It is neither late nor early to say adieu to BSEM. After 52 days of economic blockage, the Manipur Government is badly hit once again by the syllabus issue. When there is unrest in the hill areas of Manipur simultaneously there is a trouble in Imphal valley. The exodus of the private schools in the four hill districts of Manipur to NBSE is going to be a landmark achievement for Naga students. The NSF and ANSAM are pressuring hard the central government to affiliate or merge all the private schools of four hill districts to NBSE. HRD Minister Arjun Singh has given a positive nod that the Naga students in Manipur would be allowed to take the prescribed text books and syllabus of NBSE instead of BSEM.
As many as 163 existing private schools with the total strength of 55,000 students approximately are intensively using the prescribed text books and syllabus of NBSE. On the contrary, the prescribed text books and syllabus of BSEM has been abandoned and completely cosigned it into flames. The exit of 163 private schools from BSEM and entry to NBSE will create a lot of good implications to the Nagas.
The chief minister of Manipur O. Ibobi Singh made a lighting decision that his government will derecognize any school using the prescribed text books of the NBSE. He made an order to all the district administrators to enquire the matter and table the report within 15 days without further delay. I was deeply pierced by his unmindful statement. Instead of negotiating and finding an adjustable solution he threatened to derecognize the schools. Article 29 (I) of the Indian Constitution has given the right of the minority to maintain its language or script, it also enables them to run their own educational institutions and the state cannot compel to attempt any institutions which are not liked by them.
The text books prescribed by BSEM are not relevant to the Naga students. The Meitei authors cunningly distorted and concocted all the facts. They carefully deleted the term Nagas E.g. Tangkhul Naga, Mao Naga, Maram Naga, etc and started replacing Manipuri Tangkhul, Manipuri Mao which is very odd to the Nagas. During the anti-ceasefire agitation they proclaimed loudly that there is no Nagas in Manipur. This has damaged the age old relationship between the two communities beyond repair.
The hill people have many truckloads of grievances towards the Manipur government. There are sizeable schools and colleges in Imphal. But only few schools not to mention Govt aided colleges in hill areas. The school buildings and infrastructures in the hill areas were beyond horrible and dismal. No sufficient teachers are employed there. Some teachers will visit the school at the end of the month to put his/her initial for the whole month, so that his/her pay will not deduct.
It is really strange in a far flung area almost all the students do not have required text books through out the year. Out of six or seven periods in a day hardly teachers taught them two or three periods. Can Manipur government possible to impart quality education to hills people? One can easily answer a big ‘No’?
Today, the dream of the Naga students is to have a common syllabus to all the Naga students under one board. Bringing together all the schools under one administrative unit will further prevent the unnecessary exploitation and discrimination met out to the Naga students. This is the reason NSF and ANSAM are striving their best to affiliate or merge all the 163 private schools to NBSE. Hurrah NSF and ANSAM for their tireless service. Whatever it might be good or bad we shall venture to the NBSE. So there is no question of turning back.
Chache Lokho
