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opinion/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post Vol. XXVI NO. 173 Dimapur, wednesday, June 1, 2016

Service and self

t was an unexpected surprise when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement to extend the retirement age of central government doctors from 60 to 65 years so as to meet the growing demands in the country. Modi made the announcement at a rally in Saharanpur UP, as a precursor go the formal election campaign in UP which goes to the polls in 2017. The World Health Organisation says there is only one doctor per 1,700 citizens in India against the WHO stipulated 1:1,000 ratio. Modi had responded to the shortage faced by health institutions where just seven doctors are available for every 10,000 people and only 8,350 critical specialists against required 50,000. As of March 31, 2015, more than 8 per cent of 25,300 primary health centres in the country are without a doctor, 38 per cent without a laboratory technician, and 22 per cent had no pharmacist. Nearly 50 per cent of posts for female health assistants and 61 per cent for male health assistants remain vacant. In community health centres, the vacancy figure is grimmer— surgeons (83 per cent), obstetricians and gynaecologists is estimated at 6 per cent, physicians (83 per cent), and paediatricians (82 per cent). Even in health facilities where doctors, specialists, and paramedic staff have been posted, their availability remains in question because of high rates of absenteeism. The Union Ministry for Health & family Welfare admits that there are about 6-6.5 lakh doctors available in India and will need about four lakh more by 2020 — 50,000 for PHCs; 0.8 lakh for community health centres (CHC); 1.1 lakh for 5,642 sub-centres and another 0.5 lakh for medical college hospitals. This acute shortage of public sector doctors is leading to ever-increasing personal expenditures on health, and impoverishing 3.3 per cent of India’s population every year. Decision to increase the retirement age is also likely to meet the faculty need of the AIIMS like institutes which are coming in a big way across the country to reach out to the poor patients. There is also suggestion for increasing medical colleges and improving medical education to ensure quality doctors. Presently, there are more than 410 Government and private medical schools having an annual intake of 50,000 students for MBBS courses. But it is alleged that quality of medical education is not improving to the extent desired. While some believe the extension of retirement age will help patients the rural areas where young doctors are not showing interest; others feel the decision would only be a band-aid solution as the rest of the infrastructure related issues and workforce such as paramedic staff is not addressed. The apprehension expressed by some younger doctors that their promotion opportunities will be affected, if the retirement age of the government doctors is hiked, cannot be brushed aside. The government should also ensure the younger doctors are not compelled to migrate to private sector if they do not see promotion opportunity. That being so, the collateral affect of Modi’s response to the humanitarian problem could open the floodgate to similar demands among the civil services. Lengthening the retirement age of doctors or scientists etc involved with health care or research will not be a loss, unlike having many big babus hanging on to service and certainly not in public interest. Hopefully the Modi government makes a clear distinction, lest it attracts ire from millions of unemployed.

DailyDevotion Put God First Jesus did not commit Himself to them…for He knew what was in man. —John 2:24-25 Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God. Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9). A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “… tarry…until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere. Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5). God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.

Quotes

Things are never quite as scary when you have a best friend. ~ Bill Watterson

Nagaland Post, Dimapur Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Post-mortem

Why Naga students return back home M

any toppers and sincere students including the Bible college students went to different parts of India for further studies but they fail to pursue on with their studies and returned home with great discouragement. Hence, there is a great need for the parents to diagnose the reality behind this tragedy. Let us find out the root cause and heal the sickness before it is too late. 1. 4-18 years of age: Parents send their children to School at the age of 4 (which seem to be early) nevertheless with their own choice they keep their children right away in the hostel for schooling which they regard it as a better place. But there are three disadvantages: Firstly, they miss the attachment with their parents. Secondly, they are confused with their faith in Christ. Thirdly, they build closer relationship and attachment with people of bad influence. It is advisable that children should be with their parents till eighteen years of age. Nothing is better than a child being raised by the mother. Mothers are the best teacher for children and separation from mothers at a young age can give many disadvantages. Fathers should seek God’s wisdom and take up the responsibility in training up his child himself at home rather than Hostel. 2. 19-22 years of age: 19-22 years of age is a

