Thepfulhouvi Solo
Ministers and Politicians were not known when I passed Class 10, 55 years ago in 1957. The highest Officers in the then Naga Hills were One DC and one Commissioner who could not get better job in other place.
I was considered a bit of a ‘Phoodoo’ in my family female gender circles endearingly of course and was taken not smart enough to admit myself in the College. So my late elder brother who spent unconscionable many years in Class 5 admitted me in I.Sc. -Intermediate Science in Shillong.
Not very articulate in English and unable to comprehend Calculus or Sin Ø + Cos Ø = 1, I used to remain quiet in the Class like an Owl in the day time among strange very talkative boys and few girls.
And thought secretly I thought I might have been born to change the World, hard realities reminded me I was no better than Second Class Stuff -not of the honorable First Class Stuff- having missed 1st Division in Metric by 18 marks, in Intermediate Science by 0.2 marks and in B. Sc. (Hons) First Class by half of a mark (0.5).
So ended my study career an unsatisfied Second Class Stuff. The circumstances in which I could not get One whole mark more in the College Exams is so interesting you could get a Ph.D. on it but if I mention them it would disturb your study. So I would not disturb you with that.
I liked the simple jungle life of hunting; the sophisticated City life makes me nervous and I thought Forest Service would allow me unlimited chance for hunting. I have shot Wild Boar, a record 18ft 4inch Python with a freshly swallowed Deer inside, one very long King Cobra, a Leopard, even missed shooting a Ghost by the width of a whisker one dark night, a rogue Elephant and my statistical records of other animals and birds have been lost.
I walked from Mon to Tobu in Tuensang along the Nagaland-Burma Border through the Jungle alone on foot in 5 days when the proud turbulent Nagas had not completely ended their head hunting. I sneaked into Burma without a Permit and was kept hidden deep in the jungle by Villagers from marauding Burmese army operations, I walked up and down the length and breadth of Nagaland and the State Map is in my Knee-Cap, not in my head. I drifted down the turbulent Doyang river for 5 days in a Bamboo Bundle with a discarded Fiat Car rubber tube patched in several places across my shoulder and armpit because I do not Swim.
I was confidently hopeful I could sit in the Union Public Service Commission Examination for Indian Forest Service. And this time the Second Class fellow got a little better than the Gandhi Class of Tribal Quota in the first attempt.
But on joining the Service I forgetfully converted into a Conservationist that provided me the chance to be selected for a teaching stint at the Indian Forest College, Dehra Dun; as a resource person to give lectures to the Indian Administrative Service Trainees at National Institute of Administration in Mussoorie when by chance I became the First Principal Secretary to the Government of Nagaland from the Indian Forest Service.
During my Service I became a very difficult friend and a heavy Cross to the NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K) and retired voluntarily on a Pension Pay never dreamed of in my wildest dreams, at one and a half times more than when I was in Service, I take home every month from the Bank a little uneasily but very thankfully and happy I would not like to exchange my life with others!
The reason I am doing so much self trumpeting here is that many of my class friends who I considered ordinary common Second Class Stuff like me became Ministers; one Football Teammate even Chief Minister and a nice very agreeable class Mate a bit down the Scale, very fond of Cinema in College days, ended as the Chief Justice of a State. Of the Class Friends who became Commander-in-Chiefs, major Generals and Lieutenant Generals in the Naga National Service are beyond my recounting. In the State too, many became big shots I did not imagine.
A man or a woman’s happiness comes not from how easily he or she attains high position but from how tortuously he or she endured difficulties on the way.
My advice to the Student is this: Just study very hard single minded, hard enough to pass at least in 2nd Class and become foolish enough to be DCs and Commissioners. And even if you cannot attain that, do not worry; it is not the people in the Mensa Club alone that always succeeds: Bill Gate and Einstein were College drop-outs. My hunch is that you can become the CEO of your own Company or at least you may have enough scoundrel in you to join Politics, become MLA or Minister or Chief Minister to turn Nagaland upside down!
Do not worry about your future, just Study very hard blindly.
Let me also mention two things not taught in any academic Institutions:
i. You must have INITIATIVE: Initiative means doing something good to others without being asked.
ii. You must also be unusually HONEST: then nobody can prevent the world from spotting you.
(This Write-up was sent for publication in the Annual Student Magazine of CROSS College, Lerie)
