Central Nagaland Students’ Association (CNSA) has reacted to the statement of the advisor school education Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome regarding non-recruitment of primary teachers from the Ao and Sumi tribes for the next 10 years.
In a press release, CNSA president R Sunep Pongen and general secretary Anoka H Zhimo stated that the advisor’s subsequent clarification questioning AKM and SKK representatives, who attended the consultative meeting on February 6, for not questioning him on the spot for his statement “has rubbed more salt into the wounds of the two tribes”. CNSA strongly condemned what it described as “senseless and regressive remarks” of the advisor.
Being a first-time legislator and assigned as advisor school education to assist the chief minister, CAN stated that Dr. Yhome was expected to function as per the given role without straying into policy domain “which is the exclusive prerogative of the state cabinet.” Stating that the “malady in school education” has been the scourge of all ministers and advisors before him, the CAN, however, said that “this does not give him the leeway to single out particular tribes.”
CAN appreciated the initiative to clean up the school education department, but maintained that the focus on bringing changes through the prism of tribal politics and equations was “loaded with dangerous” consequences.
“The belligerence of Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome while defending his gibberish statement merits his removal as advisor school education,” CAN said and sought the chief minister’s intervention to “douse the divisive fire” ignited against Ao and Sumi tribes.
CAN also called upon all right-thinking citizens to rise up when such attempts were made to “defame and deprive the two tribes through a well calculated move in the garb of sweeping changes.”