Jan Shikshan Sansthan (Sanskrit) which can be translated in English as ‘Institute of Peoples Education’ is an institution run by a group of young enthusiastic Nagas. This is an organization sponsored by The Ministry of Human Resource Development of India. It is registered under The State co-operative Societies ACT of 1860. The objective of this organization is to impart human empowerment, especially to the ST/ SC/OBC and the downtrodden women for their livelihood; and also to impart literacy linked programmes in context to our society. At present the organization is operating only within the jurisdiction of Dimapur.
The trainings and schemes being undertaken by the organization are cutting and tailoring, soft-doll making, pickle products. They also provide computer training classes. The institute consists of 7 staffs and 6 resource persons. The Chairman of the organization Imlikokba is a recipient of Rashtriya Rattan. He is an avid social worker, focusing more of his work towards the downtrodden and the unprivileged section of the people.
The office is located at Duncan- Fellowship junction, Dimapur. Work and training activities are being looked after by the member Secretary- John. H. who is also the Director in charge. The institution has 12 prominent persons on their board of management including one representative from the Government of India, one from the State Education department, also from the Naga Hoho and members representing other NGOs.
The Institute is current
ly running with fifty to sixty trainees engaged in different types of training. The Institute charges a very minimum fee of Rs. 100 only per month and the raw materials required are provided by the Institute. They also give attention to those who have fallen prey to HIV / AIDs and have been abandoned by the society.
The organization is also very akin to that of a school because it imparts literacy programmes in its trainings. “We say, we are a literate State but the turn out for such programmes and workshops conducted by the non-profit organizations are very low, compared to that of the non-locals, especially in the case of the youths. They are only interested in learning computer and so I ask them, will the computer provide you money? That is, if at all you can buy one? Our institution may award you a diploma certificate but we cannot help you to earn your daily wages” the Director in-charge tells the youths.
One of the new projects that the institute has on hand is loin- weaving, which resource persons say is cost effective unlike the loom-weaving which is not cost effective. In a research made by the organizers it was found that, most of the people working in the field of handloom and weaving are from Karbianglong and Arunachal, which itself indicates that Nagas have no work culture. The concept of loin-weaving has been practiced in Nagaland for generations, but this tradition of weaving is vanishing gradually. The organization therefore, has taken up this project to safeguard the old tradition and at the same time, encourage the Naga youths to learn the trade for self-employment and create income alternatives.
Atong, Sunep, Peter
