KOHIMA, JUNE 9: Sixty-one Guides and fifty-six Scouts from different educational institutions of Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha and Kiphire districts were today honoured with the Rajya Puraskar Award 2016 by the State Governor, PB Acharya, at a function held in Raj Bhavan.
The Rajya Puraskar, also called as the Governor’s Award, is the highest recognition at the State level given to young cadets under the Nagaland State Bharat Scouts & Guides (BS&G) after being tested as per the prescribed norms by the national headquarters.
Lauding the state BS&G movement for laying emphasis on training the youth for developing leadership qualities under various programmes, the Governor said these initiatives imparted to students at a very young age would go a long way in transforming the lives of individuals as well as the society. He maintained that Nagaland today requires leadership of the youth and felt that the State BS&G’s guiding motto ‘Duty to God, Duty to Others and Duty to Self’ could help establish a more dynamic society in Nagaland. In this regard, the Governor stressed on the need to take the movement to all the districts of the State thereby percolating down to the grassroots.
“I would like to encourage the Nagaland BS&G, being a highly motivated and well organized body of the dedicated youth and experienced leadership with its strength that is non-political, to take its activities to the remote and far flung areas of the state to bring maximum possible number of youths under its ambit,” Acharya stated.
He also expressed deep concern over the state of affairs in the backward and remote areas of Nagaland such as lack of basic infrastructure, amenities, schools without proper teachers etc. He is of the view that many Nagas are empowered with education but they have a challenge in front of them- to do away with dormant energy- and realize that the ultimate goal of education is to meet the needs of the society.Pointing out that the Central and State governments have many welfare schemes and projects meant for the welfare and uplift of the poor as well as schemes that could develop and strengthen the society, yet, he said the targeted beneficiaries are unaware of these schemes. The Governor blamed that the people of Nagaland are still suffering due to the collective failure of the educated and empowered people.
He also cited that the state’s budget allocation for education is the highest but the government schools are yielding weakest results, while teachers in many interior areas are there only in paper. “It is shameful that not even one student awardee today is from a government school,” he said, adding all these factors indicated that “our social service” is lacking. Asserting that prosperity, development and peace should not be the agenda of the government or political parties alone, Acharya underscored for the educated to review their mindset and strive to become nodal agents of change in the Naga society.
The greatest challenge for them, according to him, is to elevate the lives and the conditions of the backward areas by utilizing hidden energy and reaching out to the needy and that the younger generation should be encouraged not to let their vitality go dormant.
The State BS&G Chief Commissioner, Khyomo Lotha, in his opening remarks, said young students need to be given practical training besides academic education to build their characters and become useful members/contributors of the society. The Bharat Scouts & Guides movement, he maintained, is an apt platform to impart such training, as they are trained to serve the society guided by a motto of ‘service to others’.
During the programme, Director of Youth Resources & Sports and Vice President NSBS&G, Asangla Imti, and the Rural Development Officer, Thease Thongtsar, were inducted as ‘life members’ to the movement, which was administered by the State Organising Commissioner & Officiating State Secretary, John Tochimong. Young Scouts and Guides of The Vineyard School Kohima enthralled the gathering with a song on the occasion.
