Seminars on youth mental health and decolonising Naga history were hosted by Pfutsero Government College and Modern College.
DIMAPUR — Pfutsero Government College and Modern College, Piphema, organised academic seminars focusing on youth mental health and the decolonisation of Naga history, respectively.
Pfutsero Government College (PGC) organised the one-day seminar on the theme “Supporting young minds: Building hope and resilience”.
The seminar was organised by the Mental Health Cell, Department of Sociology, and Department of Education of the college with the objective of creating awareness among students about mental health, common challenges, and ways of developing emotional well-being and resilience.
Veronica Nriame, Psychiatric Social Worker from the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) at Naga Hospital Authority, Kohima, and Chuti Semy, Counsellor at Rengma Baptist Church, served as resource persons.
During the first technical session, Nriame spoke on mental health as a positive dimension of overall well-being, highlighting that it is not merely the absence of mental illness but involves the ability to cope with everyday challenges, regulate emotions, and lead a productive life.
Also read: Nagaland University to host national conference on biodiversity, climate resilience
Colleges and schools in Nagaland celebrate freshers' meet programmes
She addressed common mental health concerns affecting young people, including depression, anxiety, suicide, internet addiction, substance abuse, and stress. While discussing substance abuse, she cautioned students against experimenting with drugs, reminding them that their lives should not be treated as a lab for experimenting with substances.
During the second technical session, Semy, speaking on “Understanding addiction: A biopsychosocial perspective”, explained that addiction is a learned and compulsive behaviour driven by the brain’s reward system. He pointed out that addiction extends beyond substance use to include gambling, gaming, social media, internet use, streaming, reels, and online shopping.
To break the cycle, he suggested dopamine fasting, self-binding strategies, setting boundaries, uninstalling addictive apps, and learning to tolerate discomfort.
Modern College, Piphema, held its annual state-level students' seminar on August 21. Organised by the Department of History, the seminar was held on the theme “Cultural interpretation and social transformation: Decolonising Naga history”.
The seminar was supported by the Department of Art and Culture. Head of the Department of Political Science at Tetso College Dr. T Cholichem Sangtam was the keynote speaker.
The keynote speaker spoke on the need to critically examine and decolonise how Naga history, culture, and knowledge have been represented, highlighting the importance of reclaiming the Naga voice by questioning inherited texts and listening to indigenous voices.
Decolonisation, Dr. Sangtam clarified, does not mean rejecting everything written but rather creating the space to speak from one’s own experiences and perspectives.
The seminar featured four technical sessions where student researchers presented 21 papers on topics including oral traditions, customary laws, and indigenous knowledge.
Paper presenters from multiple colleges, including St. Joseph University, Modern College, Tetso College, St. Xavier College (Senapati, Manipur), Baptist College, Sazolie College, Capital College of Higher Education, Mt. Olive College, and Don Bosco College, participated.
The best presenters of the seminar were awarded: Tsuvie-o Koza of Baptist College (third position); Nungshibenla of Tetso College and Asieno Kielienyü and Pezangunuo Pfukri of Modern College (second position); and Lamgousang and Neizokholie of Modern College (first position).