It was heartening to read an important body like AMUCO suggesting, among others, that the proposed National Institute of Technology should come up in the hills 'to promote egalitarian development and weed out sense of deprivation of the hill people' (TSE 27th April, 2007) and 'the Government rather than concentrating on the valley areas, should take up development activities on a large scale in the neglected hill areas of the state to make balanced development a reality' (IFP, 27th April, 2007).
Equally encouraging was the following day's report that a JAC, comprising of AMUCO, UCM, MALAWPO, AMSU, TIPS, COHR, NIUCAMO, MAFYF, CCDD, NRC, MAMM, AMOWAVA, UPAA, JAC NIT, RAYS (and other non-abbreviated organizations, all adding up to about 20 of Manipur's renown social organizations) said a big no to Kiyamgei. They asked the Government to look elsewhere beyond Imphal, including the hills.
The 28th May news also indicated the Government was listening and looking elsewhere. In all this, what stands out besides efforts to save agricultural lands in an agrarian society is that the civil organizations are directing the Government's attention to the neglected hill areas. Actually, they are only reminding the Government about its oft-professed attention to the hills.
From IFP's 4th May's report UCM's H. Kula rightly and forthrightly asked, “If our students can go to Delhi and Mumbai to study, why can't they go to Churachandpur or Ukhrul to study at the NIT?”
All said and done they are good thoughts, and says well of Manipur.
Accordingly, I would like to propose that Manipur's NIT be located at Tamenglong District HQ.
Why Tamenglong? Well, most Manipuris would quite concede that Tamenglong is the most neglected of the 'hill areas' of the state. (Though, this writer would like to remark that, yes, Tamenglong would take this title, but it would do so only by just the proverbial cat's whiskers!)
Still, why Tamenglong? Well, let's list just a few reasons:
Technology sans surface connectivity can thrive: If it were a question of a National Sports Academy or some medical institute that needed a huge population base, this writer would not be suggesting Tamenglong at all. I am, however, suggesting the NIT for Tamenglong because it is to do with technology. I thinks that the greatest beauty of a technology institute is that - given un-interrupted power and a large well-planned, well-constructed campus in an-away-from-it-all natural landscape - it can fully function and still be fully connected to the world it mainly deals with.
Today's internet, nic net, tele-conferencing and countless mind-boggling innovations and uses that have made the world flat, courtesy Friedman, are at an NIT's command and is very much its domain. And so the NIT at Tamenglong ought to have no problem thriving, in spite of the lack of an all-weather, all-season, black-topped road. Incidentally, the placing of the NIT there would, as good as, guarantee the construction of an all-weather, all-season black-topped road! (We are talking of a road that ought to have been made at least 25 years ago).
First 24x365 NIT: The greatest blessing in disguise of a long considered god-forsaken, punishment-posting, and oft-cut-off Tamenglong is that an NIT there would enable it to carry out its work un-interrupted, literally, for 365 days of the year, hence 24x365... sans bandhs, sans JACs, sans everyone's and anyone's disruption. Wouldn't such an ideal learning and working atmosphere be the pre-requisite and USP for a technology institute of national stature?
Wherein, the professors, technicians and staff, as well as the highly talented and serious students would be stuck together and have all the time and opportunity to work together, except during vacations. They would, thus, have all the where-with-alls to create, in their campus, a world of their own… a truly envious togetherness – perhaps forced - that, mind you, could never be replicated at or near Imphal. Nor in any other part of the state, for obvious reasons.
Further, there'd be every chance that the Institute's work culture could filter down to the whole of Tamenglong. Whereby, lowly Tamenglong could become the model of a new work culture for Manipur. Just imagine that! This role model of a work-culture is what the whole state has been searching for in vain. Because those that could have set the example, like RIMS or CAU or MU as a Central University or SAI have fallen too far short … though they are bang in and around Imphal and are so-called secure and well connected.
The one NIT fillip that could forever change Manipur's Tamenglong: It would be an understatement to say that this most neglected of Manipur's Districts would tremendously benefit directly and indirectly from the NIT being set up there. Numerous public-oriented projects, adoption and local twinning arrangements, a great number of research works etc. are sure to start.
Such benefits have always been the unstated reason to keep everything (like attempts for the NIT now) within the valley. But Manipur must be fair to its far-flung and too-long neglected districts. So it would be a good start by heeding the less-than-a-week-old words of Manipur's top social organisations.
If heeded, then for once, Manipur could truly glow with genuine pleasure… seeing and visualizing how the NIT there would not only help solve many of the district's age old problems but could, actually, trigger off new research, new thinking, new inventions and discoveries… just because it is in Tamenglong, “Manipur's dark continent!”
As for immediate benefits, for starters, just imagine the shot in the arm to local special class contractors, builders, suppliers and labour. Just estimate what the staff salaries and students' stipends alone would do to the local economy. Just imagine what different things could be done with Tamenglong's famed oranges! The sky would be the limit. So, come on, lets' let Tamenglong shine!
The Security bogey: The District HQ of Tamenglong, comparatively speaking, is free of bandhs, agitations, disruptions and disturbances of all kinds that Imphal and its environs are faced with almost on a daily basis, if not hourly basis. Even the presence of non-state forces is drastically limited in remote Tamenglong. Therefore, any fears expressed on that account may, more or less, be dismissed as a convenient bogey by those who still see Imphal as Manipur. Still, to dispel all doubts, let us ask ourselves frankly: how many other district towns of Manipur in hill or valley, can match Tamenglong town's low crime rate and negligible agitation and bandh record?
