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PB Acharya poses for a group photograph with members of the SSWBT and beneficiaries at Kohima town on June 21.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 21 (EMN): 80 students from ten districts of Nagaland were awarded a stipend and scholarship amount of Rs 9, 500 each through the Semoma Students Welfare Board Trust (SSWBT) and Dorabji Tata Trust Wednesday morning at a function at the Raj Bhavan in Kohima town.
The Tata Trusts is sponsoring fully the stipend and scholarship besides sponsoring–for a period of three years from 2016–33 girls who are residing in a girl’s hostel called ‘Rural Area Girl Students Hostel’ in the government high school locality in Kohima.
It was informed that 33 girls students in the hostel were given 50% subsidy inclusive for free tuition in Hindi, mathematics and science, medicine and medical services; modern amenities, occasional exposure trips within the state and outside; and games and sport, among others.
Eight students from eastern Nagaland are also beneficiaries. The scholarship for 2016 was said to have been released on March 13, 2016, by the then deputy commissioner of Kohima, Rovilato Mor, at Khonoma.
Addressing the programme as the chief guest, governor of Nagaland PB Acharya congratulated the board for its efforts in ‘giving back to the society’ by empowering the people of Nagaland.
Pointing out that there was no dearth of ‘empowered people’ in the state, Acharya lamented that ‘we condemn ourselves as tribal’ and thereby ‘crush our whole ideology at the altar of self-pity.’ He explained that education should focus on empowering the individual for them to become assets to the society ‘though giving back to the people’ and societies in need.
Acharya cautioned that education should not be self-centred or for selfish gain. When education becomes self-centred to accumulate wealth, power and status, he said, the person becomes a ‘looter’ giving birth to corruption, nepotism.
Stating that religion makes a man a better person, Acharya noted that the Naga were a well-organised society with the church having made the people a strong society. However, he lamented that these good values were not being reflected in the development of the state.
Therefore, he said that the true purpose of education should be toward sharing and caring for the society. Only then, he said that the Naga as a society will progress.
The students were also urged to be the game changers of the society through education and skill development that is employable. They were also urged to have responsibility for their fellowmen.
Further, the secretary for the SSWBT, Kuolacalie Seyie expressed in his keynote address a strong belief that the holistic growth and development of a society begins from elementary education. The SSWBT was formed in January 2000 at Khonoma, to promote elementary education to the deserving students in rural areas, especially the girl child who gets pressured to work at home or in the field rather than studies due to economic circumstances.
The official informed that SSBWT has been granting stipend and scholarship to about 38 to 43 students each year for the last 15 years from its own contribution, which covers their admission and tuition fees. The Board also gives free tuition for the elementary students during the crucial months each year in the village and carry our community services in the village.
In 2006, he said the Board collaborated with the Tata Trusts through the initiation of Niketu Iralu, locally renowned social activist from Nagaland besides senior journalists Neerja Choudhury and Rupa Chinai from Mumbai.
While appreciating the Tata Trusts for their immense contribution, Seyie encouraged the students to use the stipend wisely towards their education, keep encouraging and one another in prayer in faith and in action so as to make a better world for us all.
