Unity call rings out on DESAM foundation day
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 03 2020: Unity call rang out on the 18th foundation day of Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), with a function held at GM Hall today under the theme 'Improving learning outcomes calls for strategic reforms & interventions' .

During the observance, experts and eminent personalities of the State spoke on various topics ranging from the State's education system, need for the student unions based in the hills and the valley to work together, to matters concerning the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) or Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) .

Unity call rings out on DESAM foundation day

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, DESAM founder president Laishram Romesh Meitei said that petty argument and tension among the various communities in the State, will be a recipe for the extinction of the indigenous population in the future if not properly checked.

He stressed on the need for the student unions present in Manipur to get rid of selfish interests, and instead, work together towards solving the problems and issues plaguing the region/State.

None of the communities can survive on their own.

They all need to unite in order to bring advancement and prosperity, he opined.

Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) GHQ president Paotinthang Lupheng said that out of the many communities residing in Manipur, Meitei, Kuki and Naga are the major ones.

However, he lamented that there are a lot of disagreement and tension among the said communities and added that the communities residing in the State seem to work only based on their selfish self interest instead of thinking for the greater good.

Stressing on the need to respect and acknowledge each other, Paotinthang Lupheng claimed that the presence of a huge social disparity between the hills and valley created a sense of alienation among the tribals.

On the other hand, he welcomed the extension of BEFR/ILPS in Manipur and said that the Kukis have been demanding such a regulation since 2011 .

He expressed belief that the new system will be able to curb the alarming influx of non-natives into the State and stressed on the need for the system to be effectively implemented and monitored.

DESAM vice president Sheetal Oinam narrated that ever since its establishment, DESAM has been working tirelessly for the betterment of Manipur.

DESAM considers education as having three pillars or supports, namely home, student and Government.

All of these three pillars are important when it comes to the existence of an efficient and robust education system, he explained.

Sheetal continued that from this year onward, DESAM will try to devise a strategy for ensuring the presence of educational institutions which use the indigenous language as their teaching medium, and appealed to the authority concerned to offer all possible support in this venture.

On the other hand, Manipur University (MU) Dean of Students' Welfare, Professor Th Ratankumar Singh opined that there many things wrong with the present education system.

The problems and issues faced by the State cannot be solved without the help of education.

Development of a region or State or even a country largely depends on its education system.

It is not a mere coincidence that the developed countries of the world also have high literacy rates.

There are many things wrong with the primary, secondary, higher and university level education in Manipur and the results of these errors, will be felt later in the future.

The difficulties and problems faced by the people today, are the impacts of the errors in the education system more than 25-30 years ago, he claimed.

India has a large population and if the people are properly educated and the human resource is developed, then the Nation will shine, he added.

Ratankumar continued that if the students today are given knowledge about Manipur and its culture, traditions etc, as a part of their syllabus, then the issues faced by Manipur can be solved easily in the near future.

Rectifying the education system will not take time.

It is the result which will take time to show, he concluded.

DESAM president Salam Akash, All Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM) president Joseph Adani and Apunba Maheiroi Sinpang Lup (AIMS) president Kh Romen were also present during the observation.

A mega blood donation camp and distribution of 'Chingu Maichou Khongnangthaba' award to selected teachers, were also organised as a part of the event.