Economic Blockade Owing to Incompetent 'Eduster' (Education Minister)

Ingobi Ningthoujam *

File pic of Senapati town during the bandh called on TET and Education Minister M Oken (inset) :: Pix - TSE

It is an undisputed fact that Education is the fourth necessity for human beings after food, clothing and shelter in today's highly competitive and computerised world. Of course, Education is the most powerful tool to combat the cut-throat competition that we are facing with at every juncture of our lives. For a better G-Next, a good education system is an indispensable today.

However, in Manipur Education Dept is presently under the direct control of an incompetent and cheap popularity addicted person.

The present Education Minister (i.e. Eduster) has repeatedly announced various utopian educational schemes for Manipur just to remain in the Lime-Light. Often he has asserted that Education system in Manipur would be revamped through pro-active measures.

A few months' back he had boldly announced that he would resign from the Ministership if he can not improve the educational standard in six months. But his track record says he is highly generous in giving tall promises for doing this, doing that etc. However he never keeps his promise.

These days Education Dept is running in Back-Gear employing the so called Head Masters-in-Charge, Principals-in-Charge, Directors-in-Charge etc etc.

It is worth to mention here that whenever Educational Organisation like DESAM had conducted a surprised inspection in Govt Institutes with the sole motto of promoting the Quality Education, they had invariably come across innumerable irregularities, for example say
a) conducting different classes simultaneously in a single room,
b) rearing pigs in class room of a Govt school,
c) not maintaining attendance register and an infinite number of Loop-Holes in Manipur's Education System.

Never did the Eduster try to rectify the Substantiated Irregularities. Simply because of the lethargic attitude of the present Eduster, nowadays in Bhutangkhal Govt Primary School at Lathingkhal under Jiribam Sub-Divison a single teacher named Mr. Rohit Chandra Das engaged by two Govt teachers posted in the above mentioned school is teaching the students in class I through class V. Its horrible.



Now, on top of all the miserable umpteen Loop-Holes in Education Dept, the most infamous Economic-Blockade is in the offing due to the non-acceptance of the Joint Committee of Hill Districts Student Organisation's (JCHDSO) justifiable demand regarding teacher's eligibility test (TET).

From all possible angles this demand is appeared to be rational and genuine. However, Eduster is arrogantly advocating a technical problem and lack of infrastructure for refusing JCHDCO's cherished demand.

If our Eduster is consistent with his statements, he should first close all the schools and colleges at Imphal where the Basic Educational Infrastructures are not available.

Eduster has proudly said "Question paper for TET exam is being carried to Imphal by a chartered Flight". Definitely this is going to be a very bad precedence considering TET is a simple qualifying exam.

Well, in case the Eduster insists to conduct the TET exam on 17.11.12 as scheduled at Imphal only, all the prospective candidates from Hill region are likely to boycott it.

This will surely generate many unwanted issues. And if it happens so, Education Dept in Manipur would be drifting towards its Doom. Then it would not be an exaggeration to speculate that Education Dept is going to be the Waterloo for the present arrogant Eduster.

For every problem there must be a solution. Also there is enough time. Being a Manipuri it is very very painful to see our Education System drifting towards its Doom. Hence my sincere appeal to Eduster is "Please do all the doable for getting the impending Economic-Blockade Rolled back".

On the other hand I wish all Manipuries will unanimously support the genuine and rational TET demand of JCHDCO and even in extreme case please think about some other form of protest in lieu of Economic-Blockade keeping in mind the unfavourable impacts it imposes on Manipuries as a whole.

With positive Hope