his was an article that was written on14-092014 to awaken the conscience of the Nagas to begin to look at ourselves with some sense of pride and honour that our forerunners envisaged that we now do not even recognise. It is being put on the public domain once more to refresh our minds and to reclaim our own in the truest spirit of the Nagas that we once were and to reshape our destiny in the same spirit of forthrightness sans fear.......................... When we have travelled the long road of life, it makes sense to take a pause for a while... and look back at all the bridges that we have crossed along the way. It is then that we realise the lost opportunities: of little things we ought to have done...but didn’t; of the little things we ought not to have done...but did; where a simple deed, a kind word of encouragement that costs us nothing, could have made all the difference to someone else’s life. That little time spent on honest reflection which leads us all to the dawn of new experience and knowledge. The Good Lord gave us all the same opportunity, all at different times, for each generation to see and do or be fated never to realise that an opportunity afforded to us, just passed us by... unseen. This sensitivity of perception makes the distinction of who we really are...the good, the bad and the ugly. While trying to understand the sequence of events in the Naga political history, something struck me as an oddity. What appeared to me so totally out of tune with the Naga character, no matter which Tribe we may belong, was the failure of a generation before us and the continued lapse of our own, to honour, respect and fondly remember the simple deeds of a gone by generation whose historic landmark contribution made all the difference to our present. We have had our share of worthy personalities whose contributions have gone by unnoticed without even a word of ‘thank you’. We have let them fade away silently into the sunset, incognito, without being given an honourable space under the sun in their own lifetime. You are probably wondering what I am getting at....so let us dig into the fact of history together. Thereafter, exercise your minds accordingly with your stamp of approval or rejection. There will be a thousand and one such deserving personalities who have quietly passed on unrecognized, I would presume. For those who know other such stories...it is still not too late to let the world know about them by unselfishly sharing it with others, as a gratitude in return for their selfless act(s), remembering too that each of them must have left behind

crucial stage: the time of entering College and a desire to live an independent life. At such juncture, it is therefore advisable that they should be under the care and control of their parents with the exception of Theological College Hostel and Hostels that focuses on the spiritual life where the children would be nurtured spiritually, sometimes even better than their mothers at home. Truly speaking till 22 years of age they should not go out independently because they are still immature to have self discipline and self control. Remember at this age they are on the cross road, so if the parent are not wise enough to take care of them they are prone to go to a wrong direction of no return. After the child is spoiled the parents will tear their hearts but it would be too late and the child will ended up with chaos. Therefore, parents should not yield to their child insistence by taking the hasty decision and send them out far away from them. 3. 23-35 years of age: After Graduate to till their Ph.D, i.e., 23-35 years of age, parents can release them from the bondage of control. Now they are mature, now they will discipline themselves and be so wise to mingle with the world. This is a challenging period where they will either die with the world or survive and become leaders of the world; now it will depend on the individual.

Parents now should not have to panic or worry because they have given their best in their children’s early years therefore now relax knowing that in this period they will take care of themselves and unnecessary tension should be avoided. Because you have brought him/her up so well, this is the stage that you believe in them and uphold your children in your prayers. Now let us reason together, why Nagaland students who achieved top rankings failed to succeed or continue their studies and rather returned home? Why those who seemed to be sincere and outstanding characters returned home and shattered their parents? It is not only committed by the secular students but the theological students as well. Unexpectedly some Theological students are found as black sheep, but as a Principal of the Bible College, I discovered that many if not almost all are found as excellent people. Some unfortunate black sheep students are those who were not trained in the way of the Lord. Hence, outwardly they seem to be succeeding and flourishing but inwardly they struggle with the world, they do not walk with the Lord but living in secret sins, their private lives filled with drugs, alcohol and sexual immorality. Academically, they topped but actually they ventured out empty (without Christ) to various parts of India and the world and returned with

