Prof G T Thong
Lower Agri Colony
The puny Coronavirus has dragged the mighty human species, albeit divided on ethnic and religious lines, down to its knees; the first time in living memory of the generation alive today.The minuscule virus, of no consequence till December 2019,has taught us, the self-assumed masters of the universe, a lesson or two for ouravarice, our ever-growing demands and the hastening destruction ofthis lonely planet and all other creatures we share it with.
Nagaland has been very fortunate thus far, with not a single reported positive case. We do not know what the future holds in store for us, but our fervent prayers will definitely continueforan unchanged scenario. However, this was also the time that our people living/visiting outside the state were traumatised to a large extentas the rest of us here watched helplessly. We are scared the virus will make an entry into one of the greenest zones on earth, whilst it also has been heart-wrenching to see our people agonised with fear of the virus on the one hand and struggling to survive due to lack of water, food, shelter and a myriad of other problems, on the other. Social stigmatisation has furtheradded to the miseryof some.
Hopefully, the future generations are spared of these traumatic experiences; however, this hope is with lack of conviction. Reason! The world that was healing the past couple of months will start deteriorating rapidly, and make up for lost ground once the virus has loosened its grip on our throats. Life will be our normal again, with wanton destruction of the earth’s environment and resourcesto satisfy our greed, and wars for our hatred for each other’s religion, caste or race.However, these difficult times have taught us valuable lessons; it is for us to learn from them or be branded fools forever.
Many people have highlighted our numerous weaknesses and the acute lack of infrastructure and institutions in our state.Covid-19 should waken in us the reason to build for a resilient future. Nagaland is not a big state that requires vast resources. For the huge amounts of money pumped in by the Government of India (GoI) we should have had roads paved of gold. Unfortunately, we do not have anything to boast of. However, it is never too late to start.
It would be prudent on the part of the Government of Nagaland (GoN) to take serious note of the constructive suggestions given by numerous individuals in the recent past, which were only for the good of Nagaland and its people. Criticisms, both sweet and sour, have to be taken with a pinch of salt. This is the only way forward.No matter what, the Coronavirus has pointed out our acute lack of preparedness in dealing with problems thrown at us. It is time the GoN seriously studies and takes up wide-ranging issues so that the state is not thrown out of gear again in the near future. The few issues discussed below are those that have been constantly put forward in various forms by well meaning individuals of our small society.
All Hospitals and Health Centers of Nagaland should be upgraded and facilities enhanced so that every unit is prepared to face any eventuality,such as the present corona situation,in the future. All hospitals should also have the required staff strength. One reason often cited is the saturation of jobs in the Government sector. However, the medical units do need the required number of doctors, nurses and paramedics without any compromise (a solution, though bitter, is presented below).
Amatter of serious concern is thehugearmy of highly insincere and inefficient government employees. Seriously take up the matter ofterminating all these undeserving individuals from all departments, be they friend or foe, who are sucking our economy dry by way of the huge salary component. Go one step further, the GoI way - sack all unimaginative and unproductive employees who cannot contribute to the growth of the state. With such action,one thing is for certain - the GoN would immediately be understaffed and would require thousands of employees. Select and employ from the tens of thousands of highly qualifiedand dedicated unemployed youths of Nagaland who will be the driving force for the progression of the state.
A major problem faced this time was the disruption of academic activities. The students, particularly the school-going children, lost a lot.It is definitely requiredto promote them (Nursery to 8) though classes are not conducted, if the lockdown continues (if this decision is true). For some of those in the urban areas it is not much of a problem as their parents could afford home tuitions and mock exams with the help of tutors via whatsapp. Some enterprising Village Council members and teachers got hold of TV sets for online classes on Doordarshan for students in their Panchayat Halls. However, many interior villages may not have the facilities/resources. Many children, particularly those of lower income families, have lost most this time. These underprivileged children will find it very difficult to cope with their contemporaries due to the lack of brain exercisethe whole year. Many families do not own a TV, nor can most of them afford a smart phone. The Government should do something about this. This measure need not be for the corona seasononly but can be part of continuing education, in addition to normal school activities. If would be great if the Government equips all villages, khels (in case of larger villages), colonies/wards, etc. of Nagaland with large TV sets and satellite dishes, strictly for the furtherance of education of the children. The Government need not shell out any funds for this venture, but can direct that the same can be procured from the VDB funds or other grants as a one-time affair. This will help resolve numerousproblems for the weaker sections and rural populace.
The Government should also identify and sponsor the best teachers (no compromise on quality) from the Government as well as Private schools to prepare good presentations, aninitiative of the Government recently, on various topics covering the entire school curriculum. These presentations have to supplement that taught in schools by the regular teachers at suitable periods, even after the current pandemic. These presentations should be widely disseminated through Doordarshan or other media that is accessible to all.
For higher education, net connectivity is necessary. All college and university students avail one scholarship or the other so they can afford smart phones or laptop/desktop computers. At the cost of repeating, this small state can afford to have good internet facilities. But most of the time people from many areas keep pleading with service providers to help resolve their network problems. The government should take stringent action on these companies/groups for making the public suffer. Therefore, the poor facilities have caused much hardship to these students as well this time.
