Minister, Tourism and Higher Education, Temjen Imna Along addresses the 5th Convocation of the National Institute of Technology, Nagaland in Chümoukedima on January 24. (DIPR Photo)
NIT Nagaland conducts 5th Convocation ceremony
Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 24
While reservation of seats have brought Nagas far, it should not be the primary means to get through exams, held the NagalandMinister for Tourism and Higher Education, Temjen Imna Along. “It is not good to have ‘quotas’ all the time,” he said the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Nagaland, in Chümoukedima, on January 24, where he delivered the 5th Convocation address. According to him, Nagas should also take up the challenge of appearing exams in the ‘general’ category and not through ‘quotas’ alone.
He termed Nagaland assuffering from an epidemic of literate people, who have become a burden. “Our literacy is so high that they cannot do anything else, so they have become a burden… So literate that they have lost humility, so literate that they cannot work hard, so literate that they would rather want to open unions,” he said.
The Nagas, he said, should imbibethe best practices of the NITs, IIMs and IITs, which can have transformative effect. Terming these institutions as thebreeding grounds of governance and development policy, he added, “What we see in Chümoukedima, Nagaland, today, is going to help not only the nation but our state.” He however also reminded that the educational degrees alone are no guarantee for success in life.
According to him, the merits earned through scholastic endeavour is not just for “pride of self” or for display in the living room but for empowering oneself, the people and nation-building.
He further acknowledged the NIT Nagaland for endeavouring to work with the polytechnics in the state. Though not the Minister in-charge of Technical Education, he assured to pursue with the state government for working out a strategy to collaborate with the NIT to transform the polytechnics into centres of excellence.
On FMR
Later queried on the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Indo-Myanmar border, Along said that the Government of India would surely consult the leaders of the northeastern region, Nagaland in particular, if a move is made for scrapping or enforcing a stricter border crossing regime. He held that it would not be right on his part to assume that the FMR would be scrapped.
Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, recently told a public function in Guwahati, Assam, that the Indo-Myanmar border will be fenced. Shah’s comment implied scrapping the FMR, which allows people living along the international border, on both sides, Visa-free movement upto 16 km inside the other country.
According to him, he is well aware of the ramifications if the FMR is scrapped suddenly, but said that illegal firearms and drugs should also not be allowed to come “into our nation through the northeast corridor.”
On Lok Sabha MP Tokheho Yepthomi recent controversial remark on Article 371 (A), Along said, “He (Yepthomi) has already given a statement, it is for brilliant minds to converse and talk about it.”
Asked if Yepthomi was canvassing for the BJP ticket to the Lok Sabha, the former Nagaland BJP chief replied that he is not the one, who hands out the ticket.