full of wickedness, failure and frustration. “What can men do without Christ? He’d only fall and fall and fall again.” Dear Parents of today take the right step and mould up your children in the way of the Lord from their very early age. If you could train up your child in such a way then they will never depart from the living God. Nevertheless until they are 22 years of age let them be with you, keep your eyes on them and use the remote to control them. This age is just as if standing on a cross road so do not throw them far away from you like a stone. If you do not take a wise decision then you will soon be surprised to know that your child is alcoholic, drug user and it will trembled you that your child is living in immorality like a prostitute. Definitely they will return home with frustration but you will get blame because you have failed to play a father’s role / a mother’s role. If you do not seek God’s wisdom to train up or take care of your children, then your children will become the victims who will live in desperate condition throughout his / her life. Concerning your children 23 years of age and above, leave them alone support them with your prayers. Now they are mature, let the almighty God take care of them. Rev. Dr. Vikheshe Chishi, Founder and Principal, Withee Bible College, Dimapur

Waste Disposal Guidelines in Unorganized slaughter houses/ butcheries in Nagaland

ackground Nagaland is basically a tribal state and poultry, piggery, cattle, etc are reared by the people for the domestic consumption. With the changing times, people have started to practice the sale of meat as a business enterprise in a small scale. There is one slaughter house in Dimapur equipped with modern facilities for butchering and disposal of waste scientifically including a sewage treatment plant. Besides this, butchering activities are unorganized and in a very small scale. Present Scenario The butcher purchases animals which are brought and butchered from his own land/compound where dressing is done and the clean animal body is transported to the market for sale. In Nagaland, hardly anything is wasted, except the dung, horn, teeth, hoofs and blood (in case of halal system). Therefore, the waste from slaughtering animals is comparatively less. However, proper care should be taken to maintain a clean environment. Suggestions for10 0unorganized slaughtering of animals. The waste produced from slaughtering animals can be turned into manure by composting and can be sold/used for agriculture and horticulture purpose. For this technique, a pit can be dugged near the slaughtering and the dung from the cleaning of the innards and blood can be deposited in the pit and then covered with a layer of earth. This process can be continued till the pit is fully filled. Then a next composting pit can be dug and continued similarly. After some days composting is complete which can be dugged out and used as organic manure. This method if properly executed, will keep the environment around the slaughtering place clean, reduce flies, control odour and give additional income for the sale of manures. N.B:- Avoid Cruelty to Animals. Be Hygienic. Issued by: Nagaland Pollution Control Board

Where honour is due (part II) their son(s) and daughter(s) still living with us today. At least they deserve to know that we care. The Naga Memorandum to Simon Commission stands out positively as the very first ‘Magna Carta’ document of the Nagas that significantly laid a historical landmark way back on 10th January 1929. This is a very special document in a good number of ways. It defines the Naga identity at its honest best. It had caused a chain historical reaction. I am sure many a Naga soul would have heard of this memorandum by now. Many more would have read it over and over again. Nevertheless, humour me as I take this privilege to present this Memorandum verbatim to register its significance: To, The British Statutory Commission; Camp-India. Sub: Memorandum of the Naga Hills Sir, We the undersigned Nagas of the Naga Club at Kohima, who are the only persons at present who can voice for our people have heard with great regret that our Naga Hills is included within the Reformed Scheme of India without our knowledge, but as administration of our Hill is continued to be in the hands of the British officers and we did not consider it necessary to raise any protest in the past. Now we learnt that you have come to India as representative of the British Government to enquire into the working of the system of Government and growth of education and we beg to submit below our views with the prayer that our Hill may be withdrawn from the Reformed Scheme and placed outside the Reforms but directly under the British Government. We never asked for any reforms and we do not wish for any reforms. Before the British Government conquered our country in 1879-80, we were living in a state of intermittent warfare with the Assamese of Assam Valley to the North and West of our country and Manipuris to the South. They never conquered us, nor were we ever subjected to their rule. On the other hand, we were always a terror to these people. Our country within the administered area consists of more than eight regions quite different from one another, with quite different language which cannot be understood by each other and more regions outside the administered area which are not known at present. We have no unity among us and it is only the British Government that is holding us together now. Our education is poor. The occupation of our country by the British Government being so recent as 1880, we have had no chance or opportunity

