The aftermath of the 26th Feb. agitation still lingers in the campus. A cold-war between the students and the college authority, the faculty staff and the wardens, each in anticipation of what steps the other party might make. The very word ‘trust’ seems to have evaporated from the minds of every Patkaian which has created an aura of slitable tension.
Forgive my intrusion into your family affair but I thought it necessary to have a say on behalf of us – the expelled students. The college authority had rested the blame on us and we have accepted the punishment; if not as punishment by the college authority or the faculty, but for the realization of having bruised the pride of Patkai Christian College.
I don’t see why the corpse of the 26th Feb should still be dragged around the campus. We have requested the students to discard the hope of having the expulsion order revoked and ‘rolled our beddings’ and even availed our transfer certificate. The students’ suspicion of further disciplinary action have also been rectified with the Principal’s assurance that no more expulsion order would be issued on the ground of the 26th. At this juncture, it is a necessity that a re-reconciliatory meeting be held without anybody’s intervention, and this time without dissecting forgiveness and justice.
My request to the students is that you should not nurture the guilt of having failed to revoke the expulsion orders or hold yourselves responsible for the expulsion. It’s hard I know, but forgive and forget all that has happened since the 26th Feb and initiate measures to attain normalcy in the College.
In Nagaland, Patkai Christian College has remained unrivalled in academic excellences, and the 26th Feb incident does not, in any way, prove that the college has been overrated. The people should know that the 26th was a renaissance in the college and that the incident has polished Patkai of its earlier crudeness. What time could be more right for Patkai to stop a while, look into its functioning and rectify the loop-holes before aspiring for further heights. The college has been designated the autonomy title by the UGC in 2005 and this incident has armoured the college in its struggle for supremacy in the hierarchy of autonomous colleges in India.
The 26th Feb incident that actually began as a kitchen problem has now inflated to a more complex issue resulting in the revival of every administrative department. For the first time since its inception, the 33 year old institution has bored through its ancient ways of functioning, ruled out weaknesses or inconveniences and have suggested corrective measures. The 26th Feb incident has demarcated an epoch in the history of Patkai, and the institution is better equipped for further challenges, like the Roman Catholic Church after the reformation Movement of the 16th century.
Truly, God has worked wonders in Patkai Christian College and He has now paved the way for the glory of the College. We, Lal Bal Pal – as the students nick named us – only feel sorry that our years in Patkai had to be sacrificed for the cause. But the Principal has prayed for our better future and with this ray of hope, we shall boldly march towards our destiny. All that we wish for is that, in the future whenever Patkai Christian College brags about its glorious achievements, the 26th February incident be silently remembered as the immediate cause that had triggered the unprecedented growth.
Long Live Patkai!
Innoka Awomi K
Purana Bazar, Dimapur
