Sechü Zubza (Kohima), April 13 (EMN): Social activist Niketu Iralu has called for concerted efforts from every citizen to make the environment clean and green. He said that ‘no social, political and economic problem’ was ‘greater than the effort to heal and beautify earth.’
Formally launching the Sechü Zubza Youth Organisation’s “Year of sanitation & plantation” programme on Thursday today, Iralu, made an ardent call to the people to undertake serious effort to protect the environment and preserve our ecosystem.
Sechü Zubza is located near Kohima town.
“No social, political and economic problem is greater than the effort to heal and beautify our mother earth. Therefore, environmental issues should be our top most concern and priority instead of the existing social, political and economic problems,” said Iralu. He is also a trustee at Centre for North East Studies & Policy Research, in Guwahati and New Delhi.
“Environmental issues have become a global concern. It will be foolish on the part of humans to destroy and damage the creation of God,” Iralu said. He has urged individuals to contribute their part in taking good care of earth.
Referring to the organisation’s ‘year of sanitation and plantation,’ Niketu Iralu lauded the youth for providing leadership in an effort to make the village clean and green.
“Going by its location, Sechü Zubza has so much advantage, and we should make the best use of the opportunities given to us. Sometimes, we tend to live in our own comfort and forget the challenges that lie ahead of us. Let us learn to be responsible citizens and progress as a people,” he said.
“Give your best to others, so that others will give back their best to you. Likewise, let us give our best to mother earth. Let us not bow down, but instead give our best to confront the issues that concerns our environment and ecosystem.”
In SZYO’s response to contribute to the wellbeing of the environment, he felt it would send a strong message for others to follow. “Let us learn to be responsible citizens, and keep on marching forward as we surge ahead,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, SZYO president Viketouzo Meyase said that the sanitation and plantation drive was organised with the aim to make Sechü Zubza a clean and green village.
“Under this banner, our effort is to clean up all the mess in and around the village jurisdiction, including the rivers, streams, institutions, etc,” he said.
All the villagers and people who pass through should refrain from littering the village anymore beginning from this day,” he said. He maintained that the effort to clean Sechü Zubza will remain a big task as the village was located along the stretch of National Highway 29.
Stating that there have been cases in the past when people ‘from outside’ had dumped truckloads of waste within the village’s jurisdiction, the SZYO president cautioned that ‘defaulters’ would be ‘strictly penalised’ if caught.
He added that the youth organisation will be undertaking constant efforts to fulfil their objective of making Sechü Zubza clean. He has urged every citizen in concern to join hands in the venture. Following the programme, a mass social work was carried out. Villagers from all the five colonies of the village, including the schools and government institutions, participated.
On the day, Niketu Iralu also planted a sapling, besides officers from the establishments of the SDO (civil), health and police.
Niketu Iralu on Thursday underscored the need to improve the education system at the primarily level, especially the Lower Primary Schools run by the State government.
Iralu observed with regret that ‘our society tends to neglect the Lower Primary Schools in the State, by giving them lesser emphasis and concern.’
It is a well known fact that majority of the parents in the entire State prefers in sending their children to private schools. This is because the government run schools have not performed to the expectation if we were to go by the academic results over the years. It may be recalled that Minister of School Education, Yitachu, in his address to middle level officers of School Education department on Wednesday, said that Nagaland is the only State in our country where the enrolment of students in private schools is higher than government schools.
Likewise, Iralu categorically pointed out that the improvement of the education system of Lower Primary Schools will be prove out to be crucial as our society surges ahead in catching up with the rest of the world.
“If we improve the education system at lower levels, it will automatically lead to improvement of performance in middle schools and high schools, and later to colleges and universities. How can we dream and think of having good colleges and universities if the education system of Lower Primary Schools is not up to the standard,” he pondered.
To this, he challenged the people of Sechü Zubza, particularly the village council and Village Education Committee, to have the target in setting up the best LP schools in the State. It may be mentioned that, at present, there are three LP schools in Sechü Zubza at Tsurü, Liezha and Kherüthi blocks respectively.
“Can Sechü Zubza, as a growing town, come up with the best Lower Primary Schools in Nagaland,” Iralu challenged maintaining that this task is possible if all the stakeholders makes a concerted effort towards this goal.
