Maybe literate but still uneducated : Jobs and price tags
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 16 2015 -

Literacy and education. Manipur obviously scores high on the literacy rate, but how educated are the people is the question that needs to be raised at this juncture.

There are numerous degree holders, but has education gone beyond the understanding of knowing how to write one’s name and address ?

Literate yes but difficult to believe that this can be equated with education.

And the numerous issues besieging the State is more than an indication that the people are still to come to that stage when they can be called educated in the true sense.

Just to cite an example, it is only those people who have not yet understood the essence and meaning of education who do not hesitate to play with the future of the young students.

Nothing much to suggest that the people of Manipur have come around to this idea.

This is the reason why the fate of young students continues to be imperilled by the different power players in the State and there are numerous of them here.

This is also the reason why thousands of students have to go outside the State to pursue further studies once they finish schooling.

Any sensible group of people would have woken up to this ugly reality a long time back and taken up some steps to make the place better for young students to engage with their academic pursuit.

Move to the Government and nothing looks bright. Jobs or employment now come with a price tag and when one speaks about jobs or employment, it invariably means a Government job.

This again is not surprising. With quality given the short shrift, it is not very surprising to see corporate houses staying away from Manipur and the Government then becomes the main recruiting body.

Merit. This should ideally be the parameter to offer jobs or recruit anyone.

However with the corruption seeping deep into everything that has got to do with the Government, merit is more often than not overlooked and what counts in the end is how much the candidates are willing to pay to buy the job.

Everyone has been crying hoarse against the vice like grip of corruption, but then again no one seems to be intent on addressing this moot question. A sure shot indication that the people as a whole are uneducated.

The lack of education can also be seen in other spheres of life.

A ride or a walk down the main roads of Imphal at any given time of the day will be more than ample testimony that one cares two hoots about traffic rules and regulations.

This is also a glaring example of an uneducated class of people. A look around the environment is again another indicator.

The barren hills, the polluted rivers and the filthy road sides are all examples of the people refusing to be educated.

As observed earlier, the people of Manipur may be literate, but there is nothing to suggest that they are educated and this does not say anything positive.

For starters, care should be taken to ensure that the academic pursuit of the youngsters is not compromised or toyed around.