Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya Wednesday felicitated Nagaland Post on its 24th anniversary and also congratulated the first news daily for organising a conclave to mark its 24th anniversary adding, it was a notable contribution to society by involving in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Speaking as chief guest at the anniversary celebration at Hotel Acacia here, the Governor said “I am happy to be part of the conclave on ‘Paradigm of socio- economic progress’. I congratulate the Nagaland Post editorial team and the entire staff for organising this conclave”. The Governor, who had been involved with Nagaland since 1967, lauded Nagaland Post for shouldering the responsibility of providing service to society despite its initial lack of resources, manpower and bringing out the newspaper with outdated technology to cope with the challenges.
He said today, Nagaland Post has become much more developed, vibrant and matured giving wide coverage of not only of local issues but also national and international events packaging them in the right presentable perspective.
He advised the media that “without fear and favour”, there was a need to disseminate information and express views. He also expressed surprise on hearing a newspaper (Nagaland Post) has accepted corporate social responsibility in a “great way” and lauded the Editor-in-chief Geoffrey Yaden for introducing this concept. “One of the notable contributions of Nagaland Post which I have observed is its involvement in corporate social responsibility. It is also something new to me. And in corporate sectors who are in training or manufacturing there is a mandate law that two percent of the total net profit of all corporate sector have to be set aside for corporate sector responsibility”, said the governor. Acharya said by providing training to the unemployed youth in the field of skill development, leadership and also working against substance abuse user, HIV/AIDS, career guidance etc., Nagaland Post had inspired everyone and made Nagaland more meaningful. He said media had a vital role in moulding the healthy society to develop the way of life and in the right direction
Media also reflected the factual and relevant information and continues to be the best device to spread awareness in the society, be it political, social or economic, the governor said.
The Governor in his address also referred to rampant corruption in society and said that the media has “to pay a very vital role in exposing the corruption”. He said “we ourselves have created the situation” the current bleak situation in the state. “Why corruptions are so rampant? This has to be boldly and fearlessly highlighted by the newspaper.”
Acharya said newspapers in Nagaland have done a wonderful job. “Judiciary and media is doing more than the political parties and social workers…so I salute the judiciary, I salute the newspaper especially the Nagaland Post” said the governor. He said Nagaland Post had “the guts” to say that over 60% of the teachers appointed by the government were proxy teachers and asked the education department to take action and “if they do not take action…this is the duty of the newspaper.”
The governor also said that either China or India has to become “a great power in the world and we have the potentiality. Ours is a democratic country and we can march ahead with new leadership and new ideas to catch up and….to march ahead.”
Earlier, Editor-in-chief Geoffrey Yaden while addressing the conclave said that the daily had seen “days of struggle” since it started.
He also reflected on the power of the media and said “media can be a powerful tool but it should not be a tool for power”.
Yaden said the objective of the conclave was to learn from the innovations of other societies for socio-economic progress. He said that Nagaland also needed to learn to innovate its own concept of socio-economic progress. Recalling his conversation with Dasho Karma Ura, Yaden said planning should be democratic and not bureaucratic and that it has to be implemented with discipline.
Former chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir recalled the early days and how Nagaland Post began its innings and the immense difficulties and threat on the life of the Editor Geoffery Yaden. He said despite general scepticism about the success of the newspaper, it proved all sceptics wrong and has instead been growing from strength to strength and has indeed impacted the “thinking process” in the state.
Earlier, Rev. Dr Stephen from Malaysia gave the invocation prayer and special song by Nagaland Conservatory Music faculty-Noel Dela Rosa and Judy Honor from Philippines. Others who graced the occasion included – R&B minister Azo Neinu, Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat, GOC 3 Corps; Brig. N.D Joshi; Brig. Ratan Pal, DIG 6 Sector; NPF functionaries, NPCC members, legislators– Amenba Yaden MLA & chairman, NBDA; S.I Jamir (MLA), C. Apok Jamir (MLA); State BJP party members led by president Dr. M. Chuba Ao, Prashant Arora and Johhny G. Rengma, BJP national vice president for ST Morcha; Lotha Hoho Dimapur president T.L Merry; Naga Mothers’ Association president Abeiu Meru, ACAUT Nagaland, BAN, Ao Students’ Union Dimapur, officials, civil society members and well wishers.
Karma on Gross National Happiness & Socio-Economic Progress
Keynote address on “Paradigms of Socio-Economic Progress’ was presented by Dasho Karma Ura, president, Centre for Bhutan Studies and GNH research Thimpu, Royal Kingdom of Bhutan and also vice chairperson of India-Bhutan Strategic Dialogue.
Introducing Gross National Happiness (GNH), Dasho Karma Ura explained that in the concept that was invented by His Majesty, the King of Bhutan, welfare accrued not only from material goods but also from the unquantifiable spiritual and emotional well-being. Thus, he said, GNH was an important guiding principle of development is the harmonization of spiritual and material aspects that impacted ecology, longevity, creativity and social bonding (citizenship). On the other hand, he said GDP was based on primary indicators to gauge the health of a country’s economy where despite high GDP, people in urban areas were less happy than people living in rural areas.
While broadly touching upon lessons from 40 years as an example of sustainable development in Bhutan, Ura said even countries like Denmark, Japan and Canada etc have applied GNH as a human development index. Ura said GNH stressed on time management- work and rest and the importance of caring for the environment’s flora and fauna which in turn, promoted holistic happiness. He also said the UN has adopted GNH as an important aspect of human development adding this explained that the where it meant that happiness and not happen-ness
Touching on Nagaland, Dasho Karma Ura opined that Nagas have a vibrant and dynamic culture which could be harnessed for promoting community development. He opined that the north east and Nagaland in particular, have immense potential for bio-diversity which needed to be promoted. He pointed out that true leadership was not about leading but preparing and promoting young leaders of the future. Ura said the desire for happiness was a universal part of human nature, the importance attached to happiness, what we believe to be, and how it is found are shaped by culture.
Alemtemshi also reflected on the key note address delivered by Dasho Karma Ura and said that all development planning has an objective to make people happy. However, material realities also do dominate the thinking process, he said. Unlike Bhutan which has been touched by the great civilizational history of China, India and Tibet, Nagaland had been a “primitive tribal” society still practicing technology of yore.
He said in modern planning happiness was related “duties, rights and responsibilities”. Due to violent nature of “our history”, there was the need to opt for a “centralized planning”. However, such planning also led to questions of “accountability, transparency and responsibility”.
The 24th anniversary of Nagaland Post began with greetings from Bano Haralu who also compered the sessions. Invocation prayer was led by Rev. Dr. Stephen Lee from Malaysia. The conclave was introduced by Dr. Neel Konwar, organizational development and critical psychologist.
Panellists who spoke during the conclave include Vice Admiral (Retd) Shekhar Sinha, Jaikant Singh, head of State Alliance National Skill Devlopment Council, New Delhi and Dipanjon Konwar, mechanical engineer, MBA, lead auditor ISO. Each of the panellists spoke on the topic of the day and their experience in respective fields. The day ended with an interactive session where dignitaries and participants asked relevant questions to the panellists and the key note speaker.