriate laws of foreigner and passport act and not as ILP defaulters.
With increasing corruption cases in the state and the callous dismantling of the only anti corruption bureau that can check corruption at all levels, Therie pointed out how the powers and jurisdiction of the State Vigilance Commission are removed and the suo moto power to raid and investigate corruption has made the people remain complacent and allow corrupted leaders to escape from the clutches of laws. Therie also pointed out that the job of civil societies is to pressure the responsible authorities in the government at the same time restrain from taking law in their own hands.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar stated that the relevance of ANSCU has become even more significant today with the changes emerging rapidly in Naga society, and thus ANSCU has to confront certain challenges that the student community face in the State. Kumar stressed on three issues - Quality of Education, the individual quality, and the quality of cooperation. While in the past few years, the Government has laid greater emphasis on extension of education, Kumar noted that today, there is “the distinct thinking that the time has come to concentrate more on quality.” With this realization, the government is making efforts to improve quality education; one major step being getting more and more colleges accredited which requires a lot of preparation and quality of teaching.
The quality as human beings to be able to live together and survive together, the quality of cooperation were other emphasis laid down by the Chief Secretary, who viewed that one needs a degree of reflection to hold the heart of cooperation. Cooperation requires examining your own interest and the interest of others, implied Kumar. Responding to an earlier statement by Therie, Kumar mentioned that the government is reviewing the administration of ILP and will be examining the certain measures to be introduced.
“Government is trying to work on strengthening of ILP system as well as try to provide more opportunities to the youth,” said Kumar, adding that the problem of corruption has to be dealt with a collective effort.
Speaking on personal integrity and honesty, Kezhazer Angami, Tribunal General ANSCU mentioned about the impeachment of two ANSCU Presidents in the past, which indicates that ANSCU never compromise on the virtues of honesty and personal integrity and does not accommodate a person who joins office to serve his vested interest.