Through the above, it is not being ever suggested that there are no problems, and that every thing is hunky-dory at Tamenglong. What is being suggested is that if it were a fair fight between the NIT at Tamenglong and Heibokching or Langol Hills… or anywhere else in Manipur, especially at or near Imphal… distant Tamenglong would beat all others hands down! The question is, will Tamenglong be given a fair chance?
The Spanner in the Works: The same 28th April's news also informs us that the CM is certainly looking at hills. The spanner in the works is the myopic vision (not unexpected). He seems to see the Langol Hills, Heibokching, Nongmaiching (Baruni) and Chingarel... as the neglected hills of Manipur.
While even Amar Yumnam, from across the seven seas, tellingly hints of Waithou Chinggoi that could be sweet music to some ears. It is hoped that his sarcasm is not mistaken for recommendation.
So there are hills and there are hills. But some hills are not the hills that need attention. The JAC and Amar, from the new world, seem to know the difference. In truth, so do the powers that be who, while acknowledging the interest of Churachandpur and Chandel have, as is won't, once again taken refuge in shallow and selfish reasoning, viz. that the NIT needs to be near MU, RIMS, CAU; that 50-50 seat sharing with other states needs easy accessibility! And so on and so forth.
What one can see is that... today it is NIT, tomorrow the National Sports Academy, day after Manipur's IIT, Manipur's IIM, and some more years later Manipur's National Law College, Manipur's National School of Nursing, Manipur's National Tourism Institute, even Manipur's National Mountaineering Institute may well be brought down to a more connected Bishnupur.
Likewise, a Manipur's National Shirui Lily Exotica Research Centre could be hidden in some extremely well-connected leirak. Jokes apart, there'll be a re-phrasing of the same excuses to ensure we'll continue seeing all institutes dotting the Imphal-accessible and Imphal-visible hillocks or hill-slopes, all as symbolic development of our hills! All because of 50-50 things and other trivialities.
Here a repeat of the words at the middle of the first page are called for: “Good thoughts and says well of Manipur.” This writer repeats it because, now, a thousand words later his writer's eyes are being opened wider than before, and so cannot help asking: Do Manipuris have it in them to reach out to god-forsaken Tamenglong?
This writer for one, a Manipuri from Churachandpur, while desperately wanting the NIT in his own district, for all the un-stated reasons of earlier regimes, coupled with valid reasons like: Second Town of Manipur, easy accessibility, real hills, real tribals and all that ... has it in him to say: Let Tamenglong be the place for the National Institute of Technology. (Do care to note, he does not say site. For him, at or near Imphal it'd be just a site, but up there in the hills it'd become a place under the sun, blessed with limitless potential).
Lastly, lest we forget ... the NIT there would not make it Tamenglong's NIT, it would still be Manipur's NIT!
A wonderful opportunity, only if we have it in us!
Postscript:
No.1: How to provide power? The need for un-interrupted power supply to NIT Tamenglong, Manipur State, is vital. This vital necessity should not need to depend on the unreliable Yurembam or national grid etc. This writer passionately requests the Centre, to include in the NIT project a separate and special Rs. 30 crore package for installation of a combination of wind and solar energy systems that should complement each other for maximum modern efficiency, much like the amazing hybrid cars, Toyota's Prius and Honda's Insight.
One idea springing from the use of a combination of these two sources of power is that this NIT shall pave the way for a paradigm shift to alternative and non-conventional sources of energy. This shift should free a bungling power department of promises they cannot keep.
With its own energy source, the NIT should become free of the electricity department's prohibitively expensive to erect-and-maintain high tension lines with their massive but highly vulnerable pylons (through which power cannot be supplied) ... as things stand. This paradigm shift – with a little bit of fine-tuning from the NIT may usher in an era of real light, real development and real prosperity to Tamenglong.
No.2: This writer would like our CM, to be the first Manipuri CM to tell a visiting central VVIP (who asks or has to be shown some thing impressive enough to justify the hundreds of crores being pumped into the state). Mr. Ibobi: “Let me take you to our most neglected district where my government has put up the National Institute of Technology.”
And after hours of a bumping, twisting and winding ride the mere sight of the NIT perched on several hillocks in so remote an area - and even if the flooring of the institute's buildings were only of polished cement - the VVIP would be so moved and impressed that he'd bring Soniaji to see for herself what her party is doing in a far corner of India. Besides that the beaming VVIP would be ready to recommend anything for Ibobi's Manipur.
If, on the other hand, our beaming CM shows the NIT at Langol Hills – and even if all the floors of the institute are of Rajasthan's finest marble – the VVIP would nod politely. He would not have anything to write home about... simply because he'd automatically compare Langol's NIT to the truly impressive NITs in other states. In such a comparison ours would look like a poor country cousin's posturing. The VVIP would be dripping politeness and ask our CM to drop in for a cup of tea the next time he goes to Delhi.
Who loses? Both Manipur and Tamenglong.
But the NIT at Tamenglong would mean... both win!
So, it has always been just a question of: Do we have it in us?
Related Article:
T. Vunglallian wrote this article for The Sangai Express .
The writer is a retired Lecturer of Churachandpur College.
This article was webcasted on May 31st, 2007
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