Kohima, July 24 (MExN): The Kohima Press Club (KPC) today called on the outgoing Governor of Nagaland PB Acharya at Raj Bhavan, Kohima.
Interacting with the officials and senior members of the Club, Acharya reminisced his association with the Nagas and the state during his five years tenure. He said he has come to understand the pulse of the people and the immense potentialities they possess.
He described Nagas as ‘wonderful people’ who are “very organized right from the grassroots and also very disciplined and talented.”
However, on deeper retrospection, he felt there was a huge social and economic divide in the society, adding that there was a need for the Naga people to make their canvas bigger and also try to understand the common people's problems.
“You have to strengthen the weakest link in society in order to make the chain stronger,” he said while remarking that in this regard, a humane touch appears to be missing.
Acharya also said that the media must play a pro-active role towards educating the people to stand up against injustice and corruption.
Stating that Nagas are one among the most educated people in the country, Acharya appealed to all educated and empowered Nagas who are working or settled outside to return home and contribute and strengthen Nagaland with their knowledge and skills. He also added that strengthening the society and the state should be the philosophy of every Naga.
“Knowingly or unknowingly, the society is decaying and there is disunity among the people of this small state,” stated Acharya urging the people to rise up and fill the gaps and take up the flag for real issues.
“Nagaland can be strengthened by Nagas only. Nobody else can do it and we have the potentiality to do that,” stated Acharya.
A staunch advocate for education and mother tongue, Acharya asserted that the Nagas “should accept our tribal dialect and be proud of who we are,” adding that mother tongue is a person’s identity and not English, which is a foreign language.
The outgoing Governor maintained that the concerns he was raising were not criticism, but his honest retrospective views, that he has concern for the Nagas whom he had begun to love over the years, and that he aspired to see Nagas as progressive people.
On the appointment of RN Ravi, who is also the Government of India's interlocutor for the Naga peace talks as his successor, Acharya termed it a positive move and expressed optimism that “some peace agreement” will come within this year.
He also stated that once peace comes, Nagas have to work jet speed to fill the gaps of all these years for economic development.
The outgoing octogenarian Governor also lauded the media in the state, particularly the newspapers, for their services. He encouraged the press fraternity to not just concentrate on giving information but to connect more with the people.
Meanwhile KPC president, Alice Yhoshü and advisor Kopelo Krome expressed their appreciation to Acharya for his close association with the press fraternity.
This was stated in a press release issued by KPC General Secretary, Atono Tsükrü.
