I begin by stating that I do not include the Eastern Naga Student Bodies, especially the Eastern Naga College Student’s Union in this article. What is a Union or an Association? A union or association is formed to protect the rights and interests of its members and to further their cause. So, the sole purpose of a student body is to protect the rights of students and to promote the welfare of students, period.
But as with all things we primitive Nagas do, our student bodies have no clue as to their purpose. Other people have student unions and associations, so we formed them too. But ours have no substance, only show, so that the office bearers can strut around like petty little peacocks and use their positions for their personal profit, on their road to Local and state politics; poking their long, pimpled, hairy noses wherever their patrons point them to, like good obedient dogs; and leaving students , across all educational levels and institutions, at the mercy of the vultures running our educational system, both Governmental and Private.
Did any union even think to inquire why the avaricious empty heads at the State Council for Education and Research keep changing text books and the Matriculate Syllabus every few years? Even scientists at the forefront of Research in Theoretical Physics have not come up with as many papers as the windbags at the SCERT have changed the syllabi and text books of our poor students.
about the Midday Meal Scheme for Government Schools? When Mr. Vetsutso Shoji, a Head Teacher complained in social media about cash deductions from the sanctioned amounts, the Student Unions were noticeable by their silence. When he appealed for help because he faced persecution because of his honesty, only a Konyak gentleman offered the help of the Eastern Naga Unions.
I never would have know about the delay in the disbursement of scholarship if not for the admirably courageous and principled battle waged by the ENCSU against the hyenas in our government. And now it turns out, surprise, money has been stolen!
And our private schools are no better. With rare exceptions, they have become market places where everything from books, both text and note, without uniformity (Classes LKG to 8) are sold. Uniforms, with the exception of underwear and shoes are sold by the educational institution itself, with random changes every once in a while, so that parents are forced to buy the new uniforms. Fees are raised without any appreciable raise in the teacher’s salaries. One could go on forever. I use these few examples to illustrate the uselessness of our student bodies. The institutions run by the Roman Catholics are better so it gives us more grounds for envy and Catholic-bashing. We Nagas are such a sad and pathetic people with egos that Idi Amin would have envied.
When a fee is asked for and received, the recipient owes the giver a service. Student Bodies who take Membership fees or dues from their Members owe their Members a Service. Our Student Bodies have failed miserably in doing anything for our students; and the biggest culprit is the Naga Student’s Federation; it has become the Non Sense Federation. It serves no purpose for the students, it seems to be a political offshoot of the party in Government. I have not forgotten the imbroglio over the Tulini incident. The Sumi Kiphimi Kukhakulu (All Sumi Student’s Union) has neither demanded the resignation of the 2 Sumi Representatives to the NSF, who, apparently, were responsible for the whole mess, nor explained anything. I stand firm in my resolve to keep my children away from any Student Body that is connected with either the SKK or the NSF.
