‘We need good ethical human beings in the society’

NSF felicitates 2021 HSLC & HSSLC Naga toppers 

Morung Express News
Kohima | September 2

Expressing concerns on the issues and problems plaguing the state of Nagaland and its people, an officer of the state remarked “no doubt, we need more doctors, engineers, scientists and civil servants, but for our nation to grow and expand, we need good ethical human beings in the society.”

This was stated by Kesonyu Yhome, Secretary, Finance & PHED, Government of Nagaland felicitation programme for HSLC & HSSLC Naga toppers 2021 organised by the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on September 2 at the Capital Convention Centre, Kohima.

Altogether, 70 students were acknowledged for their outstanding performances with 49 HSLC toppers, 14 from Arts, 6 Science toppers and one from Commerce stream.

High unemployment rates a ‘big concern’
Meanwhile, highlighting the problems of unemployment in the state, Yhome said unemployment continues to remain a very big concern with Nagaland ranking the highest in the whole of Northeast and the second highest India with 17.4% in 2018-19. The State has regained the highest rate as the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2029-20, at 24.7% against the national average of 4.8%.

In this connection, he drew attention to a survey report conducted by the Department of Evaluation in 2007 on the number of non-local workforce in major areas of the state namely Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung.  

Out of 13,380 shops were surveyed, the total number of non-local workforce earning their livelihood in the three sample districts were estimated at 45, 815 with an annual income of Rs. 450 crore, he informed quoting the report. 

Correlating the survey finding with unemployment, Yhome questioned, “Where do you think all this money circulation is going? Do you see any Nagas taking up manual jobs?”

To this, he stated that the large amount money is being remitted out of the State.

Nagas are not ready to take up manual jobs because “we are not ready and willing, nor do we have the capacity in terms of skill sets, or the desire because we feel that we are educated and it’s below our dignity to take up such jobs,” he further observed.

Easy living, laziness recipe for corruption? 
“One of the main concerns I have about the state and its future is about how we have become so easy living,” stated Yhome with grave concern. “Every level of the community in the state have become prone and vulnerable to making easy money,” he observed, 

One of the key reason to this, he said was because Nagas have become lazy. “Our living standards doesn’t commensurate with our income. Our living standards are only getting better, or rather more ambitious while our earning doesn’t match our living standards.”

To this, Yhome regrettably added, “We are ready to do almost anything to earn easy money” and exhorting the students, he wondered: “When you are face with challenges and failures tomorrow, will we will be tempted to take this route of easy living and easy money?” 

This is a concern we should all take home and spread around us, said Yhome and asserted that  “these are issues we all have to collectively address both from within the government and from outside the government.”

 “This is the beginning of life, the real taste of life and challenges will only begin from now. Remember that success is not always measured by how high you have reached, but it is often measured by how strong you fight back when you fail,” the IAS officer reminded

Besides academic excellence, Yhome asserted that enhancing mental maturity to understand things in a broader perspective, which are not confined to textbooks, is more important today.

“It is important for us to have a clear vision and understand where we stand in the society today and contribute something to the society” he added.

NSF President, Kegwayhun Tep also urged the students to persistently follow their dreams and aspirations through hardwork and determination, and added that they should aspire to be contributors to the society and not a liability.

Paradigm shift in career path
During the programme, it was observed that there is a paradigm shift in career path - a huge transition from the conventional view of career option to be either a doctor or an engineer. 

About 80% of the toppers of the HSLC and HSSLC have spelled their aspiration to be in civil service while some opted to be criminal lawyer, theologian, professors etc others have candidly stated though no specific career path has been charted out, they expressed their desire to live a meaningful life and be a contributor to the society.

This is a good indication with the present generation expanding their visions, as for decades, Nagas have confined their option to doctors and engineers as the only two career paths for themselves and their children.