Dimapur, Nov 27 (MExN): Following a spate of varied opinions, for or against the affiliation of schools from the four hill districts of Manipur to the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE), the Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers Association, Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights and the Naga Students Federation have issued a joint statement explaining the stand made in this regard.
The frontline Nagas organizations explained the various dynamics involved in the process which subsequently elicited support from the organizations themselves. Justification on grounds of Syllabi, educational policies, administrative concerns etc., was elucidated by the statement, signed by respective executives of the stated organizations.
In the first place, schools of the said areas opted for NBSE affiliation because of the varied and ‘innumerable’ reasons within the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSEM), the statement points out. One of the most damaging reasons is the imposition of Meitei Mayek (Meitei script) and distortion of Naga history in the syllabi, the statement explained adding that schools of the stated areas are convinced that Nagaland’s syllabi is “undoubtedly far better” than BSEM’s. “This move is genuine in every aspect of humanism as we strongly believe that imposition of any system/will is not acceptable for the Nagas as we have been resisting all through our lives in forcible imposition of others’ will on us thus deserves support and encouragement from all section of the Naga society” the organizations stated.
In regard to scholarships, the statement explains that budget is directly allotted by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs according to the number of college/higher secondary students registered in the higher secondary schools and colleges and does not burden the state exchequer be it Nagaland’s or any other states’. “We also need to understand that if at all the post matriculation scholarship is a state policy, which directly affects the state exchequer, scholarship matter all over the country could have been a different story. Many Naga students who are pursuing further/higher education from their respective school/college may not be a possibility unless the state government has a policy to extend financial assistance to all the students who are pursuing higher education in the state irrespective of where they hail from” the statement explained.
Also, dispelling fears that affiliation of schools from outside the state would affect the current unemployment situation, the statement pointed out that affiliation and unemployment are two distinct matters and should not be confused with the next. The matter was explained thus: Every state government has its own employment policy in recruiting human resources in any category of government jobs likewise Nagaland Government. It is understandable that the present unemployment policy of the state reserves 80% exclusively for indigenous inhabitants in Nagaland which includes minorities like Garo, Kachari, Kuki, Mikiri etc., while the 20% rest is open for any citizen of India desirous of competing in the NCS and allied services in Nagaland the policy of which is also common to most states. By virtue of the board/university a student graduates from, one is not entitled for every facility like provided to bonafide students/citizens.
“It is also simple logic that our students, your children, who are presently pursuing their studies in other states, are not guaranteed of any job by the state government where they are studying.
Likewise, those students who are interested to take up the NBSE course or the syllabus provided by the NU may do so but the question of job guarantee to them by the state government does not arise” the statement explained.
In fact, the statement explains, more and more institutions affiliating to either NBSE or NU are an advantage for the state. In addition to elevating the standard of Nagaland’s educational system, the more students “flock” to the state’s institutions, the more the state’s revenue. “Even if we calculate roughly it is estimated that Naga students are spending crores and crores of rupees in other states for their education. With the passage of time, may countries/states have developed the idea of educational tourism which has become a booming business thereby immensely contributing to economic growth of the nation/state” the statement reminded.
It also emphasized that education is about ‘development of the body, mind and soul’ and not about guaranteeing jobs. Hence every individual is at liberty to choose any kind of course/syllabus to build a career and in this regard an accommodative spirit be given rather than “shallow our perception”. The Naga organizations also noted that “other people” keep following up statements and so it would be in best interest if “we as educated people can be more positive while ventilating our arguments so that we can motivate and orient our society in a very positive way on all aspects.
