Wati Longchar Professor, YTCS, Taiwan The American Baptist missionaries were the first to start modern education in North East India. In early 1940s, they proposed to establish a full-pledged university at Jorhat mission centre. The vision for establishing a university could not be materialized due to financial constraints and missionaries were forced to leave India due to political crisis especially in North East India. We are happy that NECU is now inaugurated with the vision, “to provide a wholesome education that is global in perspective, Christian in character and praxis in approach to transform, nurture and empower students for leadership in challenging times” in Gaspani, Nagaland. We thank CBCNEI for this much needed initiative. There are about 35 secular and technical universities in North East India. What kind of education do they impart? What kind of job do their graduates do? Considering many colleges in North East India, we need to ask - Do we need another university? What kind of job NECU degree holders intend to do for the North eastern people, India as a whole and also for the world? Are we going to impart the same value system of education? Or something unique and different? Locating in the specific needs of the region, what would be a specific/special competence NECU graduates bring to the people of region, and India sub-continent? What competency would NECU offer to the world? There are 12 Senate of Serampore College affiliated theological colleges in NEI, several ATA accredited colleges and also many independent colleges/seminaries not related to any theological networks. What do they offer? And what kind of job do their graduates do? NECU will have the Faculty of Inter-Religious Studies – are we going to offer the same value education? And train students to do the same type of job? Or, do we need a radical departure. Why a Christian University? Christian affirms that humans are created in God’s own image to celebrate fullness of life. Many people are denied of fullness of life through the imposition of wrong education system, unjust structures, cultures and traditions. Jesus of Nazareth deliberately opted for the people in the margin not because they are humble, innocent and pitiable but they are created by God in his own image to celebrate life which involves right, dignity and respect. The denial of education and job is violation of human rights bestowed on every human person. It is Christian conviction that every human being should have adequate education and a decent job, and every person should bring their gifts to make this world better just as the followers of Jesus did all through the history. This can be realized through proper education. We affirm that there are immense liberative potential in religious and cultural resources for promotion of world peace and justice. One should study religions not from fundamentalist/protectionist perspective but for social transformation based on love, mutual respect, justice and cooperation for common good. A university should create jobs for the people, but not unemployment and drop out. Joblessness is one of the major the root causes of social evil. We are facing problems of dropouts, unemployment and many rural people are forced to live in poverty due to wrong orientation of education. It is a fact that the present education system in India is an integral part of colonial legacy. It was designed to maintain the privilege and power of the colonizers and the subjugation of the colonized, and to produce generations of people who will never question, challenge the ruling power but simply accept unjust relationship. Education system is developed not to think beyond what we are told. We were expected to memorize what we were told and were rewarded for reproduction of what were told. Creativity and critical thinking is not given importance. The present education still follows a modified form yet within the colonial framework giving more importance to classical traditions. This is one of the reasons why graduates seek mainly white collar jobs. Education is designed to make students faithful employer of the master, but not “how many people can I facilitate/empower to make rural people’s life better”. The increasing number of graduates unemployed in India is an integral part of colonial education system. We need to acknowledge the fact that present crisis of unemployment, joblessness of young people is the product of colonial education system. Unemployment problem is not so visible in those so-called “developed” countries, e.g. UK 4.8%, Germany 3.9%. Korea 3.6%, Japan 2.8%, Taiwan 3.7%though literary rate is as high as100%. What is happening in NEI? The higher literacy rate means the higher unemployment. Students spend 15 years to earn their first degree and parents also spend a large amount of money for children education. After obtaining degrees, many join the “depressed club”. Young people who are joining the “depressed club” is alarming. e.g. Tripura 25.2%, Nagaland 23.8%. How can we expect people living in peace and harmony with such high rate of unemployment! How can we expect that there will be no corruption and insurgency movement? Insurgency movement is flourishing and becoming like an industry. Everywhere people are fighting for want of resources and it will continue if we do not change the current education system. Why should we have a university if we are not going to solve the growing unemployment problem? University should contribute towards generating jobs and sustainability. Though we appreciate the great legacy of colonial education system, we realize that uncritical acceptance of system has enslaved us. We need an alternative model education with global perspective, yet intentionally located in the context of NEI where majority of the people are struggling for economic justice and rights, struggle to liberate from poverty, land rights, development, dependency on government, identity and cultural preservation and transformation of rural community. To make a difference, NECU must be intentionally located in the context of poor and excluded masses for transformation. We must design our education program to produce committed persons rooted in liberative religious and Christian traditions who are hard-working, self-sufficient, truthful, courageous, skilful community organizers and spiritual leaders. A paradigm shift from the elitist education system to a transformative movement oriented education of the poor and marginalized is thus crucial and imperative for us. This reversal is possible only when education is located in the context of the margins. It is here that NECU should take the courageous stand and endeavor to make a difference not only in NEI and India, but also in the world. We are happy that there will be a Faculty of Inter-religious Studies. We must study religions not from narrow fundamentalist/communal perspective, but to intensify social transformation and change for common good.87% of the population in NEI come from villages and semi-urban contexts and it is estimated that 12.8 million live below poverty line according to the recent national survey. Theological education is to prepare leaders to serve among those people. A pastor going to a rural congregation with transformative development skills will nurture the community not only spiritually but also generate at least 20-50 job opportunities for the youth. This will make NEI a zero unemployment region and it will benefit not only the region but also the whole of sub-continent and the world. We need to design courses to train committed and skillful leaders who are committed to transform the world and India; committed to serve both in the rural, semi-urban and urban contexts; fully equipped to address the problem of rural and urban masses both spiritually and physically who can be a force for social change; capable of various multi-task-skills such as farming, health care, marketing and prophetic preaching; transform the life of rural poor; interpret the Bible and communicate effectively to the concrete life situation of the people; discern differently and act differently locating in the context of margin and challenge the dominant enslaving power; handle administration efficiently; organize people’s movement for change; and leaders who are equipped to help people in times of crisis – person, family and community. To start a new university is a huge responsibility. We need to mobilize both human resources and financial resources. We are a missionary sending church and our churches spend crores of money in mission work outside of the region. People, leaders and churches should know that NECU stands for the viability of the churches and our people, our nation and that NECU is deeply committed in training leaders for all round development of community and committed church leaders and community organizers giving special attention to spiritual transformation and skill oriented education particularly for the drop outs, unemployed youth and rural poor. Let us help NECU to make NEI transform.
