Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Speaker, Chotisuh Sazo has urged the younger generation of Chakhesang community to strive hard and obtain the best education so as to enable them to liberate the community from being tagged as “backward”.
He was speaking at the 62nd general session of Chozubami Students’ Union coinciding with t69th general conference of Chakhesang Students’ Union at Chozuba village, Thursday.
Urging the students to work hard and obtain quality education so as to lead the society, Sazo said “it is upto you to liberate our community from being labelled backward.”
Asserting that “backwardness” was just a state of mind, Sazo challenged the student community to refine their worldview, to expand their horizons and to translate their visions and dreams into action.
Sazo said that educationally Chakhesang tribe fall under “backward tribe” category among the indigenous inhabitants of the state because the tribe had late access to modern education. He said still the number of educated people amongst the tribe was still “quite low.”
He then pointed out non-acceptance of Christianity and western way of life earlier and Indo-Naga conflict as significant causes of the slow growth of education among Chakhesang tribe.
Sazo said Chakhesangs were deeply involved in Indo-Naga conflict and thus gave less importance to modern education and had to come a long way in the field of education.
At present he said other Naga tribes were of the view that Chakhesangs should no longer be tagged as a “backward tribe” as the community have made some significant progress in the last few years.
While maintaining that whether the tribe continue to fall under “backward tribe” category or not should be seriously deliberated by all, he admitted that the community has been making noticeable progress in the field of education.
Despite agriculture being the main source of economy and employment in Phek district Sazo said the income generated was negligible as there was no mechanised farming.
Traditionally, he said, Chakhesang community was no less advanced than others in cereal crop cultivation even though rough topography of the land does not permit for vast cultivation of cereal and leguminous crops.
Pointing out that the tribe have an advantage of growing fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants, bee keeping etc., Sazo said “we need to change our attitude towards professional and commercialized farming to improve our agriculture base economy.” “Studies and trainings in various professional skills must be encouraged and supported beyond a certain level of general education if we are to race with the rest of the world,” he said.
The speaker also expressed concern that the Naga youth have taken up cultures that are destructive in nature because of the easy access to social media and internet.
He said Nagas can give many to the world through the good side of the traditional culture such as respect for the elderly, honesty, dignity of labour, sincerity etc. but regretted that these qualities were fast withering from Naga society. Sazo then appealed the Naga society to revive these virtues and encourage the youth to learn and appreciate them.
NBCC general secretary Rev. Dr. Kethozelhou Keyho and Chakhesang Students’ Union president Seve R. Vadeo also extended greetings on the occasion while Künüsayi Rhakho delivered Chozubami SU presidential address.
The Speaker was accompanied by deputy speaker Imtiwapang Longkumer, commissioner & secretary NLA N. Benjamin Newmai and chairman Nagaland honey bee mission Pusazo Luruo.