Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, July 6 (EMN): Minister of higher and technical education, Temjen Imna Along Longkumer, today said that the people of Nagaland are at the threshold where they can either break it or make it. In this regard, the minister has questioned everyone including the students, faculty, and parents whether they were willing to accept the change or be the change for the growth of Nagaland.
The minister said this at the fresher’s day cum annual day programme at Unity College in Dimapur on July 6. The minister also unveiled the foundation stone of the Unity College Academic Block II in the college premises.
In his address, Along stated that the Nagas have not yet nurtured their inner potential to benefit the society. He said, “If you don’t aspire with all of your heart, if you don’t dream with all of your minds, and if you don’t put all of your efforts in what you are trying to do, you will only be a certificate holder.”
Stating that the students are the future of the society, Along urged the students to put all their energies and ask the blessings of God to achieve their desired goal. The minister also advised the students to have compassion for the weaker section and predominantly for the society rather than for themselves. By doing that, Along asserted that God would help them and be a blessing on earth.
Speaking about the role of teachers and college, the minister said that if teachers cannot infuse the kind of knowledge to achieve the dreams of the people, it would remain just be a college. Along added that if the faculty and the college cannot work to fulfil the aspirations of the Naga people and truly develop the society by enriching the youngsters, the college would be an unaccomplished one.
The minister opined that students could play a greater role in defining themselves and that no situations or circumstances can stop them from being empowered if they want to be. Along also urged the students to fulfil the aspirations of their parents and their people saying, ‘the beautiful uniforms and makeup that you put to be charming and acceptable, the anxiousness and zeal that you have to be accepted by your friends and the faculty is not greater than the aspirations and the dreams that your parents hold with you.’
The minister in his concluding remarks welcomed the freshers to the flight of their life stating that it was up to the freshers to decide about their flight.
“You are sitting at the journey of your life where there is no emergency exit, where you cannot escape your responsibilities. You have to fly, how you want to fly is your wish, whether you want to enjoy the flight or just sit and sleep or start a conversation with your neighbour and make your flight exciting,” he stated.
“There is no danger and risk greater than the risk you take for others. There is no greater hope, than to hope not only for you but for others. There is no greater faith, than to have faith not only for you but for others, and there is no greater strength that you can possess than to have strength not only for you but for all our people. It is not very easy to live that way. We may fail but we have to be strong enough to go on with our dream and aspiration for a better society,” the minister concluded.
The college’s principal, Dr. SK Chhabra, gave a report on the affairs of the college in the recent years and its achievements. He mentioned that the college was established in the year 2007 with only around 300 students, which has grown to 15, 000 plus students as of now. The special invitee Imna Along honoured the 19 successful candidates, who recently graduated from the college in Arts and Commerce with high percentage.
