Many people have expressed their views, opinions and concerns against the admission of Naga Students from Southern Nagas, 4 Hill Districts of Manipur to Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) to appear NBSE examination in 2007. The DAN Government under the dynamic leadership of Shri. Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister and his able Ministry were blamed for allowing Southern Naga Students to take admission in NBSE.
The plain truth and ground reality is that 4 Hill (Naga) Districts of Manipur inhabited by Naga people such as Ukhrul, Chandel, Tamenglong and Senapati were included under the administration of Manipur Government by the Britishers without the consent and knowledge of the Naga people. This has been done against the wishes of the Naga people of the 4 Hill Districts for their administration convenient.
In the meantime the Manipur Government has imposed Meiteis language upon the Naga Students of 4 Hill Districts against the wishes or the Naga people and Naga Students to erase the culture, language and history of the Nagas in the state. The Naga Students community under the banner of NSF protested against forced imposition of Meiteis language upon the Southern Naga Students by Manipur Government.
Seeing the arrogant attitude of Meiteis people, Manipur Government and also the serious condition of thousands of Naga Students, whose academic year could be in jeopardy, Shri. Neiphiu Rio having farsightedness vision and DAN Government’s bold decision saved the situation in time. The credit goes to Shri. Neiphiu Rio and his DAN Government and their noble deeds will be remembered by the Southern Naga people in particular and the Nagas in general in days to come.
To clear doubts and to see the clear picture in this affiliation issue let me share the following points with the Nagas of Nagai and state.
Post Matric Scholarship:- Post Matric Scholarship to Students and grand-in-aid to schools for any state or the country is founded by the centre. Thousands of students from Nagaland state were studying in Shillong, Guwahati, New Delhi and Mumbai etc, and graduated from those colleges and universities but their admissions and studies does not disturb the post matric scholarship of those states. Similarly the post matric scholarship for Naga Students of Nagaland state will not be disturbed by admitting Southern Naga Students in schools under NBSE. The present pattern will follow in the state.
Arts Stream :- After Degree course under Nagaland university, most students sit for the NPSE exams. The posts recruited through NPSC arc for the Nagas of Nagaland state. The quota reserved for the Naga students of Nagaland state wi11 not be disturbed by Southern Naga students till integration is achieved.
Science Stream: - Students from Southern Nagas admitted to NBSE will not force to share the limited seats reserved for the students of Nagaland state. Many students from Southern Nagas graduated from Nagaland University but they did not try to share the seats’ till now. The stream for getting admission in Medical and Engineering colleges through Joint Entrance exams will be as usual.
Employment: - The Students from Southern Nagas has no right to claim for employment in Government services by simply getting admission under NBSE till the long cherished dreams of integration is achieved. Hence job sharing with the Southern Naga Students does not arise at all. After Degree courses most of the Southern Naga students goes for central services and enterprises.
Affiliation: - The present arrangement is for” Education” only. This will not hamper or disturb anything for the students from Nagaland state and its functions in near future.
In conclusion, it is no wise to raise unreasonable topic by exposing our weakness to the other people. Now people were more educated, more intelligent, more sophisticated and our societies become computerized society. Be realistic and avoid destructive criticism in days to come in order to build Naga society a “Strong Society”.
CD. Chaomai
Social Worker Tahamzam (Senapati)
