KOHIMA, JUNE 3 : 28 Naga students from among the year’s High School Leaving Certificate board toppers were felicitated on Friday at a program organized by the Naga Students’ Federation at the Zonal Council Hall in Kohima town. The chief secretary of Nagaland, Pankaj Kumar, was the chief guest of the event.
Altogether 27 toppers from the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) and one from the Manipur Board of School Education (MBSE) were felicitated during the event.
The chef secretary addressed the program. Congratulating the students, Pankaj Kumar said in his speech that being a ‘topper’ was not important. ‘…but it is more important to keep on doing well at what you are good,’ the chief administrator said.
‘When one achieves success, it is often useful to take some time for reflection to step back and think about as to what went well and what did not go so well,’ Kumar said. Unlike in the past years when students aspired only to become doctors and engineers, he observed, the younger generation today had ‘become smarter and more aware: they are now opting for various spheres of profession such as gynecology, neurology, astrophysics, botany and psychiatry.’
Reminding the students that there was no substitute for hard work nor was there any room for complacence, Kumar maintained that they should ‘become more confident as a result of this success.’ He encouraged the students to remember what ‘habit and practice’ helped them achieve success. They may use the same approach, he said, but advised against allowing success to ‘get it to the head.’
Kumar also advised the students to set goals and focus on them, keep the pace and stick to plan. ‘Human quest is endless and human endeavor is constant,’ he said, ‘…new vision will become visible as they continue to rise and stand at the peak.’
However, they need to strive harder to achieve their full potential,’ the chief secretary said.
Reminding the students about the society’s expectation on them, the state official encouraged them to be mindful of the factors that contributed to their success, when to go out to build a career. Pankaj Kumar expressed hope that the toppers of today would be ‘toppers of tomorrow.’
In his address, the NSF’s president Subenthung Kithan congratulated the toppers for bringing laurels to the Naga and the state. Calling their recent success a tip of the iceberg, Kithan advised them not to fall to ‘the ego of being a topper.’ There are many things to achieve in the future but only through one’s sweat and determination, they can be achieved, he said.
The student leader also urged the students not to forget their creator, but to ‘fear God and allow him to be their guidance in all their future endeavors.’
‘Do your best and let God do the rest,’ he added.
A student, Phepon P Meya, a top-6 rank, spoke on behalf of the toppers. Meya said that the recognition offered by the NSF would serve as an encouragement for them to strive harder and achieve greater success in life.
Attributing the success to their parents and teachers for their constant support and care, the student said success did not come easy. It was similar to an ‘obstacle race with many hardships and sacrifices,’ she explained.
However, Meya is grateful that their hard work and sacrifice paid off. She has called upon her friends to continue to strive for the best, and also be ‘agents of change for the Naga society.’
