NBSE faux pas on Shiroy Lily
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 08 2015 :
Although Shiroi Lily has been declared the State Flower, students of Nagaland have been taught for over two decades that 'the rare Shiroi Lily (Lilium Shirohi), is found only in the Shiroi mountain in Nagaland' .
Addressing a press meet today at Uripok, M Lakhsman, president of Kangleipak Students' Association (KSA) said that a text book on Nagaland (for Classes IX and X) published by the Nagaland Board of Secondary Education (NBSE) has included a sentence mentioning that 'the rare Shiroi Lily (Lilium Shirohi), is found only in the Shiroi mountain in Nagaland' .
This sentence is found on page number 28, second para of 'A Book of Nagaland for Classes IX and X' published by the NBSE, he said.
The first edition of the book was published in 1994 .
The book was revised in 2001, 2007 and 2013 .
Students of Nagaland have been taught this factually incorrect sentence for over two decades.
It is a well known fact that the rare Shiroi Lily was discovered on Shiroi (Shirui) hill in Ukhrul district of Manipur by an English woman Jean Macklin and her husband Frank Kingdon Ward in 1946, he said.
Jean Macklin, a botanist, and her husband Frank discovered the rare flower while collecting botanical specimen in the hills of Manipur for New York Botanical Society.
Misunderstandings may arise between the two neighbouring States if the factually incorrect sentence in the NBSE text book is not removed, the KSA president said.
KSA also submitted a memorandum to CM O Ibobi in this regard today.
He further warned that KSA along with the people of the State will launch intense agitation if no positive action or response from the State Govt comes within ten days.
Members of KSA also burnt copies of the text book.