Y Merina Chishi
Dimapur| December 9
The campus is huge, the view is spectacular and the infrastructure is growing rapidly, but Nagaland University, ever since its inception is reputed less for its standards and more for its controversies. A fragmented portion of NU, Lumami campus is tucked away far from the eyes of the authorities to see the practical difficulties the students and staffs are facing. These are not students in high school who complain about too much homework or strict teachers. These are research and career students who are facing real, tangible problems, oblivious to many.
To discuss problems of the lack basic amenities has almost become cliché. The biggest problem today for the students at Lumami is the communication gap between teachers and students. Beginning from the Vice-Chancellor to the lecturers, not a single teaching staff stays within the campus. There are 47 lecturers and all of them live in Mokukchung which is 16 km from Lumami. “The lecturers’ complaint that the staff quarters are not furnished, but unless they actually occupy the quarters, the authorities will continue to leave it as it is,” says a student. Many students cannot reach their teachers when needed and this creates distance between them. A student says, “If we cannot maintain a level of closeness with our lecturers, we cannot freely raise doubts and this will hamper our studies.” The Professor-in-charge also maintains that “there is not enough time for the students.” The students say that if the Vice-Chancellor shifts to Lumami, which is also the university headquarters, the lecturers will follow suit.
Quit a few boys feel that the university is not up to standards or altleast think that it will take time to reach that state. The selection into the university is based on merit, so for the sincere students, the university has failed to reach their expectations. An M.Sc. student says, “The equipments and chemicals in the laboratory are not sufficient and the study materials are inadequate.” Besides, when the world is going hi-tech, the students at Lumami are left behind with only one computer in the library with internet access. Most of them sense that Kohima campus gets better facilities than theirs. A very contemplative student says, “If NU is in one campus, there would be no problems. The entire system is a joke, Kohima and Lumami campuses get different examination date sheets…this is serious.”
Although the campus is very large and accommodating, there is a flip side to it. The walk from the classrooms to the hostels, the administration block and staff quarters is tiring. The distance from the girls’ hostels to the class rooms is almost one kilometer. There are just four buses for the campus which is clearly short.
There are also no recreational facilities. The students conduct their sports week at the 30/ Assam Rifles ground in Mokukchung since there is no sports complex in the campus.
There is one basket ball court close to the administration block for which the students have to walk a long distance. It is also daunting to know that the students move to Mokukchung or Akuluto for medical aid.
The students, however, are not the only ones that are in a pool of problems. The teachers and management too have a lot to say. The Librarian at NU Lumami says that due to lack of infrastructure and technically trained staff in the library, his department is facing a lot of problems. The teaching staffs on the other hand are not satisfied with a lot of things. They say that they want to associate with the students more often but they do not have the time since they have to move from Mokukchung. They also mention that the staff quarters are ill-equipped.
Lumami it seems, has been not been given its due status and it is evident from what a prominent professor has to say. “Some people are trying to undermine the status of Lumami,” and added “The Headquarters should be accorded its due status.”
NU Lumami, with a total strength of 246 students, among which 73 are research students, 47 teachers and expanding faculties like Biodiversity and Tribal Research Centre, needs to be dealt with more concern and sturdily. Unless more attention is paid to this part of the university there is possibility that it will remain stunted and cornered.