to improve in education and though we can boast of two or three graduates of an Indian University in our country, we have not got one yet who is able to represent us in any council of a province. Moreover our population numbering 10200, is very small in comparison with the population of the plains districts in the Province, and any representation that may be allotted to us in the council will be negligible and will have no weight whatever. Our language is quite different from those of the plains and we have no social affinities with the Hindus or Mussalmans. We are looked down upon by the one for “Beef ” and the other for our “pork” and by both for our want in education, is not due to any fault of ours. Our country is poor and it does not pay for its administration. Therefore, if it is continued to be under the Reformed Scheme, we are afraid that new and heavy taxes will have to be imposed on us, and when we cannot pay, then all lands will have to be sold and in the long run we shall have no share in the land of our birth and life will not be worth living then. Though our land at present is within the British territory, Government have always recognised our private rights in it, but if we are forced to enter the council the majority of whose number is sure to belong to the other districts, we also have much fear the introduction of foreign laws and customs to supersede our own customary laws which we now enjoy. For the above reasons, we pray that the British Government will continue to safeguard our right against all encroachment from other people who are more advanced than us by withdrawing our country that we should not be thrust to the mercy of other people who could never be subjected, but to leave us alone to determine ourselves as in ancient times. We claim not only the members of the “Naga Club” to represent all those regions to which we belong vis. Angami, Kacha Nagas, Kukis, Sema, Lothas and Rengmas, but also other regions of Nagaland. Signed by: 1. Nihu Angami,(Head Interpreter); 2. Hisale,(Peshkar); 3. Nisier Angami,(Master); 4. Khosa,(Doctor); 5. Gebo Kacha Naga, (Interpreter); 6. Vipunyu Angami, (Potdar); 7. Goyiepra Angami, (Treasurer); 8. Ruzhukhrie Angami, (Master); 9. Dikhrie Angami, (Interpreter); 10. Zapuzhulie Angami, (Interpreter); 11. Zepilie Angami, (Interpreter); 12. Katsuno Angami, (Interpreter); 13. Nuolhoukielie Angami, (Clerk); 14. Nizhevi Sema, (Interpreter);15. Apamo Lotha, (Interpreter); 16. Rusulo Rengma,( Interpreter); 17. Lengjang Kuki,(Interpreter);

18. Nikhriehu Angami, (Interpreter); 19. Miakrao Angami, (Chaprasi); 20. Levi Kacha Naga, (Clerk); Take a careful look at the designations of all the Tribal representatives, [purposely bracketed], who were fated to endorse this historic memorandum. In today’s parlance, they were all academic nonentities. Many of them would not even have had formal education worth the mention. Their peers must have met them in the streets, but were perhaps ignored without a second glance. Yet consider the results of what they did! No classroom groomed graduates/post graduates of today will ever be comparable to their matchless thoughts crafted through life’s experience. Their expression of ground reality made all the difference to make the British also seriously think twice, which culminated in the British India Act 1935, excluding the Naga inhabited areas as “Naga Hills Excluded Area”. Think carefully about this! This was an Act...a LAW, and will remain as a legally cognizable and actionable historical evidence even in today’ National or International Courts. Robert Reid was thereafter also commissioned by the British Government through the endorsement of their Queen of England, to Map the Excluded Areas of the Nagas country incorporating the Eastern inhabited territory classified as UN-ADMINISTERED FREE NAGA AREA even during the British Raj that also included the Chin Hills to be known as “Queen’s Land Colony”. The Mapping output of Robert Reid was considered as a Plan also known as the “Couplan Plan”, which was a direct follow-up result of the British India Act of 1935. On August 19, 1946, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was known to have defined the status of the Nagas in connection to the proposed British Colony of Couplan Plan in these words: “The tribal Areas are defined as being that long frontier of India which are neither part of India nor Burma, nor of Indian States nor of any foreign power”. Through this British India Act 1935 (enacted because of the Naga Memorandum to the Simon Commission), the ‘Chin Hills Regulation and Bengal Frontier Regulation Act 1873’ was made applicable to the “Naga Hills Excluded Area” as well wherein foreigners including Indian nationals were restricted to enter into the Naga country without a valid Inner-Line permit (ILP)...A PASSPORT EQUAVALENT. It is only when you enter a foreign country that a passport become mandatory...well, the same principle applies to Indian Nationals entering Nagaland even to this day. These

