Dr Asangba Tzüdir
The history of the formation of NSF dates back to October 29, 1947. Today, it has reached a stage where concerned questions have cropped up regarding its relevance notwithstanding the power that comes with being the apex student body. As a student body, the first thing that comes to one’s mind is for the body to strive, above anything else, for the welfare of the students and their rights towards building a just and civilized society. The questions of their relevance have come against this backdrop.
The status of education, the system and the content is at a very critical juncture. The condition of government schools and the state of affairs is one serious concern and is in need of intervention because this is one integral site of generating and building human resources. We have a university that seems to be producing students in quantity albeit quality compounding the problems of employment which then creates an adverse impact on the larger social issues. NSF should intervene in the present process of education through ways that will ensure both quality and content of education, and most importantly create alternative learning avenues through extra-curricular activities that would complement the school and college education.
On another plane of intervention, NSF has a larger role to play. There are many other serious issues of corruption especially backdoor appointments which have wrongfully denied the right of many deserving students. On another level, the government needs to be kept under close scanner in order to curtail their misuse of power. Often, NSF has been ‘accused’ of playing hand in glove with the government rather than keeping a check on their functioning. In an interesting development, a case has been filed in the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench [P.I.L No. 3 (K) 2017] by one S.T. Yapang Longkumer –Vs- State of Nagaland and 266 others, the names of which have been published in a local daily. NSF should take serious note of these issues because the names listed are not only shocking but indeed revealing. In a similar strain, Illegal immigration rather happens normally. All these ‘stories’ puts the Nagas in a double jeopardy in terms of rights and privileges sold off as well as allowing ‘space’ meant for the Nagas.
On the whole, a ‘populist banner’ claiming to represent the student community no longer serves as a ‘justification’ to their objectives, functioning, representation and integrity towards student’s welfare and it is in this backdrop that questions of their relevance have cropped up.
Their relevance lies, first and foremost, in addressing the issues related to the welfare of the students so also to act as custodians of social change. As one can see it, NSF needs to go through a trial of cleansing from the ‘politics’ of the day and objectify the cause for which it exists. Naga society is in dire need of starting a process of social change and this is where a renewed NSF can create a new ‘platform’ through which it can freely and independently intervene in the issues concerning the students welfare and also those that concerns the well-being of the society. This calls for some drastic changes both structurally and functionally if NSF as a student body is to live as a relevant body in tune with the need of the times. Let this ongoing Conference be a time of not just to assess their success and failures but to reaffirm its objectives towards asserting its relevance and rebuilding the trust of the people.
(Dr. Asangba Tzüdir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
