Enlightening Teachers through Sports and Culture seems highly desirous now
- Part 2 -

Dr. Gunadhor S Okram *

Thang Ta (Manipuri Indigenous Martial Art) Induction Programme by KIMACS :: Pix - Shasi Mutum

Why should we sell ourselves so cheap when it comes to education? Why is it so miserably failed in education? Does this mean that the talents of Manipuris in this supposed to be the most respectable profession in humans (education) are BLANK or VACUUM when they come back to, and settled in, Manipur? Compare also fellow Manipuri counterparts working outside Manipur, globally, who work at par with anybody around there, without looking back here, without any extra salary. How? For this, let us consider this.

Teachers in private primary, high and higher secondary schools with a meager salary of Rs 4,000-5,000 per month could produce starting with first class to top students in board exams while their government counterparts who draw salaries in the range say Rs 20,000-50,000 cannot even attract, nurture or produce any respectable students. This leads to government schools, colleges and offices slowly, but surely, disappear.

In addition, most importantly to our proper conscience that "by doing this way, how many girls, in particular are freely fanning out outside Manipur to face sexual assault, mental harassments and killing intermittently; the latest victim being Reingamphy Awungshi of Ukhrul, for whom nobody seemingly could find out the culprits." It is believed that racial discrimination will exist until humans are on earth that we cannot do anything, even when a Manipuri or a north-easterner becomes prime minister, or president, of India.

Does this imply that these government employees of all hues who do not do their duties dutifully, including teachers, with supposed to be highly experienced, are fools or not humans who seemingly assume that their salary is God-sent and do not need anything to do. If it is so, they must also agree not to get salary or feel ashamed of it by using his/her own conscience to aspire, inspire, inculcate and motivate their (potential) students or colleagues so that they prove that they should no longer afford to be blamed by others for not doing their duty. This writer is not alone, who thinks about being dignified in today's fast changing world. This shall be the need of the hour to bring us to the path of fast development.

Consequently or whatsoever, due to their dereliction of duty, these places of learning or running state precisely have become a stable for teachers, students and other employees or workers. They blame each other leading to production of vacuum education after twelveth class and many similar others such as not getting potable water, electricity and good road. As a result, the quality education and administration in universities will be most hard-hit, diminishing severely our existence. This is not good for Manipuris, anywhere in the world.

We require sincere introspection to stop this social and educational menace. If this is not so, why so much outflow of students for study outside every year in an accelerated way, rather than in a decelerated trend. The latter will prove that we are also humans who can also compete others in education!

In this regard, why not we all other Manipuris have a pinch of shame of collecting salary without doing anything? Once we have this very tender feeling of individual contribution in accord to his/ her salary distinctly clearly like a practically good citizen irrespective of the place where one is working or affiliated, then we can certainly prove that outflow of students is gradually decelerated and rather influx of outside students for (higher) learning in Manipur may not be a mere DREAM but true and a REALITY. This will make our state a rapidly developed state and self-reliant economy or even better than others with added reputation

This is true for all developed regions of the world where so ever it is. Once this is realized, the idea of corruption will automatically go away. For example, if the contractor and all its related officers think that they are responsible for getting damaged or maintaining good conditions of the roads or buildings they make or construct or do it sincerely so that it is appreciated by the public for their good work, otherwise feel ashamed, as done in developed parts of the world. If they think otherwise, they must rather understand that they are no different from cats for whom we use to say that "They do not know shame: they come back to the place where they were beaten up for doing bad things of which they are supposed not do again."

What does it mean is that we should recall the sacrifice, dedication and talents of exemplary Manipuris who are performing nearly extremely well in sports, culture, literature and so on. Why not others in administration, education, infrastructure and all others emulate from them who brought fame of our state immensely?

Once this is done, all our (government) schools, colleges, universities and administration shall be blooming at their full might. This will only save us from our past mistakes that created our forgotten shame of sending out our students outside in an uncontrolled way. Are there Manipuris who are not listening to this wake up call to our self-realization? Why not save Manipur from further degradation? We have been doing this degradation since last 50-100 years or so. Once we learnt (got education) outside, if we cannot afford to teach our students or colleagues to their satisfaction and compatible with peers outside, are we like monkeys who cannot type even a word in hundreds of years?

Why not we all come forward to
(1) Build latrines or toilets in schools, colleges and public places at par or better than those exist outside and maintain them mirror-clean.
(2) Teach methodically and systematically to complete the syllabus to be able to compete with or better than their peers outside by simply not giving marks just to compete in figures ONLY, not knowledge or talent but to enable to get admission outside. The latter is practically wrong.
(3) Forget that somebody is getting money just like that without doing anything or fraudulently. Corruption is a social menace and chain reaction. If I do not stop, others will not. Remember that children of such people are (in majority) failed because God (child itself) knows that the money the child gets is valueless leading to transforming himself into drug-addict or public spoiler.
(4) Get up that all employees do their duties dutifully so that their children may learn the good things they did.
(5) Hold global meet of Manipuris in Manipur as to how to improve upon our education, administration, industry and infrastructure on the initiation of teachers and other employees in Manipur with encouragement and funding from the government of Manipur.
(6) Reverse the brain-drain and create our own education system up to the highest better than others having many research laboratories supported by the strong pillars of self-trained best brains in science, engineering and social sciences from its various (rejuvenated and new) institutes and colleges.

Thus, the extreme need of the hour would be the revitalization and self-realization of the very instincts of the employees of the government machineries, offices, schools, colleges and universities, not just by the imposition of higher authorities ONLY. This, if implemented, will be a true reality, once we the employees do their duties dutifully as practicable and sensible citizens.

Only then, we can create and get enough electricity, potable water, good roads, not only nice and respectfully tall but also neat and clean buildings with proper modern sanitary facilities, just to be able to enhance our dignity and distinction earned from sports, culture and literature. Shall one beg, patriotic Manipuris, for our own self-realization to a self-reliant and respectable existence?

Concluded...