are some of the facts that distinguish “Naga History to be unique”! We Nagas do not even recognise the significance or the importance of ILP and the bureaucrats only see it as an opportunity to make a cheap pocket money. We have perhaps become a people without a vision or purpose. Nevertheless, the moot point is that this is a historical as much as it is present living evidence that defines the unique identity of our status. All this was made possible by those rustic Naga elders who signed that monumental memorandum in 1929. Mr. A.Z.Phizo was a shrewd thinker. He understood his people well. He too emphasized and focused on the foreign tax issue enshrined in the Simon Commission like no other NNC Presidents before him and made history with the Plebiscite of 1951. Have the Nagas, especially the NPGs, ever consider officially acknowledging or thanking the signatories of this famous memorandum? After all...it laid the foundry of the Naga National Movement. Who knows....perhaps they are waving the Naga National Flag from wherever they are, to attract our attention that we have a legal justification to our claims. The Nagas and more so the NPGs, owe them all, a huge gratitude, albeit no act can fully compensate their

mammoth contribution now. It saddens one’s heart that their generation let them all carry on without even an official ‘thank you’ in their lifetime. If we are unable to respect and honour our own can we expect others to respect the Nagas? I dedicate this little article to them in fond remembrance and with a hope that some responsible, capable, conscience bearing NGOs/ NPGs out there are listening and get spurned into action to right what has been ignored for so long. It is never too late. We still have the opportunity and the privilege to remember and honour them befittingly where honour is due. It also a reminder to who we really are and act wisely without fear in our hearts and say what we need to say: that the “Framework Agreement” signed by NSCN (IM) with the GoI is fine to the extent that some kind of an agreement has been reached but beyond that point the Nagas of Nagaland cannot possibly endorse this “Framework Agreement” before knowing its contents which could very well be detrimental to our nurtured fundamental dreams of freedom that our forefathers freely laid down their lives for. Nagas of Nagaland, wake up and start THINKING please! Khekiye K. Sema IAS (Rtd), Upper Forest Colony, Kohima, (kksema@gmail.com)

Reader’s Post Two sides of the same coin

Sir,

Different good writers and educationists have written and share their vast knowledge and different well-experiences on about the two hierarchical educational institutions in our daily paper. As a matter of fact, secondary education and higher secondary education are complimentary to each other and interdependent institution cater the needs of our people. From the very inception of our own parliamentary govt. formation just after obtaining our statehood the institution of elementary and secondary has setup to run normal classes up to class 10. The head who look after this institution powers and functions is clearly defined by the concerned school education department. The age of elementary and secondary institution is about 53 years old. On the other hand, the institution of higher secondary even if foremost requirement is a new born up institution. It came into existence some few years back only. The staffing pattern suggested recently by the higher authority is just like about a son and his own father. A son after getting married to a beautiful girl and set up a new family of his own responsibility trying to chase out his own father from their ancestral home while his father is active and alive. This kind of practices is a curse according to our Naga customary law and religion point of view. The clearly demarcation of powers and functions of these institution will be better to serve the very purpose of our constant specific aim and objective. Joint family system has merits in one way but have more disadvantages in other way. The separate building and other infrastructure facilities will be more better and more convenient for these two family set up. As education is a state subject higher authority of the concerned department look into the matter at the earliest and take action conveniently for the larger interest of all would be highly appreciate and welcome by all. Thinoneisie Lhousa, Kohima

Reader’s note: Articles or letters published in any of the columns do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.